Alright y’all, am I the asshole?  I went to see a mobile vet with my newly adopted dog, Eden. He was (still is) cute, fluffy, and came with a bite record towards people and dogs. Body sensitive, healed injuries to his front legs, and the softest fur I’ve ever touched. It’s a confusing dichotomy.  When […] The post The Stigma of Using Treats (AITA?) appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

We get asked all the time what our favorite dog enrichment activities are. We did write the book on it, after all! And, as always, the answer is actually, “It depends.” Enrichment is about meeting an individual’s needs to allow them to perform species-typical behaviors in healthy, safe, and appropriate ways. While individuals within a particular […] The post Top 8 Dog Enrichment Activities appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

Figuring out what to do with one dog can be challenging, but trying to come up with enrichment opportunities for multiple dogs can end up being exhausting. Let’s talk about how to provide enrichment for multiple dogs in the same household without it feeling like a second job.    Acknowledgment Providing enrichment opportunities for multiple […] The post Enrichment for Multiple Dogs appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

Petey the Wondermutt climbs a small tower of tires and nudges some rocks around with his snout, inhaling deeply. “Be careful, bud,” I tell him with no expectation that he will respond to the sounds I just made. He’s five days post upper canine tooth extraction and nursing a sore face, but our rather boring […] The post For the Benefit of Mister Pete: Creating a Sensory Garden in a Small Backyard appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

We know that safety (being protected from harm) and security (FEELING protected from harm)  are both categories of enrichment. As someone who lives with a dog who is a bite risk, I can tell you that these elements are also important for the humans in the household. My household consists of myself, my husband, who […] The post Agency in the Life of a High Management Dog appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

I don’t think I’ve kept it much of a secret that I love how past me informs present me, especially in my role as a behavior consultant. My years as a Montessori teacher and case manager have provided me with skill sets that I use on a daily basis when I am helping people and […] The post Fun Ways to Get the Kids Involved With Enrichment appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

I’m a mom of two littles and a pup and I love being their mom. With that being said, I would say I hit Max Stimulus Point every day. The thoughts, the tasks, the touch, the self-regulation practices, the planning, the questions, the behavior, the meeting needs, the everything. I never realized what people meant […] The post Musings of a Toddler Mom Dog Behavior Consultant appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

This summer, my partner and I have been chipping away at cleaning up our property, removing invasive weeds and plants, and replacing them with native species. We want a property that is friendly to native pollinators and provides a home for all sorts of critters, insects, and amphibians.  It’s work that we both enjoy. We […] The post Gardening, Wasps, and Anxiety appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

Things always seem to happen with my clients in bursts, and recently, I have been working with a number of families on transitions to a new life stage. Whether this is the start of a new job, an addition to the family, a cross-country move, or a general upheaval in routine, my first recommendation is […] The post August 2024 Enrichment Challenge: Create Your Pet’s Enrichment Menu appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more

Lately I’ve been thinking alot about something I heard when I first started walking dogs at a local rescue when I lived in New York. The guy who ran the rescue was a man of few words, so when I saw him giving an orientation, I hovered in the back, curious. After going through the […] The post Move the Dog Forward appeared first on Pet Harmony ..read more