PAWSitively Happy Home: dog training and behaviour solutions
6464 Decker Drive N6P 1J5 London, ON, Canada

Is your dog reactive? Do you modify the times and routes you walk your dog just to avoid the embarrassment of their lunging and barking ? Our highly popular reactive dog boot camp 2021 is now open. Purchase between now and Nov 30 and get a discounted rate. DM us for details ... We’re you on the wait list and didn’t hear from us? Our apologies the system has been wonky! DM us and we’ll get you the first available spot

training tip Tuesday working on door manners with your dog? A little hand written note asking your visitor to be patient can give you time to set your dog up for success!

Q: When do you start training your puppy? A: As soon as you get them! This question is asked frequently, and there are old myths and misconceptions that you need to wait until a dog is a certain age to train them. This actually can harm your future training goals. The reality is though you’re training your dog with every interaction even if it’s not intentional. They’re learning what works in their environment and waiting to train them means we may have to undo bad habits... rather than just starting them off with great ones! Using dog friendly, humane and positive training can start as soon as your pup comes home (if you have an awesome breeder they would have started some additional training and socialization and may even use a program like Puppy Culture) Tips: Keep training sessions with puppies super short and positive. Even 30 seconds-2 minutes working on a skill can yield great results! Don’t expect them to be as calm an focused as an older dog, keep expectations realistic keep learning successful. Make sure your dog is at least 80% successful at the current level of difficulty before making it harder mistakes and regression can happen don’t be discouraged, many variables can affect the training- environment, distractions, how they feel both physically and emotionally recognize they need a lot of repetition to learn a skill (think of how many times a child needs to hear and repeat the alphabet to learn it! Puppies and dogs need to repeat behaviours to to fully learn them) provided the proper cleaning and sanitation, and using locations is limited to known and vaccinated dogs, you can enroll your puppy in a class rather quickly after they come home focus on positive experiences over obedience, allow your puppy to experience as many different things as possible. A calm, happy and confident puppy is the priority and will make obedience easier in the future. What is something you wish you knew before you brought home your puppy? See more

Double trouble: Raising Littermates When faced with a litter full of adorable puppies its hard to pick just one... I mean they're so stinking cute! You think about it... You've convinced yourself! We'll take two!! You google search.... all you see is don't adopt littermates. you read about littermate syndrome... oops you're already in. We wouldn't recommend that people go out and get littermates - lots of people do it, and successfully- if you're doing it or have done it here... are some tips to make it easier. 1. Get them use to independence from each other. individual crates, time away from each other. They need to learn to cope and relax without the other present- if you never do it, then when it has to happen it can be a shock to the other. Preparing them for future events that require them to be separated, like surgeries, illness, places you'll only be able to take one dog. Getting them use to self soothing and being independent of each other is going to go a long way for increasing their confidence. 2. Train separately and together. Training one puppy can be a struggle, training 2 can feel like herding cats! Take time to train the skills separately so they master it, and then work on the skills together - so we can get them listening and thriving in all situations. Each dog will also have their strengths and weaknesses, individual training can help you address each puppy's needs one on one and make training faster and more efficient then if you're training to train both of them at the same time. 3. Socialize separately. Teach them each how to interact with the world as individuals. Play time with other puppies without each other, exploring the world and gaining confidence without the other pup around is critical. One puppy will often been more confident than the other and having them together all the time can mask issues as they can become too co dependent. Raising one puppy or two? We can help! We offer a wide variety of services for puppies!

Remembering all of those who have served and sacrificed today. We thank you

Welcome Sammy to our puppy best start! Sammy will be here mon-fri for the next 3 weeks. He will learn amazing things in week and then go back home to his family on the weekends We’ll be focusing on attention, relaxation and socialization this week!

Coming soon! Socialization is the most vital part of puppyhood. But it’s often misunderstood Let professional trainers help you navigate puppyhood and set your puppy up for the BEST start ... Teach your puppy proper play skills, navigating different surfaces, noises, people and experiences. We’ll also cover what to do if your puppy is afraid how to navigate when play goes wrong how to prepare your puppy for success teach them independence and crate skills simple hacks for busy families to get through puppyhood and adolescence Making grooming and vet visits stress free potty training and nipping For puppies UNDER 4 months/ 16 weeks Wednesday nights starting November 4, introductory rate of $100 for 4 weeks. DM us to reserve your spot! Limited spaces. This is great for those who want to supplement their obedience training being additional socialization or are proficient in obedience training but need some socialization opportunities for their pup! Classes held at The Hive 1350 Wharncliffe road South

A little throwback to baby Gatsby vs the strawberry Puppies curiosity and play always makes me smile. It almost makes me miss puppyhood (almost.... the sleepless nights, nipping and potty training is less than fun. But man they’re cute ) What are your favourite puppy memories?

Reading to dogs. A mutually beneficial activity. Studies have shown that reading to dogs can help people (especially children) :... lower stress increase confidence improve literacy improve public speaking and communication skills increase test scores Studies of shelter dogs have shown reading to them: decreases stress promotes calmness With benefits for both parties, why not pick up a book and read to your dog today?! As a dog and child safety specialist I also love that reading is a calm activity that encourages the child to be calm around the dog and minimal physical interaction and it increases the bond and relationship between them. My favourite childhood activity was reading to my dog. I’m elated that Atticus has taken to reading to our dogs now.

I came across this and had to share. Senior dogs are the best . If you can share to help find the perfect home that would be amazing

Halloween and Christmas decorations will be all over the city soon. A trip to rona to do some desensitization to them. All the board and trains will be making the same trip this weekend

but... can I see your dog?

Training going sideways? It's not abnormal. Many things can derail your training- busy lives put training on the back burner, your dog's experiences, missed training opportunities, trauma, accidental reinforcement and just normal puppy development (hello adolescent dogs I'm talking to you) Here is what to do when your training goes to ...Continue reading

A fun game. Drop your below!

Reminder : Your walks are some of the only opportunities your dog gets to explore this big beautiful world. Let them use their nose. Dogs have an estimated 300 million olfactory neurons located in their nose (Brooks et al., 2015)... pet dogs’ that performed regular nose work training activities were found to be more optimistic. (Duranton and Horowitz 2019) Walks are not meant to be exercises in strict obedience, there is a time and place for that. Your daily walk should be in the best interest of you and your dogs physical, mental and emotional health. Sniffing does all of that for your dog. When you see me on a walk with my dog. They’re not starting at me They’re not perfectly by my side. However we are moving through space together and exploring Want more information on how to improve your dogs mental health read WAG! The science of making you’re dog happy by ZaZie Todd

King is just as regal as his name implies a puppy class/covid grad it was lovely seeing him the other day to snap this pic! Can’t wait until we can get an intermediate class on the books to work with him further!... . See more

Puppy and basic obedience classes are back!!! We’ll be at The Hive London Saturday mornings! Smaller class sizes for maximum physical distancing for your safety! We’re thrilled to be back. ... Enroll at PAWSitivelyhappyhome.com/classes or DM us for more info

As a parent you can have a lot of demands and adding a dog or puppy to the mix it can get overwhelming A few simple tips can make raising a dog a little easier. 1. Micro training sessions over long ones ... If every adult (and old enough children) commits each to 15 total minutes of training a day (you should do as 3-5 minute sessions at a time) your dog will master the skills needed to be a great pet. Focus on things like relaxation, impulse control, mat training, loose leash walking and recall. 2. Food toys. Occupy your dog, reduce their energy and destructive behaviour. @kongcompany wobbler is an all time favourite for kibble eaters and a frozen @westpawus Topplr for raw eaters. 3. Be ready to capture good behaviour. Teach yourself and family to recognise and reward appropriate behaviour from your dog. Instead of consistently relying on telling your dog what to do (or not do) reinforce when they’re doing what you love! Laying down while watching a movie? Great job! Focusing on me while we walk!? SUPER! 4. Set your environment up for success! Block access to dangerous things (the garbage), have appropriate chews out and readily available, have a comfortable dog bed to lay on, gates and barriers to keep puppies from getting too much freedom. Setting up the environment to encourage appropriate behaviour is going to reduce the time and effort you need to put in to training and it will create good habits. It also means less yelling, frustration and stress 5. Have kids help where appropriate. Cleaning backyard, feeding, stuffing food toys, ensuring fresh water is filled daily, training. Work within your child’s age and maturity level to have them help in an appropriate manner. Have a question about a simplifying dog training for a busy home? Send us a DM!