Our Deep Dive Into the Individual

Just like in humans, dogs are complex and when we are rehabbing them we are looking at the entire picture.

Here are a examples of what that looks like for us;

Diet; 

Reducing inflammation in the body and building a healthy gut microbiome is the goal through nutrition.

Breed Fulfillment; 

Looking at what genetically our dogs were made to do and making sure we are providing outlets for these things through games with us, food and toys.

Confidence Building (dog); 

Confidence building has many levels including achieving awareness of body (proprioceptive work), noise, environment and tactile desensitization and the understanding that you will advocate for them and lead them in a confident manner. 

Confidence Building (human); 

Without having confidence in yourself to know what you are looking at and then how to deal with it you live in a tense state as well. Breaking that state through education and loads of practice we want you to become a great leader to your dog! 

Clarity; 

Are you setting up clear and understandable boundaries for your dog and being consistent with how you communicate them? Bringing this into your teaching in a day to day way helps the relationship gain trust and understanding. 

Exercise; 

Allowing for ample quality movement each day is key for behavior change. Doing so in a way that is also progressing you towards your goals makes for a two birds one stone situation and something we will help plan for you.  

Quality Rest; 

Dogs need more sleep than humans. Dogs' emotional capacity maxes out at around a 3 year old toddler. We would never expect a >3 year old to get no sleep during the day and make healthy, happy decisions. We cannot of our dogs either. If you have a busy/noisy house, live in an active neighborhood where your dog patrols from the windows or wakes up every time you move from one room to another to follow you, your dog is likely not getting the quality rest they need for behavior change and appropriate decision making.

Pain / Discomfort in the body; 

We like to do a lot of hands on touch, massage and stretching. Getting an idea of where your dog holds tension and allowing for you to be able to help release it makes for a dog that can better access their parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) rather than staying in a more chronic stress zone of the sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze).

Social Aspect; 

Dogs are social beings. Just like us they thrive with same species interactions. It may be worth looking at how you can safely and productively get your dog around its own kind. We would love to help game plan this.