Sit Pretty Behavior & Training

Meet Henry.

Henry’s guardian reached out with concerns about his increasing reactivity — both toward other dogs on walks and toward friends walking alongside them. He had also begun reacting unpredictably to guests in the home, which was understandably worrisome.

Under the guidance of a Veterinary Behaviorist, Henry began a carefully designed plan that included pharmaceutical support and a structured behavior modification program. Together, we focused on management strategies to keep everyone safe and to help Henry feel secure in both home and outdoor environments.

Through consistent work on desensitization and counterconditioning, Henry has learned to feel more comfortable around people — and those once-irresistible moving feet are becoming far less exciting!

Huge congratulations to Henry’s guardian for her incredible dedication and commitment to his progress. By prioritizing Henry’s emotional well-being and safety, she’s helped him make meaningful strides toward a calmer, more confident life.

Yesterday I said goodbye to my best friend.

My heart is shattered, and my grief is suffocating as I try to figure out how to exist in a world without him in it.

Kaslo was not just a dog to me. He was a part of my soul that I didn't even know was missing.
He was my heart dog.

His presence made my life so rich and so beautiful.

He will be so deeply missed.

Meet Milo.

Milo’s guardian brought me on board to help with two big goals: improving his recall and reducing excessive backyard barking. With a thoughtful mix of smart management, fulfilling Milo’s natural doggie needs, and a consistent, positive training approach, this pup has made incredible progress!

Milo has made huge progress and is learning to respond quickly when called and learning to use his voice more appropriately (no more shouting at the squirrels all day long).

Huge shoutout to Milo’s amazing guardian for their dedication and teamwork throughout this process. Training is never just about the dog—it's about building that partnership, and these two are crushing it!

Way to go, Milo! Your next adventure is just a recall away 💛

Have you ever witnessed a "light bulb" moment during your dog's training?

That moment, where all of your hard work, patience, and training repetitions seems to finally click and your dog connects the dogs for one grand, behavioral epiphany.

These moments are one of my favorite things to witness, and are so gratifying for not only you, but your dog, and myself as your trainer!

Through consistent training, reinforcing your dog for the behavior you like (and want to see more of in the future), these light bulb moments will happen as your dog figures out what you are asking of them!

Be patient, set your dog up for success (help them "win" at the training game, more than they lose), and your training will progress!

Fear is a complex emotion.

From an evolutionary perspective, fear serves as a survival mechanism, prompting the individual to avoid a potentially dangerous situations.

Fear is something that is easy to learn, but can be incredibly difficult to undo.
It is a powerful and instinctual emotion that often defies logic, making it difficult to fully understand someone else’s fears when they differ from your own.

Fear can be learned even in the presence of numerous positive experiences.
For example, you might love swimming and do it frequently, with numerous happy memories of the activity. However, if you experience a near-drowning incident you can easily develop of fear of the water, despite having previously enjoyed countless safe and pleasurable swimming experiences.

Fear can overwhelm us, pushing all logical thinking aside while our body does what it thinks it needs to do in order to survive the threat.

Understanding and supporting a fearful dog requires patience, empathy, and an informed approach. Punishing a dog for behaving fearfully can increase the dog’s anxiety, inhibit their learning, reinforce their negative associations, and damage their trust in you, their guardian.

By approaching a fearful dog with patience and understanding, and avoiding punitive measures, you can help them regain confidence and lead a happier, more comfortable life.