The WoofPack
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05/10/2026
Happy Mother’s Day to all the WoofPack moms 🤍
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that WoofPack moms aren’t your average dog moms. They are deeply invested, wildly dedicated, and willing to put in the work to truly understand and support their dogs. They advocate for them, challenge them, stay consistent for them, and love them through every stage of growth.
Your dogs are incredibly lucky to have you.
And to my own pack… thank you for teaching me how to be a mom long before I became one to Nellie. Thank you for growing with me and for standing by me while I navigate motherhood in a whole new way. Every one of you has shaped me in ways I could never fully explain, and I feel so lucky to do/have done (🥺)life alongside you 🐾
(AND yes, Tyne makes the cut as one of my own dogs, duh!! )
Day 1 & 2 are done and we did a lot of diagnostics.
I took Shenzi on walks using a retractable leash so I could see what decisions she’d make on her own and honestly, I get it now.
Her prey drive is very high and her impulse control (when left up to her) is basically nonexistent.
She’s chasing, scanning, trying to climb trees-constantly in a hunting state. This has been heavily managed in the past with reward-based protocols but here’s the problem:
She never actually learned how to regulate herself around prey. She’s been suppressing behavior, not resolving it. Which explains the whining, panting, and overall spike in arousal before the walk even starts.
Same thing with dogs. She’s stressed walking by them but not always reactive. Instead, she’ll choose to come into a heel and whine.This tells me an important thing-the obedience is there but it’s a conditioned response, not a regulated state of mind.So that’s another gap we need to address.
Inside the house, she’s been tethered, on place, or crated and honestly, doing really well. Historically she’s been pacey, panty, and whiny but with structure, she’s mostly choosing to sleep.
She’ll still get a little unsettled when the other dogs’ energy spikes, and it takes her about 15–20 minutes to fully come down after outings (panting, circling, restless). But overall—huge improvement in that environment.
Obedience-wise, she looks great. Fast, driven, responsive. But for her, that is NOT the priority. I’m actually going to focus on slowing her obedience down and prioritizing calm. Because for Shenzi, state of mind > flashy obedience
We’ve gathered a lot in the first 2 days. Next step: keep collecting data then start building a plan that actually addresses what’s underneath all of this.
04/22/2026
Before starting any board & train, I look at the full picture. What does the dog do well and where do they struggle. Shenzi is no exception.
She has a high level of training and a lot of ability. But she also has just as many struggles. This is the reality of many “well-trained” dogs. It’s not a skill issue-it’s a regulation issue. Now I need to figure out what she actually needs: The balance between free choice and being under command and exercise/fulfillment vs. downtime and decompression.
Hopefully over the next few weeks, we can gather some really good information. Let’s see what actually changes😅
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