Geek Girl Dog Trainer

Two of the most important thing to remember when working with dogs.

No matter their breed, a dog is always a study of one. You can’t rely on things like “all retrievers do this”, “all terriers do that” or “I’ve always had hounds and they do this”. You are doing a disservice to the dog in front of you when you do that. They are their own unique being.

I’ve been vegetarian for 19 years and a vegan for the past 1.5 years. It is without a doubt, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I love all animals and can’t imagine consuming them.

When I fully understood my reactive pup and her challenges, I made these promises to her (after I saw some inspiration from artist Sydney Koehl and her adoption of a sweet, fearful pup).

For those of us who love and care for a reactive dog, most days can fall on the hero or villain side: the Batman days and the Joker days. What does this mean?

The Batman days look like any combination of the following: -You successfully avoid all the neighborhood dogs on your walk -You recognize the signs of stress in your dog before she gets over-threshold and employ positive interrupters ("Leave It", hand-targeting, foraging, etc) -You see the loose dog before your own dog does and are able to get to safety -You play "Look at that" with one of your dog's triggers (let's say a squirrel) and she stays in tune with you -You plot out and enact a training plan to help her learn self-control -Your dog looks to you for guidance when she gets nervous -You play with your pup then enjoy a good cuddle on the couch

These are the days where you feel like a hero for your pup. You feel like you can protect her from everything and that the two of you are one.

But inevitably, you will have some Joker days. This could be when: -Every street you turn down has a loose dog or cat -You have to run from a loose dog, screaming at their human to come get them -You run out of treats halfway through your walk -You miss the signs of stress and your dog lunges to the end of her leash and starts snarling and barking. She can no longer hear you because she is over-threshold. -Even in the house, your pup can't come down from her stress for hours -Your training plan falls apart -You get frustrated with yourself and your pup -You sit on the couch and waver between crying and laughing maniacally

These are the days that are the hardest. You feel like a failure and, at times, like you are going insane.

It is in the Joker days that you need to remember that the hero always wins and you are the hero to your pup. You care for her and put her needs first and always, always try to make life better for her.