Advertise on podcast: Rethinking Reactivity

Training Snacks are bite-sized episodes on topics or questions that have come up either with my clients or with other trainers in my mentorship. In this episode I answer questions from client Nisreen and her dog Tom covering: When should I decrease distance from triggers? How do I lower his arousal and build neutrality around triggers? ------------------- Dog pros - when you join the Leash Reactivity Mentorship for professionals you'll get help with your behavior cases for a full 12 months. Live calls every week, personalized feedback, support from other trainers who get it, and so much more. Join today! For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Are reactive dogs sensitive? Are sensitive dogs reactive? What about fearful dogs? In this conversation with Emily Lewis, CDBC from Vermont Dog Behavior we dive into what sensitivity is, and how we can best support dogs who struggle to cope with every day life. We cover: Sensitivity to handling, husbandry, and social interactionsHow sensitive dogs respond to social pressure, spatial pressure, and how social contracts steer those interactionsStrategies for helping sensitive dogs learn to feel more comfortable with the things they want to avoidAre your behavior change strategies helping or hindering your progress?What about dogs who aren't motivated by food or toys?And so much moreAbout Emily: Emily Lewis has 24 years of professional experience as a vet tech, dog trainer, behavior consultant, shelter behavior consultant and professional dog handler. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC and operates Vermont Dog Behavior, LLC. She specializes in a wide variety of behavior issues, including human directed aggression. Due to the nature of the cases that she sees, Emily is often faced with families who have experienced trauma due to their dog's behavior. She loves working with these clients to repair and improve their relationship with their dog, with an emphasis on meeting the needs at both ends of the leash. Emily has been involved in animal welfare for the last 12 years assisting a variety of shelters and rescue organizations with their behavior programs. She strives to help shelter dogs have the best quality of life possible, to provide shelter staff with the training needed to keep themselves and the animals in their care safe, and to support the community with dog training and behavior resources. Emily is passionate about making education and mentorship accessible to all. She provides one on one skills training, dog behavior seminars and animal handling workshops for dog trainers and behavior consultants, rescue and shelter staff, animal control officers and veterinary professionals. When she's not working, Emily loves spending time in nature with her wife and dogs. She is an avid reader, a self-described comic book nerd, and enjoys collecting tattoos from some of Vermont's talented artists. Website Instagram: @vermontdogbehavior facebook.com/vermontdogbehavior ----------------------------------------- Dog pros - when you join the Leash Reactivity Mentorship for professionals you'll get help with your behavior cases for a full 12 months. Live calls every week, personalized feedback, support from trainers who get it, and so much more. Join today! For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Caring for a reactive dog, or any dog that exhibits maladaptive behaviors, is hard. It often puts a high emotional toll on the person, who may already be struggling to meet their dog's needs while trying to juggle their own lives. And worse, so many go through this journey facing judgment from people who mean well, but don't truly "get it." If you have ever felt alone on this journey, this one is for you.  👉 In this episode, I talk with Jess Adam from Handlers and Humans about: What the studies show about the mental health of guardians of dogs with behavior challengesWhy accepting your dog can feel like griefCaregiver burden and the toll it takes on everyday lifeHow to know if you are normalizing the emotional toll and abandoning yourself along the wayWhat dog professionals could be doing differently to support their clientsAnd more!🌟 About Jess Adam: Jess Adam is a licensed professional counselor based in Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband, twin boys, an 11-year-old reactive pit mix named Dio, and a cat named Bat. Passionate about both mental health and animal welfare, Jess created Handlers & Humans—a coaching practice that helps dog guardians and canine professionals navigate the emotional side of life with complex dogs. With over a decade of experience as a therapist and counseling professor, Jess brings clinical expertise and lived experience together in a warm, evidence-based approach. She’s currently deepening her work by studying veterinary mental health, further bridging the gap between human wellbeing and animal care. Through individual coaching, group programs, and online courses, Jess helps people show up with more confidence, calm, and compassion for their pets and themselves. ➡️ Website ➡️ Instagram: handlersandhumans ----------------------------- 🐾 For Pet Parents of reactive dogs: Reactivity Roadmap  For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Alert barking. Territorial barking. Attention barking. Demand barking. There are many  "types" of barking that occur inside of the home, but what is actually happening in these scenarios? Why do these types of barking occur so frequently, and why it so hard to get dogs to stop? In this episode we cover: - How to unpack barking to identify what is maintaining that behavior - How the environment is reinforcing your dog - Strategies for reducing barking towards foot traffic and delivery people - Teaching dogs to self interrupt - And so much more About Kiki: Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, is a Chicago-based dog trainer who holds a master’s degree in applied behavioral science from the University of Kansas, where she conducted thesis research related to excessive barking in dogs. In addition to helping pet-loving households, Kiki teaches fellow professionals through several channels, including as a faculty member for the Karen Pryor Academy and as a co-instructor for Dr. Susan Friedman’s Behavior Works. http://kikiyablondogtraining.com/ @kiki.yablon on instagram Support for dog trainers: Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals  Support for pet parents: Reactivity Roadmap For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

You might be wondering - what do free living dogs have to do with leash reactivity?  Before the current life we have with pet dogs in Western countries, dogs were free living. And in many countries around the world including India, Turkey, and Mexico, you will still find tens of millions of free living dogs whose lives are drastically different than those of pet dogs in the U.S.  What does it mean for a dog to have a good life? Is it the autonomy to move about as they please? Or is it a roof over their head, a soft bed, and taken everywhere on leash, at the direction of a human?  In order for us to help reactive dogs, we need to understand who dogs are without all of the artificial constructs we have placed on them, including leashes and fences. What is it about barriers and humans that have such a dramatic influence on a dog's behavior? What can we learn about free living dogs that will help us better support our pet dogs?  Tell me what you think about this episode by emailing me at [email protected] About Kapil: Kapil Patwardhan works to serve free-living dogs in India. He plays many roles - as volunteer providing medical aid and food for dogs in Pune. As an educator, helping the community coexist with dogs by understanding body language and reducing conflict. As an author, he has written two children's books, using story telling to aid children learn empathy and rest words street animals. As an independent researcher, he works on different research projects focussing on understanding the dog side of the human-dog relationship by collecting ethnographic data on free living dogs. While dogs take up most of his 24 hours, he finds time to step away from the dog world by performing stand up comedy and playing professional darts. Tours: https://getfloof.com/collections/2027-dog-study-and-immersive-experience-tours Free ebook of the kid’s book - https://ibh-hundeschulen.org/tipps/neu-der-hund-der-zur-schule-geht/ For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Katrina wrote a really fantastic blog post called Why You Should Run From Engage/Disengage. Quick caveat, it's not because she doesn't like the protocol.  In this episode, Katrina and I discuss: Contingencies in training - what they are and how to analyze themHow the execution of open bar/closed bar and engage/disengage can actually create unintended consequences for reactive dogsHow to determine whether or not your procotol is workingWhy and how high value food can be coercive for dogsAnd so much moreAbout Katrina Per-Carruthers: Katrina is a professional animal trainer with more than 15 years of experience supporting dog and horse owners across Canada. Katrina  blends an academic foundation in psychology with extensive continuing education through organizations such as IAABC and CASI, and has trained with respected industry leaders including Hannah Branigan. Katrina's unique background as a former pain-science focused Registered Massage Therapist gives her exceptional insight into biomechanics and body language — allowing her to recognize subtle physical changes that may influence behaviour and helps her to design elegant solutions for even the most complex training challenges. Katrina has been featured as a guest on the Lead a Horse to Water podcast where she discussed cross-species behaviour and practical training strategies. She lives in Ladner with her Pembroke Welsh Corgi Maeve and her Haflinger horse Samwise Contingency Analyzer Tool The Dog School For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

We're starting this new season with a discussion on ACE Freework. ACE stands for Animal Centered Education, and it was started by Sarah Fisher. Sadly, Sarah is no longer with us, but I know how much her work has meant to people and how impactful it has been for dogs, and I didn't want to miss an opportunity to talk about it. We're joined by the lovely Kim Palermo, who helps us break down ACE Freework, what it is, how it's beneficial, and so much more.  Get on the waitlist for Reactivity Roadmap About Kim: Kim Palermo CPDT-KA is a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI) and ACE (Animal Centred Education) Practitioner. She has been working with dogs professionally for over 20 years and has been an avid dog owner and sports enthusiast her entire life. Kim owns a dog training and dog walking business with her husband near Boston, Massachusetts and teaches fulltime at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. She has a fondness for helping dogs with big feelings, and uses compassion and kindness with every animal and human that she works with. Kim’s passion is to help others pursue their dream of training dogs and she continues to expand her business in a way that supports growth, mentorship, and opportunity for her team.  She is a mentor for the Control Unleashed certification program, the CATCH dog trainers program, and for individual trainers.  She has spoken in conferences, teaches in-person workshops, and presents for her local community. During her free time she likes to escape to the woods to hike, is a beekeeper, raises a flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea hens, and dreams of the day when she has a farm. kimpalermo.com facebook.com/kimberly.palermo instagram/kimanddogs For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Join the leash reactivity mentorship starting March 22nd This episode is all about dogs that bark/lunge/growl at strangers, both on walks and inside the home. Lisa and I discuss: The difference between reactivity and aggressionHow to help dogs with stranger directed aggression acclimate to new peopleWhy "first impressions" are so important for these casesHow to tell if the dog is actually comfortable around a guestWhat to teach dogs who are reactive on leash towards peopleAnd so much moreAbout Lisa: Lisa Mullinax is approaching 25 years of experience in canine behavior. A Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Lisa has lead behavior programs at multiple animal shelters and provides behavior support to private clients. Specializing in aggression, Lisa now brings her insight and expertise to coaching behavior professionals on navigating their complex cases. Her Stranger-Directed Aggression series teaches dog pros how to get success and stay safe in high stakes cases. https://www.lisamullinax.com https://www.lisamullinax.com/aggressionbytes And for additional resources mentioned on the show, click here.  For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Get on the waitlist for the next leash reactivity mentorship! Washington area folks – sign up for the seminar with Micaela and Mercedes here! Find the resource links mentioned in this episode here. Behavior issues in dogs are almost always symptoms of other underlying issues. So when we focus only on the behavior issue itself, we’re missing the bigger picture, often excluding interventions that would likely make a bigger impact on the dog’s behavior than training ever could. One of the most influential factors in a dog’s behavior is how they feel physically. There is a very high number of dogs experiencing physical discomfort and expressing that discomfort via what we would label as a behavior or training issue.  To help unpack this topic, I brought in Micaela Young, DVM, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM and Mercedes Sonnier ABCDT, CPDT, CBCC, FMD. We cover: How discomfort and pain present themselves in dogsWhat to do when you suspect something is wrong, but the vet thinks the dog is “fine”How changing assessment procedures in the veterinary office setting can have a big impact on more accurate diagnosesResources that pet parents and pet professionals can use to help diagnose discomfort in dogsWhy you can’t “rule out pain” in dogsAnd so much moreAbout Micaela: Micaela was a trainer before going to vet school and has always approached veterinary medicine through a behavior lens.Her business, Happy Lead Pet Behavior & Vet Care, which focused on in-home behavior & veterinary care for behaviorally-challenged pets, operated until she recently joined Urban Animal, a worker-owner veterinary cooperative in Seattle, WA. She now leads Happy Animal, a program that integrates virtual, ambulatory, and in-practice behavior consulting to maximize success with changing behaviors that happen in or out of the practice.  Micaela uses her experience as a human with chronic pain that’s been difficult to navigate even with an ability to verbalize the situation to help animals who are unable to advocate for themselves. About Mercedes: Mercedes Sonnier ABCDT, CPDT, CBCC, FMD has extensive education in posture and gait analysis. She operates her own business, The Motivated K9 near Tacoma Washington.  Offering private lessons, adventure days, board and train and specializing in boarding for dogs that are not suitable for traditional boarding.  Passionate about approaching behavior problems holistically.  She believes that there are often many factors influencing a dog’s behavior and we should try to address as many as we can. She competes in a variety of dog sports and currently shares her home with an APBT and a GSD. Mercedes and Micaela have bonded over their shared passion for approaching behavior cases holistically, with a particular focus on addressing underlying internal physical factors that often go overlooked or underaddressed. For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Join me & Dan LIVE for a 2 day reactive dog workshop in Livermore, CA from February 14th-15th. Learn more and sign up here.  Join the waitlist for the March 15th cohort for the Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals AND get $50 off.  If you have a reactive dog and you're out in the real world with them, it might feel like you are walking through a minefield. You have to keep track of and account for so many things - yourself, your dog, and whatever is going on in the environment.  In today's episode, I wanted to talk about the skills that handlers of reactive dogs need to be building, to be able to guide their dogs through the real world more successfully. And to have this conversation I wanted to bring in Dan Clark, a colleague and fellow behavior consultant. Dan takes a lot of leash reactivity cases and spends a lot of time with his clients out in the real world, helping them build their confidence and learn how to navigate a wide range of scenarios.  We discuss:  Situational awareness and how to set your dog up for successThe importance of body positioning so your dog can respond more easily to youHow to work with your dog if they are over thresholdHow to build your dog's attention and training in a new environmentAnd more!About Dan: Dan Clark is the Founder and Co-Owner of Out of the Bark, a dog training and behavior consulting company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), with over eight years of professional experience and more than a decade of hands-on work with dogs. Dan’s work is deeply shaped by his journey with his own reactive dog, Jax. After experiencing firsthand the limitations and fallout of punitive training methods, Dan shifted his approach toward science-based, trust-centered behavior modification. That experience led him to pursue formal education in animal behavior, volunteer with shelters, and dedicate his career to helping dogs struggling with fear, anxiety, and aggression. Dan specializes in complex behavior cases, including reactivity, aggression, and dogs with bite histories. His approach emphasizes situational awareness, environmental management, handler advocacy, and building skills that translate to real-world environments. He is known for his calm, practical guidance and his ability to help owners understand not just what to do, but why it works. Through his work, Dan focuses on empowering dog owners to advocate for their dogs, prioritize emotional safety, and build lasting trust that supports meaningful, long-term behavior change. Links: www.outofthebark.com - For in person consults and training. Zoom consulting and training is also offered for individuals outside of our service area. Instagram: @outofthebark Leash reactive workshop for pet parents: https://bigfeelingsclub.eventbrite.com For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

If you do a Google search on how to counter condition reactive behaviors on leash, it spits out a simplified version of the process. Use super high value treats, make sure your dog is under threshold, feed your dog when they notice another dog,  and with time you'll change your dog's emotional state from a negative one to a positive one. Sounds great, right! So then why is it that some people will do this for years, and not get that result?  Is it possible that people just don't have a full understanding of processes like counter conditioning, classical conditioning, and systematic desensitization?  To help us understand these concepts, I wanted to bring in Dr. Simon Gadbois. In this episode we cover: - What counter conditioning was originally designed to do - Why the identification of the the aversive stimulus (or trigger) can be so complicated - How we are almost always using a combination of processes, whether we are aware of it or not - How dogs pick up on our cues, including our pheromones - Simon's work in his olfactory lab - And so much more About Simon: Simon Gadbois did a PhD in animal behaviour and non-invasive behavioural endocrinology in the 90’s with Drs John Fentress and Peter McLeod at the Canadian Centre for Wolf Research (1974–2007). His PhD dissertation focussed on lupine socioendocrinology (Canis lupus) but he also worked on other projects in motor behaviour sequences in red foxes, coyotes, wolves (with Drs John Fentress and Fred Harrington), spatial cognition in pigeons (with Dr. Werner Honig), and olfactory learning in rats (with Drs Vincent LoLordo and Richard E. Brown). In the past 15 years he has focussed on research with sniffer dogs as the common denominator: Reptile conservation (using dogs as research assistants to find the species-at-risk), non-invasive surveys of coyotes with canines (via scent-marking information), and working with sniffer dogs in biomedical applications (early detection of diseases, alert dogs). He also worked with a few fish species in olfactory learning (zebra fish), social communication (elephant nose fish), and behavioural ecotoxicology (mummichogs). Simon Gadbois integrates ethology, experimental psychology and neuroscience in his research on domestic and wild canids. He favours a synthetic approach that includes a strong focus on the importance of motivational factors in working dogs (and canid behaviour in general) as well as a post-cognitivist approach (including a zoosemiotic approach) to behaviour and information processing in dogs. In 2006 he founded the “Canid Behaviour Research Lab” now the “Wildlife Ethology & Canine Olfaction Lab” at Dalhousie University where dozens of Border Collies (and other working breeds - mostly from working lines) set paw as volunteer research assistants and experimental participants. https://simon.gadbois.org For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Dog trainers - ever wonder if you could be serving your clients better?  In this episode I wanted to zoom out and look at dog training from the lens of the services we are providing for our clients, and how we can get better outcomes. I bring in Jeff Silverman from Training Tracks in Cincinnati, Ohio to unpack: How to build rapport with clients from the beginningWhy having a variety of services is necessary to meet your client's needs more effectivelyCreating clarity around the role of the client, and the role of the trainer in changing the dog's behaviorHow holding clients accountable is not about compliance, but cooperationAnd more! If you're a trainer and you're feeling stuck on this very issue, I invite you to join my private mastermind, The Case Collaborative, starting January 4th.  About Jeff: Jeff Silverman and his wife Mel own Training Tracks in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. They have two facilities where they offer pet dog training, behavior consulting, boarding, and daycare with an emphasis on providing practical client-focused training for family pets. Jeff started training in 1996 as a shelter volunteer looking to help keep dogs in their homes and remains focused on helping average pet owners get the most out of life with their dogs. While Training Tracks primarily teaches family pet manners, Jeff focuses on aggression and fear in his personal caseload. Jeff has volunteered for all the R+ focused professional organizations including stints as Chair of the APDT board, on the IAABC certification review committee, and much more.    For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

BLACK FRIDAY SALE for dog professionals! From now until 12/5. Get $75 off the self study or $250 off the private: Reactivity Refined Course and Mentorship.  Herding breeds are special dogs. Highly intelligent, sensitive, and with a die hard work ethic, they aren't designed for pet dog homes. What one might think of as reactivity in a herding breed, someone else might see natural behaviors we have bred them for. Why is it that herding breeds tend to display reactive behaviors more than other breed groups? And what can you do to support them more? In this episode I bring in Liz Randall CPDT-KA to discuss: Why herding breeds are more prone to reactive behaviors in pet dog homesThe predatory sequence in dogs and how that applies to herdingWhether we should we use barking as a metric for thresholds in leash reactivity casesHow you might be inadvertently reinforcing a herding breed's reactive behaviorsAnd so much moreAbout Liz: Elizabeth, or Liz, Randall has lived and worked with animals since early childhood. Growing up in a dog- and horse-centric family, she was an avid, competitive equestrienne by age nine. Throughout high school and college years, she continued to dabble in a variety of equine endeavors, including multiple summer stints at a ranch in the Big Horn mountain range in Wyoming. She worked in the sports industry for ten years, following her love for the outdoors. In her mid-thirties, upon finding her hands full with a new rescue dog that operated “outside the box” in the behavior department, she simultaneously discovered clicker-training and the sport of dog agility. These two revelations quickly changed her career trajectory from sports marketing to living wholeheartedly in the animal training world. Using the most current, positive reinforcement-based training methods, Liz has held her Certified Pet Dog Trainer credential (CPDT-KA) since 2011, and works regularly with both high level behavior modification and canine sport clientele, both locally in Southern California, and across the country. Liz has competed in a variety of dog sports with all of her dogs, but focuses primarily on dog agility. She and her dogs have won and podiumed at a multitude of major national and regional events over the last decade. Liz works with clients in the San Diego, California area, at private facilities across the US, and online. She loves to teach her students the importance of learning theory, how to better observe their dogs, and technical training mechanics. She also stays informed and educated on the ever-evolving practices of dog training, behavior modification, and behavior analysis. She has attended dozens of lectures and seminars of many of the pre-eminent leaders of the animal training industry. She is a graduate of Dr. Susan Friedman’s Living and Learning with Animals course, attended Ken Ramirez's week-long Dive Deep; An Advanced Training Course, and traveled to Mexico to study street dogs with Sue Sternberg. Ongoing, continuing education is a critical component of Liz’s work, and she is a lifelong student and learner. Her true love is being well off the beaten path out in nature with her dogs. For in person clients: www.resilientdogs.com Online agility teaching platform with Rachel Downs: www.topodogs.com  For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Why is it that some dogs enter a new home and begin to develop reactivity, seemingly out of nowhere? This often comes as a surprise to their new families, who weren't expecting to dive into a life with a reactive dog. In this episode, I bring in Tom Candy to help unpack what is going on in these scenarios. We discuss: What the general public doesn't know about the animal sheltering world What contributes to a dog's behavior changing in a new homeHow to actively prevent reactivity from developing in a newly adopted dogHow to help a newly adopted dog transition to their home and lifestyle more successfullyWhat to do if your newly adopted dog begins to show reactive behaviorsAnd so much more About Tom:  A passion for animal welfare, canine behaviour, and the development of others has been cornerstones of Tom’s (He/Him) career, which spans over 15 years in Shelter and Rescue with 10 focusing on training and behaviour. This experience and a drive to support even more shelter and rescue animals and staff, led to Tom starting Simplifying Shelter Behaviour, an educational organisation and podcast dedicated to bringing up to date, positive based training and behaviour tips and tricks to shelter and rescue staff and volunteers. Having started volunteering in rescue at the age of 15, Tom has been involved in a variety of aspects of rescue, including fundraising, home checking, transporting and general day-today operations, which pushed Tom to undertake a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in bioveterinary science and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Animal Behavior from the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom. Since graduating, Tom has been working at the UKs largest dog welfare organisation as a Training and Behaviour Advisor, eventually working across seven rehoming centres before being promoted to Senior Training and Behaviour Advisor, where he supported the Training and Behaviour teams across the southwest of the United Kingdom. Tom is currently a senior Clinical Animal Behaviourist Development Officer, working to upskill staff to reach their potential. Tom is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council in the United Kingdom, and a Certified Canine Behavior Consultant and Certified Shelter Behavior Specialist with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultant and a member of faculty and CBATI-KA with the Grisha Stewart Academy. For Pet Parents Need Help With Your Reactive Dog? 1:1 Coaching with Jessica For Dog Professionals Elevate Your Work with Reactive Dogs For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs

Muzzles are stigmatized, because they are often associated with dogs who are aggressive. But the truth is, dogs wear muzzles for many reasons. Muzzles can give dogs more freedom, humans more peace of mind, and a safer community for all to live in.  In this episode, I talk with Amy Creaven, owner of Trust Your Dog, a company that makes custom biothane products to expand your dog's world. We dive into all aspects of muzzles and training including: How to ensure your muzzle is bite proofMuzzle training hacks anyone can doHow to ensure a proper fitOptions for brachycephalic dogsWhat to do with dogs who resource guard their muzzlesAnd so much more!About Amy: Amy is a recovered registered nurse, a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner who worked with reactive dogs prior to the pandemic, and now a custom muzzle maker. She lives at home with her family, 3 chaos floofs, and a harem of chickens. Website Email: [email protected] IG FB For Pet Parents Need Help With Your Reactive Dog? 1:1 Coaching with Jessica For Dog Professionals Elevate Your Work with Reactive Dogs For courses on helping reactive dogs for both pet parents and dog professionals go to www.jessicawheatcraft.com Subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know about learning opportunities for reactive dogs