In Touch K9 LLC

Your dog doesn't need you to be perfect. They just need you to show up.

"I don't need to see the behavior to fix it."

Maybe.

But when a dog is still struggling months later,
it usually means no one ever slowed down enough to really understand what was happening.

Behavior is a symptom, not the root.

"𝗛𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆!"
I hear this phrase all the time - usually right before someone's dog barrels into another dog like a bowling ball.

But here's the thing:
A dog that 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 to greet every dog they see isn't actually displaying healthy social behavior.

Most well-socialized adult dogs don't enjoy being rushed by an over-excited stranger.
And interactions like that can quickly escalate into a fight.

For service dog teams or older, vulnerable dogs, it's not only unpleasant.
It can be 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀.

✅ Social fluency isn't about rushing up to every dog they see.
It's about being fluent in canine communication.
Reading the room and acknowledging another dog without feeling a constant compulsion to run up.

🌱 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮 "𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱" 𝗱𝗼𝗴?
Has your dog ever been on the receiving end of one of these run-ups?

(𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯.)

E-collar post coming soon with this day train goofball.

Now that Flynn is off his medications, it's crucial he continues his reign of derpy terror with full off-leash freedom.

You'll be able to watch me work with him while dispelling common myths about this tool. Stay tuned.

We need to stop pathologizing normal dog behavior. 💊

Way too many dogs are medicated for “behavioral issues” when they’re really just struggling with unfulfilled breed traits.

"Adopt ethically"

This is unfortunately common in the rescue and rehoming world.

Behavioral issues are often downplayed to make dogs seem more adoptable, but what happens when the adopter finds out the truth?

💬 "Does best in a one-dog household" = Dog aggressive
💬 "Previous adopter/foster did not use the right equipment & the dog got into a scuffle with another dog" = Dog aggression was never disclosed. The dog fought the leash, escaped, and mauled another dog.
💬 "Just excitable" = Prone to redirecting (biting) the owner when they see another dog.

Most adopters are doing their best to provide a loving home, but if they aren’t prepared for what they’re walking into, it often leads to heartbreak—dogs get returned, rehomed or euthanized.

How can we set dogs up for long-term success?
📣 Accurately disclose behavioral issues.
📣 Seek professional help in evaluating a dog's temperament.

The right home is always better than the first home.

Does your friendly dog provoke fights out of nowhere? Constantly fixated on other dogs?
Over-socialization might be the root cause.

While oversocialization can look like some of these behaviors, it’s important to note that similar issues can stem from other causes. If you’re unsure, a consultation is the best next step to prevent things from escalating.

Ready to take the next step?
✉️ Send us a message
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