Good Dawg Training LLC

* Adult supervision should be hands-on and close, not watching from a distance.
* Ideally use two or more balls. The dog can drop one and chase another rather than the child trying to take a ball from the dog.
* Teach the child “hands off the dog’s ball.” An adult should retrieve it if necessary.
* Don’t encourage the toddler to chase the dog, and don’t let the dog chase or body-check the toddler.
* Keep sessions very short.
* Give the dog an easy way to leave the game. If the dog walks away, let them.
* Avoid playing in tight spaces where the dog or child could feel trapped.
* Consider the dog’s individual play style. A gentle retriever may be very different from a dog who becomes intensely focused, possessive, or highly aroused around balls.
* Teach the dog to “drop it”

Stop or pause if you see the dog becoming increasingly fast or frantic, jumping toward the child, grabbing near hands or clothing, barking repeatedly, unable to disengage, guarding the ball, freezing/stiffening, hovering over the toy, hard staring, repeatedly snatching, or ignoring attempts to interrupt the game.

Also watch for quieter signs that the dog has had enough: turning away, moving away, lip licking, suddenly sniffing, avoiding the child, ears changing position, becoming still, or repeatedly trying to create distance.

And watch the toddler’s behavior too. If they start chasing, hugging, climbing on the dog, taking toys directly from the dog’s mouth, falling onto the dog, squealing close to the dog’s face, or becoming too excited to follow the simple rules, the game is finished for now.

Car Confidence Starts Before the Car Moves 🚗🐾

If your dog is worried about the car, the goal isn’t simply to get them in and start driving. Confidence can be built in tiny, successful steps.

Start with the car parked safely in the garage or driveway.

1. Approach the car
Reward your dog for calmly approaching, looking at, or investigating the car. They don’t have to get in yet.
2. Let them enter by choice
Whenever safely and physically possible, teach dogs to get in and out independently. For little dogs, consider a secure ramp or steps rather than automatically picking them up and placing them inside.
3. Car off. No driving.
Spend a little time simply being in the parked car. Keep sessions short and easy. Let your dog sniff, explore, eat treats, or simply hang out.
4. Watch for subtle stress
A dog doesn’t have to whine, bark, pant, or try to escape to be uncomfortable. Look for changes in body posture, reluctance to approach, freezing, lowered body position, scanning, difficulty taking food, or rushing to get out.
5. Add one small change at a time
Comfortable getting in? Great. Next might be closing a door briefly. Then sitting with the doors closed. Then turning the engine on. Driving comes later.
6. Start with very short trips
A drive around the block may be plenty at first. Build duration gradually rather than jumping straight into a long journey.
7. Make the destination worth the ride 🌳👃
Take short trips to places your dog enjoys: a quiet park, a favorite walking spot, a Sniffspot, or somewhere they can enjoy a good sniffari.

If the car mostly predicts the vet, groomer, boarding, or other experiences your dog finds difficult, getting into the car can start predicting those things too.

Aim for enjoyable car trips to heavily outweigh the scary or stressful ones.

Don’t wait for your dog to panic before you start helping them. Reward the small wins.

Confidence isn’t built by making the dog do more.
It’s built by giving them lots of opportunities to discover:
“I can do this, and good things happen here.”

We hosted a small Dachshund Sniffari today. Oliver, Winnie and Sadie went home thoroughly exhausted after their adventure which met all their enrichment needs. A tired dog is a mentally and physically fulfilled dog!

Tonight at Yappy Hour we had two sibling puppies (Little Bear & Splash), now living in separate homes, enjoying time together again with another familiar puppy, Obi. The brothers are rescues from

Socialization is about so much more than play. It’s about building confidence, learning social skills, and practicing emotional regulation in a safe, enriching environment. Hidden treats in the box is always a favorite!

🐶 4 free Yappy Hours are included in my Puppy Start Right program, or you can book Yappy Hour as a standalone activity online. Santa Rosa dog training

The way food is presented can matter just as much as the food itself. The carrots didn’t change. The opportunity did.

Mental Enrichment: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Daisy has to investigate, choose where to pull, and work out how to remove each carrot.

Foraging: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Daisy has to search, manipulate, and extract it.

Chewing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Whole carrot sticks encourage crunching and satisfy the natural urge to chew far more than grated carrot.

Problem Solving: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Each carrot requires a slightly different approach. Dogs often rotate the toy, use their paws, or change their grip.

Calming: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Working calmly to obtain food can help reduce arousal compared with simply eating from a bowl.

Physical Activity: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
She uses her mouth, neck, paws, and body, but isn’t particularly physically demanding.

The Comparison
🥕 Grated carrots on a plate: ⭐☆☆☆☆
The grated carrots were largely ignored.

Why?

* The grated carrot requires almost no effort.
* It doesn’t provide a satisfying crunch.
* There is little opportunity to manipulate, pull, or “hunt” for it.
* Many dogs find the experience of working for food more rewarding than simply finding it lying in a bowl.

The nutritional value of the carrot stayed exactly the same. By placing whole carrot sticks into a toy, we transformed a food that was mostly ignored into an engaging activity that encouraged chewing, problem solving, persistence, and natural foraging behavior. SantaRosa dig trainer

Ways to Use a Lick Mat

🐾 Help your dog settle
Offer it on a bed or mat during quiet time.
Use it after a walk to encourage relaxation rather than more excitement.

🚿 Bath time
Smear it with dog-safe food and stick it to the shower wall to create a positive association.

✂️ Grooming
Use during brushing, nail trims, or drying to help your dog stay engaged.

👩‍⚕️ Vet handling practice
Pair with gentle touching of paws, ears, and body during cooperative care sessions.

🚪 When visitors arrive
Give your dog a job instead of allowing jumping or frantic greetings.

🍽️ While you eat dinner
Encourage your dog to relax on their bed instead of begging at the table.

💻 During work or Zoom meetings
Keep your dog mentally occupied while you need uninterrupted time.

☔ Bad weather days
Replace some physical exercise with a mentally engaging activity.

🏡 Crate or pen enrichment
Build positive associations with a crate, exercise pen, or designated rest area.

🚗 Before a car ride
Help your dog relax before leaving home if they become overexcited.

🏠 Home alone practice
Give your dog something enjoyable as you prepare to leave, helping create a positive routine.

🧠 Slow down fast eaters
Spread part of their meal over the mat to encourage slower eating and more engagement.

❄️ Freeze it
Frozen toppings make the activity last longer, especially on warm days.

🎯

A lick mat isn’t just a feeding tool. It’s an opportunity to meet a natural need. Rhythmic licking can help many dogs relax, while also providing mental enrichment and extending the enjoyment of their food (or treat as in this video). As always, supervise your dog and choose foods that are safe and appropriate for them.

Connected walking starts before you ever pick up the leash.

The leash is there for safety, not for communication.

Before asking your dog to walk politely beside you, teach them that staying connected with you is rewarding. Celebrate every check in, every glance, every choice to return their attention to you.

Connection is built through reinforcement, not corrections.

When your dog chooses to stay with you because they want to, loose leash walking becomes a natural result, not something you have to force.

🐾 Train the connection first. The leash simply comes along for the ride. Good job Michelle & Gravy Michelle | Dog Mom 🐶 | Community + Connection

Santa Rosa CA dog trainer