We got brave and took Miss Willow to watch her boy's soccer game last weekend. She was such a good girl for the first half even with all the kids there (she loves kids) but then she saw another dog and the squeals, tap dancing and pulling started. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Baby steps though, right?

No, not talking about my maybe 3 or 4 or no idea how old Jess! Talking about me. Please excuse the waffle. I know why it took me a long time to discover "Walkys". I was busy getting old, being overly anxious about everything, and had the thought I should be able to do all of this myself. Apparently, I was wrong. And I'm ok with that. This training at home, didn't even know it existed. I thought you simply grab a dog, grab a lead, go walking. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It's been 2 weeks since Jess and I met @Matthew Marsh , 1 week since Jess's first day at the academy, Jess is much calmer and stays outside for minutes by herself (instead of seconds). While I attended the weekly "calm collective" Jess put herself in "place" that I only set up this morning and just now had some food nearly in her crate. Winner Winner 🎉 I am hoping the walking will get easier. Knowing now that the harnesses that I spent much money on were probably the reason of her pulling when we went for walks has been difficult. I am still not comfortable with the slip lead, let alone Jess be comfortable with it. But I'm determined to be a better person for Jess! Thank you everyone, Kat 🐾

During positive reinforcement training, a dog's brain releases a cocktail of "feel-good" chemicals that drive motivation, learning, and bonding. The primary chemical released is dopamine, which acts as the core driver of the reward system. Key Chemicals Released - Dopamine (The Reward & Motivation Driver): When a dog anticipates or receives a reward (like food, play, or praise), a surge of dopamine is released. It acts as a "seeking" chemical that creates eager anticipation, locks in focus, and encourages the dog to repeat the successful behavior. - Oxytocin (The Bonding Hormone): Triggered heavily by verbal praise, physical touch, and prolonged eye contact with the handler. Oxytocin lowers the dog's heart rate, reduces stress, builds mutual trust, and deepens the human-canine bond. - Serotonin (The Mood Stabilizer): Released through positive physical touch (like scratches and pats) and general satisfaction. Serotonin promotes a sense of calmness, emotional well-being, and long-term happiness. - Endorphins (The Natural High): Often triggered during high-energy rewards like a game of tug, chasing a ball, or intense play. Endorphins boost the dog's mood and relieve physical stress or minor discomfort. - Acetylcholine (The Learning Enhancer): Released when a dog is highly focused and trying to figure out a task. This chemical sharpens attention, speeds up cognitive processing, and helps the hippocampus form new memories. The Biological Contrast. By keeping training reward-based, you keep the dog's brain in a highly receptive learning state. Conversely, punishment-based or aversive training methods trigger the release of cortisol (the stress hormone) and activate the amygdala (the fear center), which actively interferes with memory retention and compromises the dog's well-being. Interestingly, these exact same positive neurochemicals are simultaneously released in your brain during a successful training session!

@Virginia Hunt Just working on some structured play outlet with Willow. She has very strong drive! She likes to own the toy, so we work to trade out using a treat toss, rather than trying to snatch it. If we work on a trade, she learns that it's not something she needs to guard or own, that we're building trust for the handler and strengthens our relationship. Actively bringing the toy back to re-engage with me is what we're working towards!

There’s something pretty special about a morning spent walking with good people, great dogs, and a coffee in hand. 🌊🐶 Whether your dog is just starting their training journey, already smashing it, or you simply want to meet like-minded dog owners, this walk is for you. No pressure. No judgement. Just a community of people who love getting out with their dogs and learning together. 💙 📍 Meet us at Penny Whistlers Café 🕗 8:00am 🚶 We’ll head around the Kiama Lighthouse and back, then stick around for a coffee and a chat afterwards. Bring your family, bring your friends, and of course bring your dog! Everyone is welcome. 🙌 Every person who joins us helps us move one step closer to our mission of saving 10,000 dogs from unnecessary behavioural euthanasia by building stronger relationships between dogs and their people. 🐾 See you there!