Chewsday is a great time to check in on how we’re supporting our dogs’ mouths and their nervous systems. Dental-friendly enrichment like chewing, licking, and food puzzles can: - Help mechanically reduce plaque and buildup - Increase saliva flow (which supports oral health) - Provide calming, regulating outlets - Support focus and decompression after busy moments Dental care doesn’t have to be limited to brushing alone — enrichment plays a role too. 🦷 A favorite option: Vital Essentials Raw Bar I often recommend the Vital Essentials Raw Bar because it offers: - Single-ingredient, minimally processed chews - Freeze-dried raw options that are easy to portion - Chews that encourage natural gnawing and licking - A variety of proteins to rotate based on preference and tolerance - Made in the U.S.A. The company is based in Wisconsin where they source all of their ingredients! Rotation matters — different textures and shapes support different chewing styles and keep enrichment interesting. As always, choose options that fit your dog’s size, chewing style, and supervision needs. (Quick transparency note: this is a product I genuinely like and recommend — always supervise chewing and choose appropriately sized items.) 💬 What dental-friendly enrichment has your dog enjoyed recently? Chews? Licking options? Food puzzles or frozen meals? Healthy mouths, calmer brains, happier dogs 🐾💚

Some of the most powerful skills don’t look like “training” at all. Calm check-ins — when your dog voluntarily looks at you, moves toward you, or engages without being asked — are signs of trust, awareness, and regulation. And they’re absolutely a skill we can build. What calm check-ins look like Calm engagement might include: - A glance in your direction - Choosing to walk near you - Sitting or lying down close by - Checking in during a walk or new environment - Looking to you before making a choice No cue required. No pressure. Why reinforcing these moments matters When we reinforce calm check-ins, we teach dogs that: - Engagement is safe and rewarding - They don’t have to be over-aroused to get attention - Connection doesn’t require commands This supports: - Better focus in distracting environments - Faster recovery after stress - Stronger communication over time How to reinforce throughout the day You don’t need formal sessions. Try: - Quiet praise or a tossed treat when your dog checks in - Reinforcing eye contact before opening doors - Rewarding proximity during calm moments - Noticing and reinforcing disengagement from distractions Consistency beats intensity. A gentle reminder You don’t have to ask for every behavior to reinforce it. Sometimes the best training happens when your dog chooses you on their own. 💬 When did your dog offer a calm check-in or voluntary engagement today? Those moments are building something important 💚

Decompression looks different for every dog — and often, the simplest activities are the most effective. Chewing, licking, and sniffing aren’t just “busy work.” For many dogs, these behaviors: - Help regulate their nervous system - Release tension after stress or excitement - Support calm transitions into rest - Provide comfort and predictability What works can change day to day depending on energy levels, environment, and stress. 💬 What chewing, licking, or sniffing activity helped your dog decompress recently? A chew? A lick mat? A slow sniff walk? A quiet scavenger hunt? Sharing what works helps everyone build better support routines 💚

If you’ve ever found yourself saying: “Sit… sit… sit… SIT.” or “Come… come on… COME.” You’re not alone — and this is something almost every pet parent does at some point. This is called over-cueing, and while it’s very human, it can quietly reduce reliability over time. What over-cueing teaches dogs Dogs learn patterns really quickly. When a cue is repeated: - The first cue stops meaning much - The dog learns they don’t need to respond right away - The last repetition becomes the real cue In other words, the dog isn’t ignoring you — they’re responding exactly how they’ve learned. Why it affects reliability Reliability depends on: - Clear information - Consistent consequences - Predictable outcomes When cues are repeated without a response being reinforced or supported, dogs start to: - Hesitate - Wait for extra prompting - Tune out verbal cues entirely This often shows up more in distracting environments, not because the dog “forgot,” but because clarity was already shaky. What helps instead You don’t need to be stricter — you need to be clearer. Helpful shifts include: - Saying the cue once - Pausing to give your dog time to process - Supporting the behavior with distance, management, or easier setups - Reinforcing when your dog responds the first time - Resetting instead of repeating If a dog can’t respond, that’s feedback — not defiance. A useful reframe Instead of asking: ❌ “Why won’t my dog listen?” Try: ✅ “Was this cue clear and doable in this moment?” Reliability is built through clarity, not volume. 💬 What cue do you catch yourself repeating most often — and how could you support it better instead? Small changes in how we cue can make a big difference 💚

Today we’re recognizing Guide Dog Anniversary, a day that honors guide dogs and the broader world of working dogs who support humans every day. Guide dogs — and working dogs of all kinds — are incredible not because they’re perfect, but because of: - Their partnership with humans - The trust built through training - Their ability to work thoughtfully in complex environments - The skills developed through patience, clarity, and consistency Behind every working dog is: - Careful selection - Ongoing training - Ethical handling - Respect for the dog’s needs, limits, and well-being Working dogs remind us that good training isn’t about control — it’s about communication, choice, and teamwork. 💬 What do you admire most about working dogs? Whether it’s guide dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, detection dogs, or other working partners — let’s take a moment to appreciate what thoughtful training can create 💚