The Traveling Pet Nanny

03/09/2025

Hi,folks check out my Instagram!! It’s full of new clients from Treasure Coast!! I LOVE LOVE FLORIDA!

03/09/2025

A Trip to the Beach!

03/04/2025

Wallace LOVES frisbee. In fact, he loves it so much that if I don’t toss it again within 3 seconds, he starts barking at me, loudly and relentlessly, as if to say, “Hey! Throw it! Now!” (Video included in the comments👇)

And you know what? That’s totally normal.

Dogs bark because barking is their way of talking to us. It’s how they tell us they’re excited, anxious, impatient, worried, or happy.

Wallace isn’t barking because he’s being difficult; he’s barking because he’s figured out an easy shortcut: Bark, and frisbee flies. Problem solved…for him.

The truth is, barking is often reinforced unintentionally by us humans. Every time Wallace barked and I immediately threw the frisbee, I taught him a simple lesson: “Want the frisbee? Bark louder.”

It’s a human thing, too: barking dogs stress us out, and we instinctively want them quiet immediately. So we give in, tossing the toy, opening the door, giving them attention.

Momentarily, it feels like peace, and that quick relief becomes reinforcing…for us.

Professional trainers (and even everyday dog guardians) sometimes mistakenly believe barking can be stopped by yelling louder or by applying quick fixes like shock collars.

These strategies may deliver short-term silence, but at a real cost: stress, fear, and damaged trust.

The better, and kinder, answer is to pause and reflect: What’s my dog actually saying? If barking is communication, what message am I reinforcing?

In Wallace’s case, it’s simple: he’s learned “bark = frisbee.” I want to change that conversation without yelling, without punishing, and without causing him anxiety.

The goal is to teach Wallace patience and clarity instead of confusion and frustration.

Here’s the takeaway: You don’t stop barking by shutting your dog down, you stop it by understanding why it happens in the first place, then thoughtfully adjusting your own behavior.

In a future post, I’ll dive deeper into exactly HOW we’re teaching Wallace to communicate clearly and calmly without resorting to punishment or harsh methods.

10/15/2024

Hi,
Friends and Potential new clients.I am in Florida the State now.If you want to reach out please use phone or quick text.I do not read I.M or keep an online presence for some time now! To any of my current clients I apologize for not covering you ...but it was time I moved to the Sunshine State!!

05/14/2024

05/12/2024

😢❤️