#64: Are You Listening When Your Dog Says No?
A golden retriever mesmerized by koi fish, a nonprofit helping seniors’ pets find homes, an easy enrichment game you can try tonight, and a rare bird making a surprise stop in Virginia.
📝 Editor’s Note
This week Christie shared an article about a deceptively simple training concept: teaching dogs when they can access something.
It might sound small, but it unlocks a lot—better recall, calmer behavior around distractions, and far less frustration during training.
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🧠 Training Tip of the Week: Dogs Say ‘No’ All the Time. Are You Ignoring Them?
This week we came across a thoughtful post from Dr. Cari Cannon about the many ways that dogs say “no” and some common ways that people ignore those “no’s.” I shared a post last week showing an early “I need space” signal my dog, Sully, gave when my son got too close, so I thought this post was a great follow up to emphasize our role in preventing dog bites.
Dogs are excellent communicators. It’s usually only when their more subtle behaviors are rendered ineffective that they escalate to something bigger. If I had a vote, one of the ways everyone would prepare for living with a dog would be to learn (at least a little) about dog body language.
We have so many opportunities everyday to build trust based on how responsive we are to their behavior.
📺 TOC’s Take: Viral Video of the Week
This week we stumbled across a video of Ace the golden retriever, lying down watching a group of koi fish snack on his cute little toes as they dangle at the surface of the water..
There is something mesmerizing about this video. I don’t know if it’s just always going to delight me when I see other species interacting or if there is something specifically soothing about a dog and koi fish (?!). Maybe a part of me enjoys the idea that Ace gets some sort of enrichment out of this while the fish get a snack and everybody goes home happy. I was nervous for a split second (I don’t know … big size difference!), but the video has a peaceful ending.
I did get a chuckle out of a comment saying “The fish like the fritos too.”
🐶 Community Corner: The Nonprofit Making Sure Seniors’ Pets Aren’t Left Behind
This week we discovered a video from @thatgoodnewsgirl spotlighting the Canadian nonprofit My Grandfather’s Cat.
Founder Angela started the organization after her grandfather passed away, and she suddenly became responsible for his cat, Mackenzie—who had a reputation for being a “mean, grumpy cat.” No one else in the family wanted to adopt her.
But when Angela started sharing Mackenzie’s story online, she began hearing from countless people worried about what would happen to their loved ones’ pets if they moved into care or passed away.
Today, the organization has helped facilitate 500 pet adoptions. It also runs a pet pantry that helps seniors afford food for their animals.
We love the idea of reducing anxiety for both seniors and their pets.
Have you ever suddenly had to take care of a loved one’s pet the way Angela did?
We’d love to hear your stories in the comments.
🎨 DIY This for Your Dog: A Spin on the Kibble Towel Game
Jess here.
When I first brought home my puppy Stanley, Christie taught me one of the simplest enrichment games imaginable: roll kibble into a towel and let your dog sniff and dig it out.
It honestly blew my mind. Stanley would stay busy for ages—and by the end, he was completely calm.
That’s why we loved this video putting a fun twist on the same idea using a paper towel roll for dogs who might want a little “extra.”
If you try it, tag us. We’d love to see how your dog likes it.
🌍 One More Thing: A Rare Bird Has Landed in Virginia
If you’ve followed us for a while, you probably know Christie is a huge birder.
So when a red-flanked bluetail—a bird native to Asia—appeared in her own backyard in Great Falls, Virginia, our hearts sang.
According to the Washington Post, these birds typically breed from Siberia to northeastern China and parts of Scandinavia, then winter in warmer areas of southern China, Taiwan, and Thailand.
In recent years, however, their range has expanded—and a combination of unusual migratory patterns and favorable winds may have brought this one all the way to Virginia.
Is it a random fluke? A shifting migration pattern? Something related to climate change?
We don’t know yet. But we’ll happily enjoy its visit while it’s here.
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