Professional dog trainer Moss (aka Cyrus), CPDT-KA, FDM, R+. I work with a dog’s behavior and issues via their own functional needs, feelings, and sense of agency, with a scientific basis. Feel free to ask me about your dog’s behavior and how to help them succeed!
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2026-09-12T03:18:47Z Event JSON
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Last Notes npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! The weather couldn’t make up its mind, warm or cool, sunny or cloudy, but overall it was nice enough out and the crew had a lot of fun running around. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Still pretty warm out, but not too hot for us to enjoy being out in the woods! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! The best way to cool off after chasing around on a hot day is to completely cover yourself in wet mud! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…emk6 Morels and Bohnanza are card games that fit your description: similar to other card games, but very enjoyable. One that takes things an original step further is Fluxx, which I love. It has the usual card game mechanics except the rules change with nearly every turn. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…6frj you’re doing amazing. The one thing I want to re-emphasize is practicing all her pattern games when she’s actually calm already. Under threshold. That will make them stick better, and be more effective when needed, and it avoids the “poisoning” that would happen associating the games with stressful feelings. Hopefully you’ll find the right medication to help get her below threshold. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…6frj ooh thanks for reaching out, this is a tough issue for sure! Of course you’re doing all the right things. The first thing I would suggest is to find/make a safe quiet hiding place, like a basement or laundry room with enough insulation to block sounds. Then you can help her go there when stressed, and add some enrichment, and she may learn to put herself away as needed. That place also gives you some control and a baseline for doing desensitization work. It’s impossible to desensitize *while* the dog is over threshold. There are also hearing protectors like Rex Specs Ear Pro that may help keep her under threshold. When she’s not reacting so much, that’s the time to do pattern games and other desensitization exercises. I’ll keep thinking about this and let you know if I come up with anything else. https://www.rexspecs.com/products/ear-pro npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Not so zany in the woods today, mostly relaxed exploration, listening to birds, and taking in the smells. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! This guy has the *best* face! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Gorgeous weather today! Sunny and fresh and super nice for running around in the woods. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! A more relaxed amble through the woods this time, and a nice day for it! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Play date! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! The dense fog turned to drizzle here and there, cooling us down as we flew along the trail! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Play date! Several of my pup clients needed social activity while their owners were at holiday gatherings. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! In case any of you prefer using an RSS reader instead of scrolling Mastodon, a feed of my adventure hike photos is at: https://gwdog.com/index.php/feed/ npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Another play date for these best friends! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Running around, chewing sticks, pursuing the smell of deer… it’s the good life! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! A very rainy and overcast day, not great for photography, but we enjoyed our time anyway! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Play date! Yes the chasing is one-sided, but the little one likes being chased. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Just two dogs on today’s hike, and they hadn’t met before, but they liked sharing the woods with each other! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Stick! Stick! Stick! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! It was pretty hot out today, but we hiked into a valley protected by a canopy of tall trees that shaded us. Plus the crew found another way to cool off: a very muddy little spring to roll around in! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Another hot, dry day in these woods! On days like this I carry a liter of water for each dog plus myself, for a two hour hike. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Check out this goofus who is boarding with me! He’s a one year old Newfoundland. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Getting to see these guys smile so much definitely helps with my mental health! I hope it helps you too. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Still lots of bright sunshine, but thankfully the temperature has come down to a more comfortable level. We enjoyed being outdoors! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! This nice cool day gave us plenty to smile about! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Play date! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Another gorgeous bright warm day, with trees and giant ferns to give us cooling shade. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! We had some beautiful weather up in the hills, sunny but cool, perfect for ambling around through this ridiculously fast growing vegetation! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Playing in nature is our business, and business is good! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…udc5 False reporting by bad actors? npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Today we felt a powerful need to *RUN*! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Only two dogs on my hike this time, and they happen to be two of my most independent and free-ranging adventurers. So I spent a fair amount of the time hiking by myself, and it’s a minor miracle I got any photos of the two of them together! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…j4mg To me, bagels are all about the boil! The schmear is second. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Seen in Scappoose at a food cart pod, a cart for dogs! They have cold cans of “dog beer”. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Play date! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! When you’re a dog, there is almost nothing better than running around in the forest with your friends. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! A little sun, a little rain, all good for exploring in the forest! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! This was from May Day, but I’m my own boss! And my job is to provide enrichment to dogs, so I go to work as service to them, not their humans. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! All charged up by the sun, and ready to tackle even the biggest trees! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…r5de That is bizarre! I know some people object to the raw diet for dogs, but this is absurd. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…2gcn Let me know if you want any advice for improving that! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! A super fun group of smaller kids! Well, one is more medium sized overall, but with short legs, so everyone basically saw eye to eye. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! We had a wild old time! The big cream retriever had been away on vacation for several weeks, so the rest of the crew was super glad to see him. They showed it with chasing! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Back to work! Another day of hiking in the woods with some really nice dogs… oh well, it’s a living! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…j4mg One approach is to ask clarifying questions. “I didn’t quite understand; how can I help you? What do you need right now? When you say [vague terms] what do you mean exactly?” npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…2slc I just found my first trillium of the season today! I have to admit I was a little jealous of some that other people had posted over the last few days. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…2slc Oh I agree with you, as per my first post! But several others in the thread were insistent that it’s a training device that the dog is supposed to learn from. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! @nprofile…2slc Fair enough! And yes, one of the points we debated was whether and when to *stop* using a halter. E.g. if it is supposed to *teach* the dog something, then either the dog learns or it doesn’t (or it learns something completely irrelevant and unwanted, most likely outcome) and there’s a time to stop. OTOH if it’s a tool the handler depends on, regardless of the dog learning anything, then they need a strategy to avoid injury in the long term. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Had an interesting discussion with some peers about the pros and cons of dog head/nose halters like the “Gentle Leader”. Some viewed those as an unacceptable use of force. Others said they were a valuable aid to disabled handlers. Different stances came up about “how they work” in training, and what (if anything) the dog actually learns when we pull their nose. I argued for using halters as management only (neutral, loose leash), in parallel with more effective force-free #DogTraining. #dogs npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! I love this very short film about how #dogs perceive the world, and how we humans can better recognize that. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! We love to go “logging” on this logging land! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! This guy’s style of catching a ball is… special? Unique? 😆 npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! There’s still some snow hidden in the valley, and the creek is very full, so the pups had a lot to enjoy. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Appreciating every minute of a clear winter day like this! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! She absolutely loves the snow! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Beautiful crisp bright winter day, perfect for running around outdoors! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! Yay, a bit more snow! We love running through the snow, even a little bit. npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! We’re enjoying this sunshine while it lasts! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! He’s very proud of his new hat! npub1k28evj4dzrdz6vae4kg0uhyjfcweez9umcytmv06lekc5jr7fa0qkd9g4l Good Work Dog! I made one of those word search puzzles, “the first word you see will be your dog’s 2025”:
