Hello Fellow Dog Lovers!

Thank you for subscribing to our monthly newsletter! We’re thrilled to have you be a part of our ever growing community of dog lovers and training enthusiasts. Each month, you can look forward to receiving valuable training tips, behavior insights, and updates on our upcoming events and classes. We're excited to share this journey with you and your furry friend(s)!🐾

Table of Contents

• New Class Coming This Fall/Winter: Triggered a cla …

• Each month, we feature one of our upcoming classes …

• Triggered: Calm & Confidence for Reactive Dogs

  • What we practice

  • How the class works

  • Is this class right for my dog?

  • Monthly Training Video: Walking to a Target

  • Why Choose Ready Set…Train! for Group Training Cla …

  • Dogs of the Month: Bruno and Yogi

• When Pain Looks Like “Bad Behavior”: What Every Do …

  • How pain drives behavior

    • Four ways pain and problem behavior intertwine

  • What owners notice (and miss)

  • Red-flag behavior changes that should trigger a pa …

  • Why this matters for behavioral and aggression cas …

  • References (open-access or abstracts)

  • Upcoming Classes/Events

  • Follow us on Instagram

New Class Coming This Fall/Winter: Triggered a class all about teaching impulse control.

Each month, we feature one of our upcoming classes to give you a deeper look into what the class entails. This month, we’re excited to highlight our new class centered around working on triggers for reactive, fearful, or overly excited dogs!

Triggered: Calm & Confidence for Reactive Dogs

4 weeks • 40-minute sessions • small group, force-free • $130

Does your dog bark, lunge, shut down, or spiral when faced with common triggers—other dogs, new people, bikes, wildlife, or sudden sounds? Triggered is a focused skills class that builds impulse control and calm, using fear-free, positive methods. We’ll identify your dog’s specific triggers and work below threshold with tailored desensitization and counterconditioning so your dog can learn safely at their own pace.

What we practice

• Look at That (LAT) – turn trigger-watching into calm check-ins

• Engage/Disengage games – notice, think, then reorient

• Watch & Name Response – rapid focus when it counts

• Emergency U-Turn/Get Behind Me – smooth exits from bad situations

• Leash Handling skills – pressure-free, confident guiding

• Treat & Retreat – build trust with new people

• Operant Brain Games – thinking instead of reacting

How the class works

• We map your dog’s triggers and thresholds, then set safe distances and difficulty.

• Short, concentrated reps to keep arousal low and learning high.

• Visual barriers, strategic spacing, and individualized coaching throughout.

Is this class right for my dog?

Perfect for reactive, fearful, or overly excited dogs who struggle around everyday stimuli.
This class is not for aggressive dogs with a bite history with people or other animals.

Ready to help your dog feel safer and think clearly around triggers? Enroll now and start turning reactivity into reliable coping skills.

Monthly Training Video: Walking to a Target

Why Choose Ready Set…Train! for Group Training Classes?

Dogs of the Month: Bruno and Yogi

Bruno and Yogi are quite the pair!

Yogi is in our Beginner Good Manners class, building solid basics and impulse control. He adores people and other dogs, so we’re channeling that enthusiasm into calm focus around distractions. Because he isn’t very food-motivated, we’re getting creative with reinforcement—using high-value treats, toys, and flirt-pole play to keep him engaged.

Bruno is enrolled in our private in-home program. At a majestic 289 lbs, he loves greeting guests at the door. We’re teaching a calm wait so he doesn’t push through to say hi to the pizza delivery driver—or share quite so much enthusiastic slobber with family members. He’s already making great progress!

Both boys are sweet, social, and smart. We love working with them and can’t wait to see how far they go toward their training goals.

When Pain Looks Like “Bad Behavior”: What Every Dog Owner (and Trainer) Should Know

Dogs rarely limp or yelp their way through chronic pain. More often, pain shows up first as behavior change—from irritability and “out-of-the-blue” reactivity to restlessness, withdrawal, or a new reluctance to be touched or to move. In behavioral cases, the majority—of cases include a painful condition contributing in some way to the problem behavior. Recognizing that link early can transform outcomes for dogs and their people.

How pain drives behavior

Pain doesn’t just hurt; it changes perception, arousal, and learning. A dog in pain may:

• protect a sore area (growling, snapping, or avoiding touch),

• lower their threshold for frustration or fear,

• disengage from play/training, or

• generalize negative reactions to more contexts over time.
  These patterns and their clinical logic are well-described across species and in canine case series/reviews.

Four ways pain and problem behavior intertwine

Mills and colleagues outline four common patterns you’ll see in practice:

1. the behavior is pain itself (e.g., guarding a sore hip),

2. hidden pain sits under the presenting problem (e.g., sound sensitivity worsened by musculoskeletal pain),

3. pain exacerbates an existing behavior issue, and

4. adjunct signs (sleep, appetite, activity) point to pain alongside the behavior complaint. Use this framework to keep pain on your differential list. (Mills et al 2020)

What owners notice (and miss)

A recent survey study explored which pain-related behavioral changes owners actually recognize—highlighting that recognition is uneven and often focuses on obvious mobility changes while subtler emotional/interaction shifts are overlooked. That gap matters for both screening and client education. (Demirtas et al).

Red-flag behavior changes that should trigger a pain screen

Based on recent clinical guidance and referral cases, prioritize a medical work-up when you see any cluster of the following, especially if new, persistent, or spreading to more contexts:

• Irritability or defensive aggression when handled, groomed, or approached by dogs/people

• Restlessness or disturbed sleep; sudden preference to isolate or to lie/sit most of the day

• Reluctance to move, jump, do stairs, or get into/out of cars; short, choppy steps that look “fine” in the clinic but not at home

• Loss of play, training engagement, or social interest; new avoidance of activities previously enjoyed

• Appetite changes, increased licking/chewing of body areas, or changes in elimination habits
  These are classic “red flags” in maladaptive/chronic pain work-ups and often precede clear orthopedic findings.

Why this matters for behavioral and aggression cases

Several clinical reports and reviews link pain—especially occult musculoskeletal pain—to defensive or impulsive aggression, often in handling contexts. When a dog’s aggression appears “out of character,” escalates suddenly, or clusters around touch or specific movements, pain deserves priority in the differential diagnosis and treatment plan. (Mills et al).

References (open-access or abstracts)

• Mills DS, Demontigny-Bédard I, Gruen ME, et al. Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs. Animals. 2020;10(2):318. (Open access review; prevalence estimates and the 4-pattern framework.) MDPIPubMed

• Kwik J, De Keuster T, Bosmans T, Mottet J. Detection of maladaptive pain in dogs referred for behavioral complaints: challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2025;19:1569351. (Open access; Toolbox approach, red flags, case outcomes.) FrontiersPMC

• Demirtas A, Atilgan D, Saral B, et al. Dog owners’ recognition of pain-related behavioral changes in their dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2023;62:39–46. (Abstract; what owners notice about pain-linked behaviors.) ScienceDirect

Upcoming Classes/Events

9/14: 10:00 am- Puppy Start Right Preschool | First Class

9/14: 11:30 am- Beginner Good Manners | First Class

9/21: 2:30 pm- Out and About | First Class

10/5: 1:00 pm- Advanced Good Manners | First Class

10/19: 10:00 am- Puppy Start Right Preschool | First Class

10/19: 3:00 pm- Rally Intermediate/Advanced Class | First Class

All of our upcoming class still have several spots available. Sign up today! https://www.readysettraindogs.com/group-training-classes

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