December News
Helping Your Dog Stay Calm When Family Visits
When welcoming family members into the home, people often expect their dogs to remain calm and sociable. However, it can be frustrating when a dog reacts anxiously even to familiar relatives. Signs of anxiety may include barking, fear-based behavior at the door, and heightened stress during arrivals. These reactions are particularly common in young, sensitive dogs such as doodles. Importantly, such behaviors are typically the result of learned patterns established over time, rather than a reflection of poor manners.
What’s happening:
Dogs respond to predictable arrival routines, lingering dog scents on visitors, and high-energy entrances. Even familiar people can trigger anxiety if their arrival has repeatedly felt overwhelming.
The most important change:
Your dog should not be present for arrivals.
· Place him behind a gate or in another room before the door opens
· Provide a chew or lick mat
· Ask visitors to ignore him initially
Allow a 10–15-minute settling period so excitement can drop.
Controlled re-entry (not greetings):
· Bring your dog out on leash once calm
· Visitors stay seated and calm, ignoring the dog
· Reward calm behavior
· If barking starts, calmly return him to his safe space
Calm behavior earns access; anxiety earns distance.
When children are present:
Even if your dog likes kids, structure still matters.
· Children stay seated and quiet during arrivals
· No calling, reaching, or rushing the dog
· Calm kids often help dogs relax when excitement is managed
Give your dog a job:
A mat, chew, or food-search game helps reduce anxiety and provides a sense of purpose.
Practice without visitors:
Rehearse door knocks, or doorbell sounds, a few times a week so your dog learns the routine without real-world pressure.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
· Letting the dog “work it out.”
· Soothing or holding him while he barks
· Allowing greetings at the door
· Repeating “it’s okay” during anxious behavior
These well-meaning actions often reinforce fear rather than reduce it.
Your dog isn’t reacting to people—he’s reacting to what their arrival represents. Changing the pattern builds confidence and calm over time.
Grain-Free Salmon Dog Treats
Ingredients
· 1 ½ cups coconut flour
· 1 cup canned wild-caught salmon, drained
· ½ cup coconut oil, melted, but not hot
· ½ cup pumpkin puree
· 4 eggs
· 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Instructions
1. Add all the ingredients to your food processor. Process until well blended, and it easily forms a ball when you take a little in your hand. If it feels a bit too wet, add just a little more coconut flour, but know that the coconut flour in the dough will absorb as the dough sits.
2. Gently roll the ball into a thin log and place it into an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Slice the chilled dough into discs about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Aim for the size of a thin Oreo.
5. You can use cookie cutters to make shapes; my dogs aren’t that picky.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes, until golden brown and hard. It is essential that biscuits are completely dried out, or they will go bad.
7. If you take them out and, as they cool, if they feel moist at all, I recommend placing the biscuits in a single layer on an oven-safe cooling rack and placing them into a 200ºF oven for 10-20 minutes, until they are dry, hard, crisp, and have no moisture at all.
8. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for a few weeks.
A sample of the cuteness… FYI They were not fond of the neck decor.
Nursery News
We have availability for January Gotcha Days!
Zelda and Ronan - Moyen Gpldendoodles(Jan 3 Gotcha Day)
Jinx and Ronan - small standard Goldendoodles (Jan 10 Gotcha Day)
Jett and Crew = mini S[rppd;es (Jan 17 Gotcha Day)
Please email for litter photos and information.
