Training with Dog Genie: From Fearful to Flourishing

In this episode, I’m joined by certified dog trainer and behavior consultant Genie Tuttle of Dog Genie to talk about helping shy and anxious dogs build confidence.

Together, we revisit Nessie’s early training days and explore how choice and agency play a powerful role in behavior work. We also talk about how nose work and scent-based enrichment can transform fear into curiosity, giving sensitive dogs a way to engage with the world on their own terms.

This is a warm, hopeful conversation for anyone navigating life with a “big-feelings” dog — and for those looking for compassionate, practical ways to help their dogs feel safer and more confident.

Connect with our guest, Genie Tuttle

Website: https://doggenie.com

Instagram: @doggenie

Connect with Shy Dog Diaries

Instagram: @shydogdiaries
Email: pod@shydogdiaries.com

Transcript

Genie: There's nature and there's nurture. But in many cases, if the dog hasn't been not just exposed to something, but exposed positively to something, at a certain age, they're going to assume it's a threat because at the core, dogs are hardwired for survival. So, um. They're not bad dogs, they just not brought up properly.

[Samara/music intro] Ever wonder what's really going on behind your dog's big feelings and how to actually help them feel safe and thrive? Well, you're in the right place. This is Shy Dog Diaries, Hello, friends. Today I am joined by a special guest, someone who is influential in working with me and my anxious rescue dog, Nessie, in those early months after adoption I have here [00:01:00] today. Genie Tuttle. Of Dog Genie in Ventura, California. Genie is a professional dog behavior consultant and dog trainer.

Samara: She is a certified professional dog trainer, a certified canine nose work instructor, and has been voted best dog trainer in Ventura County for the past seven years in a row. Deservedly so, a devoted shelter dog advocate. Genie serves on the board of directors for the Animal Services Foundation of Ventura County, where she works to improve the lives of shelter dogs.

Samara: Genie, thank you for being here. I'm just so Excited. So what I wanna do here is, , to kick things off. Do you mind telling me a little bit about your dogs right now? The dogs that you have, and maybe what makes each one of them special? Particularly from a trainer's perspective?

Genie: dog people everywhere like to talk about their dogs So yeah How much time do you have Um I have well I had been a greyhound a [00:02:00] retired rescued Greyhound mom  of more than 25 years and now I've segued out to some Other mixed breed dogs I don't have any greyhounds right now but I do have a lot of expertise in greyhounds and how they learn and how to train them Uh I currently have Penny She's 13-year-old coonhound mix that I got from Ventura County Animal Services Um she weighs 86 pounds and she's coonhound German Shepherd and Labrador When we first got her she was scared of men with gray hair and of course my neighbor has gray hair and he is like a dog lover So uh we got over that pretty quick Um and she had some reactivity and and some you know interesting quirks which is you know why I love adopting shelter dogs Because I wasn't there from the beginning And kind of step in in the middle and try to sort out and figure out um what's going on with them And then two years ago we got Cougar from Ventura County Animal Services and he is um mixed breed of German Shepherd American [00:03:00] Bully pit Bull Terrier and Rottweiler when we adopted him he was so pro-social with people like just oh my gosh he just loves up on you Um but he is not such a fan of other dogs Um and for good reason he was in a sharing a kennel with another dog who he may have come in with um named Toby and Uh Cougar had um like scars on the top of his head open cuts and under his jaw like he had been inside Toby's his head was inside Toby's mouth and Toby kept pinning him and stuff So um and they thought he was about a year and a half And um he Then when we took him to the vet we found out that his growth plates weren't even all connected He was only like 10 months and he weighed 75 pounds at the time and now he weighs a hundred and he still has a little tuck It's just his big his big rotty body I tried to put a a Halloween bandana around him when it was Halloween and it couldn't even tie it like it's really big Nick Um and we're working with him [00:04:00] on um his big feelings about unfamiliar dogs

Samara: I think that's really funny because you may remember in those early days when you were working with me and Nessie, how I just kept going, oh my God, she's gonna be way bigger than 45 pounds. She's gonna be bigger. And it, I was so obsessed with her size, and she now, now Cougar dwarfs her. She topped out at 63.

Samara: But I remember that was another aspect of my panic, right? That it was just. How am I gonna handle this dog who seems to be afraid of everything on top of her possibly knowing, you know, God knows how big she's gonna get.

Genie: Yeah Anxiety

Samara: uh,

Genie: always

Samara: of these days,

Genie: things we're worrying about before they happen you know

Samara: that's exactly right. And one of these days we have to get Cougar and her together. 'cause I know she did really well with Penny. But, you know, everyone does well with Penny. Right? So.

Genie: a dog to heal reactive dogs of Ventura County so I got lucky but she's retired now She only has one client a really easy small client

Samara: I love her so much. Uh, so I wanna [00:05:00] rewind a couple years because I've had Nessie two and a half years now, which is crazy. And I started working with you right at the beginning 'cause I knew you for years through the Greyhound Rescue and other things. And I want you to give me, do you remember the first impressions of her and maybe even.

Samara: Me when I was, yeah.

Genie: um which is my approach to get gather data and then the um we were working on just the general living together stuff bringing your new um rescue dog in even though you're quite experienced with that I just wanted to make sure we had a common ground and we were had the same language and vocabulary about everything And then um the separation anxiety piece And so the first time I came to your house to see Nessie she ran into your bedroom She was scared of me And so I knew that the best way to heal that was not to try to convert her but to let her blossom over to me on her own So we did a little bit of counter [00:06:00] desensitizing you know using some high value food and stuff Um but ultimately um she she decided to come out you know and then we made friends maybe one or two sessions later

Samara: I forgot all about that because that was a. That was the mode she went into when anybody came to the house for about six, seven or eight months. And then before long, within a year, I was able to have a crew of eight guys working on pipelines, you know, gas lines, water lines, everything in my backyard with, uh, an introductory greeting period.

Samara: So the stuff at home started dissipating. But in the beginning it was like, oh my gosh, how? Because I was panicking. How am I gonna do this? Even with my trainer, my trainer can't even come in the house, you know?

Genie: I had to

Samara: And, uh.

Genie: off the ledge a few times because this having a shy a fearful dog is a big assignment And um look at you now

Samara: Oh, look at me now. I know. It's and, and now look what we're doing with the podcast too, right? Trying to connect other people who had similar emotional responses like I [00:07:00] did in those early days.

Genie: you just

Samara: Um.

Genie: how it's gonna impact your life It's very claustrophobic You are having to get people to come over so you could go to the drug store know and have people sit with her Because we were when we started working the protocol where we didn't want her going over threshold and things like that So you have done so much work and you really knocked it out of the park She's doing so much better

Samara: Thank you. And, and you know, the other angle of this was, well, she didn't want me to go anywhere, but you may recall she didn't wanna go anywhere.

Genie: to get her to the corner and we had the best success with Penny

Samara: I.

Genie: as her guide but I don't live next door so that was an issue

Samara: Right. So I've, I have depended on other neighborhood dogs. I mean, I put out a personal ad for her on Next Door Neighbor. I literally put out a personal ad for her to get dogs of same size or smaller to come over and play. And that's how we have kind of shaped her world so that she has enough,

Samara: enrichment through animal [00:08:00] play, dog play,

Genie: Yeah

Samara: while also now enough confidence Exactly. To get that confidence. And now we are slowly working with other neighborhood dogs to start moving her more around the block, but it's been slow.

Genie: Yeah fear

Samara: Um,

Genie: thing 

Samara: I.

Genie: We talked a lot about that Um and so it has to come from her you know she has to feel safe in order to go 

Samara: were there any, was there a moment where you realized, Hmm, she doesn't just have a normal adjustment period here in the home that's happening? There's, there's more to this.

Genie: Uh play my way back machine Huh Um I have worked with a lot of uh

Samara: I.

Genie: fearful dog so I wasn't as shocked by her behavior as maybe you know you were Um but I'm also coming at it from a little bit more of a clinical perspective Um So I knew that she would warm up I [00:09:00] knew that eventually she you know she would be okay coming out and you know being touched and things like that But I just made um took a lot of care to make sure that it was her option because you need choice in agency Um when people have fearful dogs they love they love them and they want them to feel safe and loved And how does a human do that A human um Wants to show you how much I love you like I'm safe but to a fearful dog that looks like a big scary spider coming at you And so um giving her choice and agency in the process and not forcing myself or anyone on her um is really where the win is I think with the shy fearful dog

Samara: It. It really was. And I think probably what was, what was going through your mind when you saw how emotionally challenging it was for me? How did you bring me back to earth?

Genie: some um talk down off the ledge uh moments But um in the spirit of um treating your

Samara: I.

Genie: client with the same type [00:10:00] of love and whatever you wanna say That you would your the dog is that I needed you to know you had a choice could You you would never entertain this choice But I had you know I had to let you have the choice that maybe this wasn't the lifestyle for you and just have a real down to earth talk with you that you know maybe this isn't how you wanna spend the next 15 years or whatever you you're lucky enough to get So with the dog I meant um And that was conflicting for you You had a a lot of conflicted uh fears And then you'd say something really good and then there'd be something bad And you know and you were just really on a roller coaster You're really on a continuum Um but then you you know it was your choice You had your choice an agency that you were gonna dig in and and um give her the best life you could And you have you know really done that in every aspect From diet to you know socializing to to just trying to confidence I mean all of it [00:11:00] So it it's it's a commendable amount of work that it's not for everyone and that's okay You know but in this case we're talking about people who decided like you to opt opt in to be with their shy dog cause I already love them and they could never think about anyone else you know trying to do what you needed to do Yeah

Samara: I really appreciate that because. There are some days where I still go, what have I gotten myself into? It's always the two steps forward, one step back, and um, it was kind of, yeah, it was life changing for me and I think part of those early days were, I. Was afraid to return her to the rescue because I did think she would be bounced around a lot.

Samara: And I did feel like, and I mean obviously you're right, you have to pick your, you know, you have to choose what's right for you. And I don't think it's honestly, until maybe a year ago where it just hit me, I really love this dog and [00:12:00] this was a great choice for me where I am in my life, but

Genie: for you that it didn't have to be

Samara: I.

Genie: so that there would be no judgment You're allowed to have the kind of life you wanna have you know so that's kind of my approach to it Um people can be very judgmental but this there's a lot of complexities to things like this so I try not to be

Samara: I really appreciate that. I really appreciate that. 'cause now we're here, you know, we have. At least five or six hours alone.

Genie: Wow

Samara: used to leave my old dogs, you know, sometimes I go, gosh, I left them eight hours or more a day. And now I realize, I don't know if that was the best thing for my previous dogs.

Samara: But they were not anxious. They were very well adjusted.

Genie: paradigm

Samara: And now, now we,

Genie: you went from just these easy dogs you worked out of the house you know you didn't have to be

Samara: I.

Genie: did you I mean didn't you have to go into the office Sometimes and I

Samara: I did. I was an office worker for most of the years. I had the dogs. I [00:13:00] was only remote right before I got Nessie, and that's the irony 'cause I couldn't have done it. I couldn't have done it without having the remote aspect of my job that last year.

Genie: so that that that really was that really made it really another piece of the puzzle

Samara: Absolutely. And um, one of the things. Well, I'll, I'll jump ahead to this 'cause it's, it's of interest. I want, you know, listeners to know that the training was a huge aspect of it. But at a certain point I did decide that, I think with you, with a veterinary behaviorist, we decided a little bit of medication might get us over a hump.

Samara: Uh, can you explain how that works with desensitization and counter conditioning?

Genie: As a professional dog trainer and a friend of many veterinarians I definitely My caveat is of course I wanna stay in my lane I don't study medicine Um but I have seen a lot of dogs on medicine and not on medicine with [00:14:00] various um personality types and stuff So sometimes um and a lot of people have very strong feelings about it I have clients that are like yeah if it's better you know better living through chemistry go let's do it And there are other people who are like ah never You know and so everybody has their own opinion and that's Just fine But some from my perspective sometimes it's very hard to get the protocol in if the dog is too blocked if you will like shields up So sometimes a little bit of intervention medically with a whatever prescription your vet decide you know decides on can help us get our Protocol and what we're working on can help it sink in better and that moves you forward and then you can back the medicine out accordingly if necessary or as necessary

Samara: And yeah, because those early, whew, like the first five months I was sitting on a chair in the front yard sneaking out doing the protocol right, which is the gradual desensitization. But at first, I couldn't even get more than seven [00:15:00] seconds out of the room with her

Genie: Yeah

Samara: out of the house. And then I added a teeny bit of medication.

Samara: And it was like, oh my gosh, I'm up to 10 minutes overnight. Like, what's going on here?

Genie: when

Samara: You know,

Genie: seven seconds that you that's a long road to get to an hour cause when you get to an hour you're you're pretty much good to go mostly Um so wow seven seconds to 10 minutes is huge

Samara: it really is. And then that's when I started realizing, okay, I can do this. And I think, you know,

Genie: some progress

Samara: in the right place.

Genie: of just comparing her which is a natural thing comparing her to this is so different than my other dogs This is so completely different than my other dogs Um and you have to you know I try to coach you to see the dog that's in front of you And if you're in it with her this is where we are We start where she is and then we gradually move her forward 

Genie: I just saw her get off your bed

Samara: We, uh Oh, did she? Yeah. She, she likes to come in and then she gets bored really easily. Oh, we're talking about me again. Okay. Nevermind. Um, she, [00:16:00] so we had that other side where she didn't really wanna go on walks. And, you know, you, when you have a dog, the first thing you think is, oh, you gotta get him two walks a day.

Samara: And the walk's so important and it's very important. Very important. And what I started learning was, well, not every dog wants to go on a walk, and maybe that's okay.

Genie: perspective if it was aversive for her Like dogs are always gonna do the most reinforcing thing and if it's sitting in your safe uh bed going out to the big scary world that you were not properly introduced to within your de developmental window So for her it was um she tried to she was always trying to be strong but then she'd have a place where she would have to stop and do a threat assessment kind of shut down And then you gave her the choice which way she she had choice and agency Did she wanna go back towards home or could we push it another block Uh so that was the type of threshold that you so patiently successfully worked

Samara: 100%. That really was, you're right. Giving them the choice. And I think where we [00:17:00] started making some progress on her walks was, I think originally I was using a little bit of treat lures, but then what I started doing was integrating, 'cause I had found that at Home Nose work was the key to. Getting her that activity, that enrichment that I couldn't get by her outside sniffing on walks.

Samara: 'cause you may recall she didn't even wanna sniff the ground. She'd be out on a walk. But it was, you know, this and not even organically sniffing the ground. And so I'd love you to talk 'cause I started doing that on the walks. I started going, Hey, maybe if I integrate a little bit of nose work here and now I can get her out on a walk and I can actually put her on a sit and for 30 seconds go along the sidewalk and hide treats for her.

Samara: Then tell her find it. But I'd love to know because you are a certified canine nose work instructor, how beneficial that is for dogs, particularly anxious dogs.

Genie: uh I'm really glad that we've sort of worked knows work in as part of our healing journey for her um because it's a metric [00:18:00] for me when I'm working a shy fearful dog Um and seeing what behaviors they give me If they're constantly on a you know a threat assessment um then I know that they're inside they're not feeling calm and once they start to do species natural behaviors which for a dog You know uh sniffing and you know getting a a food reward and things like that those that is reinforcing And it does help to build confidence because the dog ha you know is self-rewarding basically So um when we work on nose work um dogs get really tired It's like if you tip the Uh some really hard test and you did no cardio you'd still be like Ugh boy it's so tiring So it helps to get out some of those stress hormones by flipping the script and doing some species natural search and reward

Samara: yeah, I think I read something about does it take like 30% of the capacity of their brain when they're using their nose or something like that.

Genie: statistic but I I there's nothing I would be comfortable saying either way But  they just have you know it's just it's

Samara: Yeah.

Genie: sense and for us it's eyesight but for them it's scent So and getting to use your

Samara: Yeah.

Genie: sense of scent um is good to um build confidence in a shy dog for sure And just let em have a little fun instead of constantly being scared of everything Wow Get an endorphin you know

Samara: I think what's so beautiful about it too is that I didn't have dogs that I did nose work training with, and it's opened up a whole nother thing for me, like a whole nother way to exist and enjoy being with my dog.

Genie: ways we all already thought of yeah I agree 

Samara: Exactly. 'cause I had no other option. I was, I was free falling. I'm like, I have gotta find some other things. 'cause if I can't take her on a walk, how are we gonna keep her mentally fit and confident? And so it's, it definitely has been a game changer.

Genie: in and she loves it She's a little nose worker 

Samara: She really is. I mean, she's. Like really, really good. You've seen the [00:20:00] journey on, on her website, her Shy Dog Diaries site and, and um, you know, one of the things the behavioral vet said when she saw videos was like, just, I can't believe. How she will sit if there's one, one thing that she hasn't found. Now we're doing the clove tins.

Samara: We've graduated to clove now. Um, but if there's one that's still out there, she is relentless. She will find it. And she's so focused. She's a very gentle nose worker. Uh, you know, sometimes you see them scurrying to the next and she's very, everything about Nessie. It's kind of slow and deliberate. And I think that was another thing about her in the early days, right?

Samara: Where it was like she didn't have that kind of reactivity. It's just a different,

Genie: And

Samara: yeah.

Genie: with the nose work is um she's not high drive you know like a manic you know nose worker dog but she's persistent She's gonna find the tin and she's gonna do it in [00:21:00] her way And isn't that um beautiful that the dog gets to drive the process Instead of always being told what to do by us like we have no idea we couldn't sniff out some of these things that they can do Um so that's why I just I really love that for all dogs really But and they they each do it differently but she was persistent but she wasn't manic 

Samara: it's been 

Samara: amazing.

Samara: I would love to know, do you have any particular, 'cause you worked with shelter dogs or you have for years? . Can you think of a story of, of a shelter dog that was really particular?

Samara: I know you deal with a lot of them, but one that was really particularly challenging that got adopted and that you just did amazing work there and it was just really heartwarming to see the dog progress.

Genie: yeah well right now I'm doing uh nose work in Richmond at Ventura County Animal Services uh every Friday afternoon pro bono just to to help the animals cope with being there Um [00:22:00] um those dogs you know will progress their nose work as I would with private clients Um Based on how many sessions they've had but luckily sometimes they get adopted you know so one dog that comes to mind that I met there and became friends with was named Cowboy uh he was a little pit bull terrier and everybody said oh at the shelter they were like you know the the the staff was like oh try Cowboy He's crazy And I said oh perfect Bring him in please Yay So they bring in this little brown dog He immediately came in he kind of checked the place out He got up on the counter and tried to climb the blinds in the in the room that's called the classroom And I was like okay let's let's do this And I I started teaching him nose work and he was hard to adopt He had different um issues and he became a nose work star He uh I would put um I trained him to birch Um the scent the scent of birch is kind of the first one If you're doing national Association of canine scent work [00:23:00] stuff um in a little tin on the vehicles on the the trucks that bring the dogs in But after they're not doing that they're just sitting in the parking lot So we would um have cowboy do searches there and do lots of videos and and then he was um adopted by a rescue partner and then I stayed with him at the rescue It was several years We I finally found him a home with a perfect person in Ojai and I would continue to visit him and we would do nose work in her backyard and her house So that was my best um story of getting a really difficult dog placed and keeping him sane using nose work and a lot of love

Samara: Oh my gosh. And you said it was several years he was in the Yeah.

Genie: and he was at at the rescue partner for several years and he's passed away now but he he went to the best home and and you know wrote it out So that's a feel good one I

Samara: Yeah, and I know that dogs and shelters, rescue is always hard. There's always a way too many, and I know right now it's kind of a crushing blow here in Ventura County. I've seen a lot of urgent messages from, I [00:24:00] think the executive director online as of late.

Genie: are sharing runs

Samara: Um,

Genie: we're just getting clobbered and left incoming dogs

Samara: I think it's interesting 'cause I think a lot of people think that they shy away from rescue dogs because they think that maybe a lot of them have behavioral issues. And I can, I can be the first one to say. All of my previous dogs were rescue dogs and they did not have behavioral issues. What would you tell someone if they want to adopt a rescue dog as opposed to going to a breeder?

Genie: they I think we have to start with the person and their lifestyle What's their family life like What do they are they active Are they do they like to stay home Like

Samara: I.

Genie: You know kind of really starting with who they are so that we could make a good fit Dogs and shelters when you go visit them there they don't really show that well because they've been shooting adrenaline and cortisol and stress hormones nonstop which is pretty hard on your system So even if you take em to a play yard they're out of their kennel They might just trot around they may not be in your lap you know So um [00:25:00] every dog personality is gonna be different but um Well I can speak for Ventura County Animal Services They do a lot of work with um adoption counseling So they really can get an idea of are you an active family Are you just a single person You know what not just but you know what is your situation and what would be your ideal dog And then they can kind of fit it by personality Um with each time a volunteer brings a dog out they they type in notes you know so we try to get as much intel so we can make these good matches um That's where my expertise is I um I guess breeders have you know varying levels of uh how how how they decide to match their dogs with clients I don't know It's probably similar

Samara: it was funny because when I got an essay, you know, my previous two dogs just passed away three weeks prior. I was not in an emotional state to be getting a dog, but I first called Ventura County Animal Services, and I can vouch for the the adoption counseling because I remember they told me on the phone [00:26:00] I was calling about a little cattle dog, and they said, Samara, do you want.

Samara: A, a project dog. And I said, no. And they said, then this dog wouldn't be right. And they said, we, we give you any of these dogs, but do you want a project dog? And so what did I do? I went along, I got a project dog, and I had no idea she was five months.

Samara: Who thought, what harm could she, what harm could there be here? Eh. Miss that socialization period. Someone's backyard for five months, you know? But, um, I would still do it again. Uh, and in fact, 'cause I wanna, I wanna ask you, 'cause I have been actually considering adding a second dog to the home, but what are your thoughts on that when you've got a dog who has still some issues, they're working through?

Samara: That are gonna be longer term issues, separation anxieties, kind of, I wouldn't, I, I would say it's kind of cured. It's, it's under control. What are your thoughts for adding a second dog to a home when you've already got a dog who's got some behavior challenges?

Genie: be [00:27:00] depend on the individual dog that you adopt, um, or foster. Because that could help give your existing dog more confidence and give them somebody to be with when they're home alone. I love having two dogs. Um, but you, you know, and, and it's, you would probably be pretty careful how you selected.

Genie: You would do a meet and greet and make sure that they really liked each other. And it might be that the new dog is more of the leader of the two of them than Nessie. You know, maybe she doesn't care about that type of thing. So, um, I think it could be a nice balance. I, I highly recommend

Samara: Yeah, I know. And there are three cattle dogs right there this week. That are coming up and I'm, I'm so tempted, but I'm, I am gonna approach it very cautiously. So, um, I'd like for you to give us an idea of how do you choose a qualified dog, dog trainer?

Samara: Because there are a lot of people out there. One of the things you said to me in the beginning was. When I was all panicking and coming to you, [00:28:00] well, I heard this and I read that and you said, stop crowdsourcing.

Genie: of me, uh, well actually, uh, dog training's an unregulated industry so anybody can say. They're a dog trainer. If they pet a dog one time, or, you know, taught sit. Um, the, those of us who take it seriously get industry approved credentials, they're not, it's not something you could buy, um, like buying into a membership.

Genie: Um, oh, I'm a member of this dog positive dog training thing that you just wrote a check. That's nothing. It's the, the ones that you have to, you know, prove how many hours you've trained. Um. Take rigorous testing, uh, do continuing education every several years to stay current and not just do what used to work. Um, there are all kinds of different things that a lot of people don't know about dog trainers. Um, some people use positive reinforcement and rewards and things like nose work, um, protocols and stuff like what we've been doing. And the other trainers are more thinking about corrections and how to. [00:29:00] Uh, punish a dog for doing something they don't want, rather than,, um, rewarding something they do want.

Genie: So people don't know that there's a whole dichotomy. It's completely two different planets. So, um, you wanna make sure to hire someone that is in line with what your ethics are and that they have 

Samara: Yes. Yes. Good.

Genie: that they had to get and then keep up that are independently issued, not bought.. So, um, CPDT Certified Professional Dog Trainers pretty was one of the most, um, prestigious ones I think, in the industry for now. There's all, there's, you know, uh, behavior ones that, um, are also really good too, but at a minimum, something, uh, maybe instead of somebody who might be having an imposter syndrome, I don't know.

Samara: I thought I was a pretty savvy dog owner, guardian, you know, whatever you wanna call it, because I had three easy dogs prior, and, but even I saw that dichotomy when I, when I came into. A situation where I really needed [00:30:00] dog training. I saw that, oh wow. Those earlier dog trainings I had taken 10, 20 years ago.

Samara: I was using correction and it really kind of blew my mind. And I knew at the beginning, well, that's certainly not gonna work for an anxious dog like Nessie.

Genie: shut down.

Samara: That's when I realized completely shut down. And so that's when I realized there really was, uh, this, this whole positive reinforcement space was where I wanted to stay.

Samara: And,

Genie: the science

Samara: and we've made, we've,

Genie: to how you can modify behavior without using punishment.

Samara: that's right. , And I know you've got all the credentials after your name and I, I am, it's dizzying when I see how much, honestly, particularly if you're being an unregulated industry, how much you have done and how much, um, you are still doing to be the top dog trainer in Ventura County the last seven years.

Genie: of excellent dog trainers in Ventura County and, uh, we all get together. We're [00:31:00] friends. We do, we do lunch about once a month. Um, so there, there's a lot of great ones out there.

Samara: I love that. So we're getting close to time, but I wanted to ask, I would love for you to tell me what is something you wish more people understood about dogs, like Nessie or rescue dogs in general? Just anxious dogs.

Genie: You know. There's nature and there's nurture. But in many cases, if the dog hasn't been not just exposed to something, but exposed positively to something, at a certain age, they're going to assume it's a threat because at the core, dogs are hardwired for survival. So, um. They're not bad dogs, they just not brought up properly.

Genie: And so, you know, when you start delving into different types of aggression, you know, those dogs, um, are acting out of fear or a past, uh, experience. Like one really bad experience can be what we call single trial learning. And the dog [00:32:00] will start to kind of generalize that, like when Penny was afraid of men with gray hair, I mean, that was a very. You know, if you're observant, that was a very easy thing. 'cause there was, um, our friend across the street has gray hair and she'd be like, know, whereas to other people she'd be just like this, so. Hmm.

Samara: That's really helpful because, I want people to understand that just because what you're seeing when you first get is, might be difficult. It's not necessarily always gonna be that way.

Genie: that you can modify the dog's behavior and help them have a happier life. And that feels good for, you know, both ends of the leash. So, yeah. Um, and just kind of looking at the individual in front of you, we don't always have to know why it happened, but we just have to see what we're seeing and use that to move forward.

Samara: and I think that's a perfect place for us to wrap up. Um, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us. Genie. I hope you're gonna come back. Yeah, I hope you're gonna come back again soon. 'cause I'd, I'd love to maybe share some of the shelter [00:33:00] dogs, uh, as. As well as, you know. Yeah, I'd love for you to be out there on the ground showing, you know, showing some of these shelter dogs and what you're doing with them, some of the training techniques you're using for them you know, to provide more support.

Samara: Um, but before we go, I want to let listeners know where to find you. So how do they find you?

Genie: Um, you can find me. Uh, my website is doggenie.com my email address is genie@doggenie.com. And those are the two best ways to find me. And, um, on my website, there's a navigation there that says how to find, how to choose a qualified dog trainer. Circling back to your previous question.

Genie: Dog Genie, Instagram and Facebook as well.

Samara: okay, Well I think that that really sums it up. I'm looking forward to you coming back, but thank you, Genie. Yeah. Thank you so much and thanks for listening to Shy Dog [00:34:00] Diaries. If you're walking this slower path with your dog, you're not alone. Follow the journey on Instagram at Shy Dog Diaries.

Samara: And if you enjoyed today's episode, please follow, share, and leave a review. It really helps other dog lovers find us. Join us next time for more tender tales, expert advice and inspiration for your own dog's transformation.

[Disclaimer] Shy Dog Diaries is for education and entertainment only. It's not a substitute for working with your own trainer, behaviorist, or veterinarian.