Alpha

🐾 Fiction borrowed from misunderstood wolf research. Real wolves don’t have “alphas” – they have parents. Unless you gave birth to your dog, this concept is irrelevant.

Positive reinforcement

🐾 Marketing term used to make force sound friendly. Adding something the dog doesn’t want (like constant treats, commands, or pressure) is still force, regardless of the adjective in front of it.

Dominance Theory

The outdated belief that dogs need humans to be “pack leaders.” Based on flawed wolf studies from the 1940s that even the original researcher later debunked. Still popular with insecure trainers who mistake intimidation for communication.

Decompression Time

Quiet, low-stimulation rest after stress.

Safety Cues

Signals that tell the dog they are secure in the moment.

Trigger

A reminder of past trauma that sparks fear or defensive behavior.

Trauma in dogs

Trauma in dogs is the lasting emotional and physical impact of distressing experiences, often showing as fear, withdrawal, or reactivity.

Trauma-Informed Care

🐾 Not training at all. It’s the radical act of saying, ‘Hey, maybe the creature in front of me has a story, and my job is to make their world safer, not smaller.

In other words: Trauma-Informed Care is an approach based on understanding an animal’s past experiences and current emotional state, prioritizing safety, trust, and respect.

The Bark Twain Effect

The phenomenon where something absurd, inappropriate, or ridiculous turns out to be incredibly wise.

“He called my trauma a squirrel with a megaphone. I laughed, then I healed. Classic Bark Twain Effect.”

Pawcrastination

Delaying important things by doing tasks that feel slightly productive but are definitely not. Like cleaning behind the fridge to avoid making one phone call.

“I pawcrastinated myself into an entirely reorganized spice rack and zero progress.”