Sara Ondrako

There is no such thing as perfect welfare.

In real life, elements of the Five Domains that support one aspect of welfare may introduce risks to another.

We worry our dogs might get sick from another dog.
We worry they might eat something questionable they found outside.
We worry they might get injured running through the woods.
We worry they might crack a tooth chewing on a bone.

These concerns are reasonable. Thoughtful guardianship involves making informed decisions about playmates, environments, and materials dogs interact with.

But modern pet culture often pushes risk-avoidance to an extreme.

In our effort to eliminate every possible danger, we can unintentionally remove many of the experiences that contribute to a rich and meaningful life for dogs.

Exploring the world with independence and agency.
Socially bonding and playing with other dogs.
Gnawing on satisfying objects.
Investigating the environment through scent, movement, and curiosity.
Making decisions, solving problems, and building competence.

These experiences are not luxuries.

They are important contributors to a dog’s Total Welfare.

When we try to eliminate all risk, we often eliminate many of the opportunities that allow dogs to fully experience life.

Trade-offs are unavoidable.

The goal is not perfection.

The goal is thoughtful balance, stacking the deck toward the Good Life.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing Welfare Fun Facts and Welfare Hacks that explore small, practical ways to support dogs across the Five Domains of welfare.

Follow along as we widen the lens beyond behavior and look at the conditions that shape a dog’s lived experience.

You’ve already got the L.E.G.S. you need to evolve.

Chin-up buttercup!
If you haven't practiced this one with your pup yet, give it a try.

The chin rest is a helpful skill that, when built in well, can tap into your dog's own agency to build trust and comfort with being physically handled in various situations, like medical care or grooming.

A chin rest is part of the Cooperative Care method, where a dog learns to cooperate with handling based on trust-building, choice in participation, and predictable patterns.

This is a demo on how to begin building a chin rest.

This can easily be translated into resting a chin on an object, such as a perch or a rolled-up towel, as a chin cushion while being handled.

When taught early to puppies and used alongside other handling skills and strategic fun visits, it can prevent fears and anxieties that dogs often develop as they age, including during veterinary visits.

Chin Rest Demo #dogbehavior #dogtraining #cooperativecare The chin rest is a helpful skill that when built in well, can tap into your dog’s own agency to build trust and comfort with being physically handled in vari...

Remember that long-form video where I showed you, step by step, how I taught my dog to enjoy having her teeth brushed? If not, it's attached here 😉 More importantly, and not so obvious, is that I use this exact method to teach MANY behaviors to dogs!

Behaviors such as cleaning their paws when they come in muddy, without running off or becoming nervous about getting their paws beign wiped. Nail trimming, getting a blood draw from the vet techs at the hospital - these are all end behaviors that involve using behavior chaining to get to that end goal result. No matter the behavior, you can use this type of breakdown as a backbone to teach smaller, easier behaviors and then chain them together to reach the desired end behavior.

Also, remember that time when my hair was this short?! 😱

Last one: Also, remember that just because Pet Dental Month is over, it doesn't mean you should forget how important oral health is to overall health. Do your dog's mouth, your wallet, and your relationship with your dog a favor by following these steps to help your dog become comfortable with teeth brushing.

How to Easily Brush Your Dog's Teeth: Step-by-Step Tutorial 🐶 HELPFUL DENTAL PRODUCTS:○ Petsmile Toothpaste and Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/49xZjFn○ Bark Bright Dental Treats: https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100674124...

Let’s talk coffee shops and dogs 🫶🏼 ☕️ 🐕

Please take a moment, for the love of all things dog, and read this article. It touches on so many very important points regarding multi-dog households, dog groups, the effects of stress, and some very common and problematic beliefs that contribute heavily to the probability of dog attacks even amongst “dog friends.”

Prevention is EVERYTHING.

Yes, It Can Happen to Your Dogs, Too… The Cassandra Effect and Multi Dog Households You might be following the story of a well known dog influencer and the tragedy she faced of losing three of her dogs in one incident. A quick summary of what occurred is that this person had 7 bull breeds living together. Lots of content online that I skimmed through made me uncomfortable in terms....

Get more energy out with tosses 🐕

Let’s face it - sometimes they just have more energy than us 😂 Still, they have needs to be met. So, here’s just another way you can get some energy out in a healthy and fun way.

1. Instead of just handing your dog a treat for completing a cue, toss the treat away for them to run after.

2. When they comeback for more, be ready with the next cue and when they happily comply, toss the treat away again and repeat.

3. Advance the fun and mental challenge by asking a series of cues before treat tossing like I do with Vivace in this video such as sit, down, stand, then treat toss.

4. Build clear communication to signify the game is over each time such as rewarding for the return with extra goodies, opening your hands, and pairing a phrase to repeat like “all done.”

Get more energy out with tosses 🐕 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Give Hope & Get Your Dog’s Holiday Plan in Place - https://mailchi.mp/dda4ec592cbd/give-hope-get-your-dogs-holiday-plan-in-place

This right here 🥹 This means so much and keeps that motivational spark alive. Every case has its own unique set of challenges in navigating the needs of the dog and needs of the individuals that make up the family unit. Thank you to my clients that put trust in my experience with some often, difficult decisions and even more so, trust in your dog 🫶🏼