Training Tips from Gizzy (and Cherie): Issue 11

🐾 Training Tips from Gizzy: Gemini’s Secret to Staying Calm at the Dog Doc! 🐾

Hey everyone—Auntie Gemini is HOME!! 🎉 We had a little pawty to celebrate, but she was super sleepy from all her medicine, so we’re gonna throw a big one once she’s feeling better!

Oh, and did you see her birthday board?! It says her favorite things are balls… and ME! (Obviously. I mean, who wouldn’t pick me as their favorite?) But when she got home, she told me something really cool—she actually LIKES the Dog Doc!

Now, I know what you’re thinking—“Gizzy, NO dog likes the vet.” But Gemini? She’s a pro at this whole being-sick-and-getting-better thing. She told me that she trusts the Dog Docs because they always take good care of her. She doesn’t love the pokies (who does?!), but she understands that they’re helping her get better, so she stays calm and lets them do their job.

And do you know WHY she’s so comfortable? Because Cherie taught her from the time she was a tiny puppy to be okay with all of it!

Wait…Gemini Was a BABY?!

This blew my mind. I mean, Gemini is the protector of the pack, the alert dog, the huntress—she’s basically a legend! And now I find out she was once a tiny baby like me?? 🤯

She told me that Cherie started touching her paws, ears, belly, and mouth when she was super little, just like she does with me. But here’s the part that I never even thought about—she said one of the biggest reasons she felt safe at the Dog Doc was because she was already comfortable in a crate!

The Crate = A Safe Place, Not Just a Box

Cherie has always made sure our crates are awesome places to be. When Gemini was little, she got special treats, cozy blankets, and fun chews in her crate—stuff she didn’t get anywhere else. She learned that crates weren’t just for “puppy timeouts” (not that I ever need those… 😇). Instead, they were safe, snuggly dens where she could relax.

As she grew up, she didn’t need her crate all the time, but she always knew it was a good place to be. So when she had to stay at the Dog Doc’s office, she wasn’t scared about being crated—she already felt safe in one!

But she told me something kinda sad—some dogs at the hospital have never been in a crate before, and when they’re there, sick and scared, they panic. On top of feeling yucky, they’re suddenly in a little box for the first time, and that just makes everything worse.

So Gemini told me this: Even if your pup doesn’t need a crate every day, it’s still really important to teach them that crates are safe and comfortable—because one day, they might need one.

Gizzy’s Tips for Making the Crate Fun!

🐾 Make it the best place EVER! – Put special treats, fun chews, or even a favorite toy in the crate—but only when your pup is inside! This makes it feel like a magical, secret treat zone.

🐾 Never use it as a punishment! – The crate should be a happy place, not a “you’re in trouble” zone.

🐾 Feed meals in the crate. – Food = happiness. Eating in the crate = double happiness.

🐾 Start with short, positive sessions. – Let your pup go in and out freely at first. Keep the door open and toss treats inside so they associate it with good things.

🐾 Cover it for extra coziness. – Some pups (like Gemini) love a covered crate because it feels like a little den.

🐾 Practice when they’re NOT sick or stressed. – If the first time your pup sees a crate is at the Dog Doc’s office, it’s gonna be way harder for them to feel safe. Start now, when everything is calm and normal!

So, what about you guys? Do you love your crate like Gemini and me? Or do you need some help making it a happy place? Tell me in the Facebook Group—I wanna hear all about it!

Until next time, keep wagging, stay cozy, and send Gemini some birthday love! 🎉🐾

Love,
Gizzy