Moving Beyond Words - A Transformational Journey with Your Animal Companion

03/11/2026

03/11/2026

Choo Choo Pullers

Pulling on the lead is nearly always approached by guardians, and sadly even some professionals, purely as a training issue.

We just have to teach them to walk nicely… right?

Puling can be a real problem, and the consequences can be significant for both the human and the dog.

For the human, a strong puller can cause:
• Shoulder, arm, and back injuries
• Falls or being pulled over
• Frustration and stress that takes the joy out of walks

For the dog, the impact can be just as serious:
• Pressure and potential injury to the neck or spine
• Increased tension and frustration on the lead
• Escalating arousal that can lead to reactivity or overwhelm
•Less time outside.

But here’s the important bit…

Pulling is very often emotional before it is mechanical.

Dogs pull because they are excited, anxious, overwhelmed, desperate to get somewhere, trying to escape something, or simply struggling to regulate how they feel in that environment.

If we jump straight to “training loose lead walking” ( which is different from heel) without addressing the why behind the pulling, we’re often setting everyone up for frustration.

The result can be a lot of time, money, and effort spent on techniques that don’t stick, plus added emotional baggage for both the dog and their human.

This can lead to people considering more unethical equipment and methods to get " results"

Instead, we need to look at the whole picture.

Ask questions like:
• Where is the dog being walked?
• When are those walks happening?
• What equipment is the dog walked on?
• How does the dog cope before the walk even starts?
• What do they look like after the walk?
• How do they actually move and behave during the walk?
•Is the dog being rewarded in some way for pulling.

And just as importantly…

What are the guardian’s expectations of what a walk should look like?
Are those expectations realistic for that dog in that environment right now?

Sometimes the answer isn’t simply “better training”.
Sometimes it’s changing the environment, the routine, the emotional state, eliminating possible pain or unfair expectations first.

When we address the emotional drivers and the full context of the walk, the training part often becomes much easier, and far more effective.

Because loose lead walking isn’t just about teaching a skill.

It’s about creating a dog who feels able to walk with you in the first place.

03/11/2026

Love and safety create trust

03/11/2026

Over medicated , or wrongfully medicated , can lead to disastrous results

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes blooming landscapes, longer walks, and the return of fleas and ticks. Many pet parents rely on convenient monthly medications to keep these parasites away, but new research is raising important questions about what those products may be doing inside our pets’ bodies and in the environment.
Before you give your pet the next dose, I encourage you to review this important new research on parasite prevention and the practical strategies I use to reduce parasite exposure naturally, support detox pathways, and make smarter decisions about when chemical preventives may or may not be necessary.
If you want to protect your pet while minimizing toxic burden this spring, check out my latest blog, link in comments 🐾

02/10/2026

Intentional touch as the healer

02/10/2026

02/08/2026

Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat — Complacency Did
Why Curiosity Matters More Than We Realize in Creating a Happier, Healthier Relationship with your Animal Companion

(as posted on Brainz Magazine February 2026)
By Arlana Tanner-Arlana Tanner - Sibelle

Holistic Wellness Practitioner • Inter-species Relationship Guide • Speaker • Author of Moving Beyond Words — Our Shared Journey Moving Beyond Words - A Transformational Journey with Your Animal Companion
In this thoughtful exploration of the human–animal bond, holistic wellness practitioner and inter-species relationship guide Arlana Tanner-Sibelle invites readers to reconsider one of the most overlooked elements of lasting connection: curiosity.

Rather than offering techniques or answers, this article opens space for reflection on our role in a shared journey that is never finished, and on how curiosity may be the key to deeper understanding, mutual growth, and enduring connection.



https://www.arlana.ca/blog/curiositysavescat

01/25/2026

01/25/2026

Best way to teach door manners

01/21/2026

Redefining "ownership"

If you cannot provide a species-appropriate lifestyle, you should not own the animal.
Of any kind.

That statement isn’t extreme. It’s foundational.

Animals do not exist to meet human wants, emotional needs, or convenience. They exist as members of their own species, with biological, social, and psychological requirements that do not disappear because humans desire companionship, status, or control.

Food and shelter alone are not enough.

A species-appropriate life means meeting the needs that animal evolved to have. Choice, predictability, safety, and the ability to express natural behaviour. These are not luxuries. They are welfare baselines.

Loving an animal does not mean you get to redefine their needs to fit your lifestyle.

This is not about perfection. It is about responsibility.

There are situations where animals already exist in less-than-ideal circumstances. Rescue, rehabilitation, medical limitation, or temporary restriction can all require compromise. The ethical line is whether those compromises are made in the animal’s best interest, with the goal of improving welfare whenever possible, not maintaining ownership at any cost.

If meeting an animal’s core needs is not feasible, the humane choice is to reconsider ownership, not to lower the standard.

Having animals in our lives is a privilege.
Not a right.
Not a requirement.
Welfare is not optional.

01/20/2026

In parts of Switzerland, you don’t just “get” a dog—you earn the right to care for one.​
Anyone who wants to become a dog owner must first complete compulsory training sessions and pass written theory exams before a dog ever sets paw in their home.​
These lessons focus on real‑world skills: how to meet a dog’s physical and emotional needs, how to understand their behavior, and how to handle them safely in everyday situations. The idea isn’t to scare people away, but to prevent problems and protect everyone involved—pets, owners, and the community around them.​
By framing dog ownership as a learned responsibility instead of a spontaneous decision, Switzerland helps reduce bites, neglect, and abandonment. It’s a system grounded in knowledge and respect, built on the belief that no dog should have to pay the price for an unprepared human.​

01/09/2026

To all new puppy parents, please read this carefully;

When you bring home an 8-week-old puppy, you’re not bringing home a “small dog.” You’re bringing home a baby whose body is still under construction. At this age, their bones haven’t fused, their joints aren’t stabilized, and much of what supports their movement is soft, flexible cartilage rather than solid bone. That’s why puppies move with exaggerated steps, loose limbs, and awkward turns—it’s not clumsiness, it’s biology.

Their joints are held together by developing muscles, tendons, and ligaments that haven’t learned how to properly stabilize movement yet. Nothing has fully tightened, aligned, or strengthened. There is very little grip, balance, or shock absorption. Every movement they make is being used by the body as a blueprint for how those joints will form later in life.

This is why overexercising a young puppy is NOT harmless.

Short bursts of play on safe surfaces are normal and necessary. But repeated stress—long walks, excessive running, sharp turns, jumping off furniture, or sliding on slick floors—creates microscopic trauma in joints that are still shaping themselves. Each hard landing or uncontrolled slip sends force through cartilage that isn’t ready to absorb it. Over time, those forces alter how joints grow, align, and stabilize.

The damage doesn’t usually show up immediately. Instead, it appears months or even years later as:

• Early arthritis

• Hip or elbow dysplasia

• Chronic joint pain

• Poor movement or shortened stride

• Increased risk of injury as an adult

Letting a puppy jump off a couch or bed may seem harmless in the moment—but that repeated impact trains fragile joints to absorb force in unhealthy ways. Walking long distances before growth plates close may build stamina, but it doesn’t build sound structure. Allowing free movement on slippery tile or hardwood floors forces joints to twist and compensate in ways they were never meant to.

You only get one opportunity to grow a puppy correctly.

A strong, well-built adult dog is the result of both good genetics and responsible upbringing. Genetics set the potential—but early care determines whether that potential is protected or compromised. You can’t “fix it later” once growth plates close.

There will be plenty of time for hiking, running, agility, jumping, and rough play once your dog’s body is fully developed. Right now, the greatest gift you can give your puppy is restraint, patience, and protection.

Keep exercise controlled.

Choose safe, non-slip surfaces.

Prevent jumping from heights.

Let growth happen slowly and correctly.

Quiet now means strong later.

You’re not holding them back—you’re building them for a lifetime.

*Copied from another Breeder*

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