Instagram story viewer> @poochparenting> Tagged

Michelle | Dog & Child Specialist

@poochparenting

6.3K

followers

1021

following

🤦🏽‍♀️ Peace of mind for overwhelmed parents with dogs
🐶 Baby, toddler and child resources and on demand and classes for parents & dog pros

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

🚨 Does your dog growl? Don’t shut it down. Listen.

This episode of The Doodle Pro® Podcast is being re-aired because it’s now a ✨ two-time finalist ✨ in the 2025 Dog Writers Association of America Writing Competition 🏆

🎧 Ep #82: The Truth About Growling
with parenting + training expert Michelle Stern of Pooch Parenting

Growling isn’t “bad behavior.”
It’s communication.
And when we punish it, we often make things less safe, not more.

In this episode, we break down:
🐾 What dog growling REALLY means
🐾 Why growling ≠ aggression
🐾 Growling during play vs stress
🐾 Kids, Doodles, and safety
🐾 What to do instead of correcting the growl

✨ Bonus: how predictable routines and built-in downtime help Doodles feel calmer and less testy in the first place

📌 Save this episode for later
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts
📘 Want to prevent stress before it builds? Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint is linked in my bio

Doodles are different, wonderfully so 💛

13

1

Dogs love being close to their humans and that loyalty can sometimes put them in tricky situations when a new baby arrives. 🐶👶
 It’s important to notice if your dog is sticking close to you but actually feels uneasy around the baby. Creating safe, comfortable spaces for everyone helps protect both your pup and your child.

Have you noticed your dog adjusting its behavior since bringing baby home?

18

1

Welcome Declan my new foster dog. Declan is a brave, resilient and super sweet boy who is good with cats and other dogs. Rescued from an abandoned house in East Oakland, he is ready to start his new life with you! Contact me at kwhappydogs@gmail.com if you’re interested in meet him.

28

6

Recording is available now in our online school!

Onlineschool.instinctdogtraining.com

#instinctdogtraining
#kidsanddogs #dogbiteprevention #webinars

3

1

Join us this Monday, 6/16, for a live virtual webinar with Michelle Stern of @poochparenting ! Perfect for parents & pros navigating life with kids and dogs.

🎥 Can’t make it live? No worries — recording available!

#instinctdogtraining #KidsAndDogs #DogSafety #ParentLife

5

0

🛎️ BIG shoutout to the 100+ Doodle parents, trainers, groomers, and breeders who’ve been teaming up behind the scenes to bring Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™ into the world! 🐾📘

This all-star Doodle Insider Team gave early feedback, shared sneak peeks, and helped spread the word far and wide—landing this little book in over 250 media outlets and publications. 🙌💬

As a heartfelt thank-you, I’ll be sending out special appreciation gifts to these incredible humans this week. 💛

If you’ve seen The Blueprint floating around your feed lately—you can thank them.
They’re helping bring calm to Doodle homes everywhere, one share at a time. 🐶✨

#YourDoodleBlueprint #DoodleInsider #TheDoodlePro #DogTrainerLife #DoodleLife #DoodleParents #DoodlesAreDifferent

15

1

🎉 The Doodle Insider Team is ON FIRE! 🐾✨
These amazing early readers are helping launch Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint into the world — and just look at this Week 1 leaderboard! 👀

They’ve been reading, sharing, and spreading the calm with other Doodle parents — and the best part?

💛 You can get a sneak peek too!
Download the FREE Morning Flow™ Blueprint — the exact first step our ARC team is loving:
👉 thedoodlepro.com/morning

Whether you’re a seasoned dog parent or just starting your Doodle journey, this step-by-step morning routine is the game-changer you didn’t know you needed.

Stay tuned… the full book drops soon!
#DoodleInsider #DoodlePro #BlueprintDay #DoodleParent #DoodleLife #DogMomLife #DogDadApproved

14

1

Dogs, the beach and a precious old friend. It doesn’t get much better. Jay got to experience the sand and water and Michelle and I caught up in a heartbeat. Thankful to Pip and Olive for showing Jay how to be more brave. This amazing pup will be available for adoption soon! #cwob #poochparenting

33

2

🔥 Think growling means aggression? Think again. 🔥

Your Doodle’s growl isn’t bad behavior—it’s communication. Silencing a growl doesn’t make the fear go away—it just removes the warning. And that’s when things can get dangerous.

🐶 Instead of asking “How do I stop my dog from growling?” ask “Why does my dog feel the need to growl?”

In this episode of The Doodle Pro® Podcast, I sit down with Michelle Stern to uncover the truth about growling—why it happens, what it really means, and how to respond in a way that keeps everyone safe (especially your dog!).

🎧 Listen now! Tap the link in bio to hear Ep #65!

💡 Know someone whose dog growls? Share this with them—they’ll thank you later! 🐾

#TheDoodleProPodcast #DoodleTraining #DogBehavior #PositiveReinforcement #DogParents #DogTrainingTips

6

0

A little Sunday fun! Get to know me and check out Stanley Park in Bermuda.

73 questions is too long for social media, so we cut it to 10.
Dog trainer friends and colleagues, let’s see yours! ♥️

@luckyfidodogtraining @lilypadvirtual @bravodogbehaviour @benevolentbeasts @pawsforthoughttraining @lizzyandthegooddogpeople @perkedears @howl.school.for.dogs @doginspired.ca @peak9dogtraining @poochparenting @freetobedog @raisingfido.dogtraining @weworkfortreats @raisingpawtential @alpinedogs

31

7

When you walk into your good friend’s home @poochparenting and it looks like a @trailblazingtails store front…

38

1

🎉BIG NEWS!🎉 We’re so excited to be named one of The Spruce Pets’ Best Interactive Dog Toys!

Discover what makes Hide&Scent so special 🐕

Want to see your dog’s sniffing skills in action? Try Hide&Scent today!

Learn more & shop now - link in bio! ⬆️

#bestdogtoys #interactivedogtoys #scentwork #dogenrichment #mentalstimulationfordogs #dogtraining #healthydogs #happydogs #doglovers #doglife #petcare #doggolove #familydog

27

6