Taking pills… and no, you can’t trick him. Sound familiar?

Many dogs need to take pills at different points in their lives—and many dogs just don't wanna.

If you have an easygoing dog, you might be able to hide it in a piece of hot dog or cheese, or simply open their mouth and pop it in.

But for some dogs, those options just don’t work.

Riker hates taking his pill. Peanut butter? Cheese? Pill pockets? Nope. Even making it a “game”—five treats in a row with the pill hidden in the third—doesn’t fool him. You just can’t trick him.

So instead, we use something he actually wants: breakfast. You can also do this with a tug or ball if your dog prefers those over food.

I taught Riker that taking his pill is what makes breakfast happen. This skill is built on foundation skills that help him understand the task without stress, without anxiety. We don't want him to feel anxious about his meal being withheld—that wouldn’t be humane.

His foundations allow him to work through this problem without stress. The goal is clarity, predictability, and consent within the limits of what needs to happen.

~Christina & Riker

"GOOD BOY!"

3 Steps to Helping Dogs with Big Feelings

⏰ Jan 14th 2026 at 6PM PST

Can’t join live? Don’t worry, you’ll get the recording!

If your dog is struggling, it's not your fault. The dogs of today are often unlike dogs from years ago who would just seamlessly fit into a family's daily life as long as they got a regular walks.

In this webinar, we will talk about why some dogs need... different. Not necessarily more, but different things than you might think they need.

🤔 Understand why your dog struggles so much to do 'normal dog' stuff.

💡 Learn what your dog needs in order to succeed

Come with your questions, or email me your questions ahead of time if you are not able to make it live.

✅ Perfect for puppies, adult dogs, and reactive dogs

✅ Short, fun games you can weave into daily life

P.S. If you’re looking for deeper support and training with a clear plan after the webinar, enrollment for my brand new Dream Dog program will open during the webinar.