Madison Guthrie

Madison Guthrie (also known as Sonny Mackenzi) is a pet care specialist and positive-reinforcement trainer who works most closely with anxious and reactive dogs. Born and raised in Littleton, Colorado, Madison developed a love for animals at an early age and spent most of her childhood outdoors rescuing stray pets and helping to rehabilitate injured wildlife.  Along with animals, Madison also developed a love for writing and music. Over the past five years, she has worked to use her passions to help the pets and pet parents in her community build stronger bonds and live happier, healthier lives together.  Currently, Madison lives in South Pasadena, California where she owns and operates Miss Madison LLC, a marketing company that focuses on helping privately owned veterinary establishments and pet care companies grow and thrive. She also works as a dog trainer at My Dog Spot, which is an award-winning pet care and training establishment in Pasadena, California.

15 Fun Ways To Celebrate Your Dog’s Birthday

Is your dog a member of your family? If you answered yes, then we are totally twinning, because same. We’re not weird, and we’re not alone. Recent studies have shown that people can come to have the same type of bond and attachment to their dogs as parents do with their children. So it’s no …

What To Do If Your Dog Is Stung By A Bee

Dogs are naturally innocent and curious creatures, and these are some of their best traits. Unfortunately, these cute and endearing traits can also make the dogs we love vulnerable to injury, sickness, fleas, ticks, and even bee stings. A bee sting can happen anywhere – on a camping trip, at the dog park, on routine …

What Did Your Dog Just Say? 15 Bark Sounds and What They Mean

Some dogs bark due to boredom, loneliness, or lack of exercise. Others bark incessantly to get attention or release stress. My dog barks to annoy me. Just kidding. The truth is, no dog barks just to drive us insane. Dogs bark for many different reasons and now, thanks to some pretty cool studies, we are …

How to Protect Your Dog From Foxtail Injuries

Dogs are the best, aren’t they? They are such innocent, happy little creatures who just want to explore the world around them and have a great time. Unfortunately, the world around our dogs isn’t always totally safe. And while we all want our dogs to hold on to that carefree energy that makes them, well, …

Ultimate Guide to the Best Dog Booties

There are tons of doggy products on the market these days. From doggy footwear to canine fashion, we’ve seen it all. But is clothing really necessary for dogs? I mean, haven’t they been taking care of themselves for centuries now without keeping warm with sweatshirts and stuffing their paws into sneakers? While the short answer …

10 Things Your Trainer Wants You To Know but May Not Tell You

Training and socializing your dog is an important part of being a responsible dog owner. Dog training not only helps your dog learn to be better behaved, but it is also a fundamental tool used to keep your dog safe and happy. There are a number of training techniques experts use to help dogs become …

Are Mixed Breeds or Purebred Dogs Healthier?

Even if you haven’t recently found yourself looking into bringing home a new furry family member, you may have noticed that, over the last two decades or so, a new trend has hit the canine kingdom. And that trend has everything to do with designer dogs. But what is a designer dog? What is a …

11 Things Your Vet Wants You To Know About Dog Flu

Did you know that dogs can contract canine influenza, AKA the Dog Flu? That’s right. It may be surprising information to some, but to professionals in the pet care world, dog flu is becoming more and more common. Dog flu is also no joke. Canine influenza is a relatively new virus in the canine kingdom, …

Say Bye to Prong Collars – 10 Better Products for Dogs that Pull on Leash

It’s not easy being the owner of a dog who pulls on the leash, especially when that dog is a large and powerful pooch. Throughout the years, many trainers and dog experts have shared their opinions on the best way to alleviate pulling dogs, but which methods work, and which methods make the pulling worse? …

Music Therapy for Dogs – Does It Work?

Like humans, dogs can suffer from stress and anxiety in their day to day lives. Anything can trigger anxiety in your dog, from the front bell ringing to the sound of your neighbor’s dog barking next door. My own dog, Axelle, has a very real fear of the sound of running water, and she runs …