Sandy went shopping with me! She practiced rear end awareness, backup with the shopping cart, and ignored the people and crazy noises around her. And also new level unlocked….. Sandy ignored a duck (she LOVES birds), a squirrel, andddd a paper towel (if you know Sandy, she loves a good paper towel)!!!!!!! I am very proud of her tonight!

Saffy and I went to EPCOT yesterday and explored the Moana attraction, the aquarium (thank you @Kenzie Carlson for the suggestion) and went into Mexico, which was our 1st time going to the World Show case. She just nailed it from easily getting on the tram, walking with “no hands” cross body leash, chilling with the manatees & kids. Her only issue was the shooting water outside Nemo and friends. She did not care for the sound. She did do a nervous but good down/ stay with praise and treats for a couple rounds of the noise!! We had some fun free dog time near the relief area and handle the super tight crowd by Mexico so well! So super dupper proud of her! Today we ran errands. She did so great heeling behind the cart. I didn’t even have to say anything, I was so proud. One stop was Lowes and we had our first experience with a dog the got out of his collar. Luckily he seemed nice and friendly but . . . scared me. Here is the story . . . I had Saffy attached to the cart while shopping and was just undoing her leash when she gave a slight tug. I looked up to see a dog walking across the wider than usual aisle towards us. Saffy immediately obeyed a sit/stay/leave it while I assessed what was happening. The owner was embarrassed and grabbed the dog put the collar back on and the dog immediately got loose. I was frustrated but stayed still and quickly decided when the owner grabbed the dog again to just gather Saffy’s leash and leave before the dog had another chance to get away. I praised her for a good leave it. I found a quiet aisle, got her leash situated and took a deep breath and was thankful for the training we have! I did keep an eye out for that dog during the rest of the trip. I do not like meeting stranger’s dogs especially when off leash. I was scared but immediately turned my focus towards Saffy’s safety which helped me get through the situation. SD to the rescue in an unconventional way! @Amanda Taulborg I wondered in that moment (that felt like forever) what to do and staying still seemed like the best decision at the time. I know every situation is different but what is your advice for a situation like this? And thank you for our group training, especially teaching them/us to ignore the other dogs!

Howdy y’all! Join Ollie and me in learning “spot”! This is our second time training this skill, so any feedback would be amazing! *apologies for the loud background and no socks 😅😅

Every time I’m out training a dog in public, people always ask questions. And you’d think it would be the two questions businesses are legally allowed to ask about service dogs: • Is that a service dog? • What tasks do they perform? But nope. Not even close. The #1 question I get — by far — is… 🎤 “Can I pet that dogggg?” 😂🐾 So now I’m curious 👀👇 When you’re out in public with your dog, what are the top 3–5 comments or questions you hear the most? Drop them below — I wanna see if the answers are universal or if you’ve got some interesting ones 😆🐕‍🦺

You do not have to be an expert to train your dog every day! You don’t need fancy skills. You don’t need perfect timing. You don’t need to “know everything.” You just need 10 minutes. Put it in your calendar. Set the intention. Pick one simple thing. That’s it! This video? It’s just Sandy doing basic sit, down, and stand reps. Nothing flashy. Nothing complicated. Just engagement. Just communication. Just us working together. And here’s the thing… Training isn’t just about “getting the behavior.” It’s about: • Building trust • Strengthening your bond • Opening up a clearer line of communication • Giving your dog focused, one-on-one time they absolutely deserve Even if it feels awkward. Even if you’re unsure. Even if you’re thinking, “I don’t really know what I’m doing.” That’s literally what this space is for. You show up. You try. I help guide you. And no matter what you’re working on — simple reps like this, or something from the courses section — if you’re engaging with your dog and having fun, you’re already winning. Schedule the 10 minutes. At the end, you won’t just have a trained behavior. You’ll have a dog who trusts you more… Who looks to you for guidance… And who can’t wait to work with you again. That’s the real goal. 🐾💛