Who's playing along with our February Relationship Quest? Ive attached a copy of the sheet below.. hope to see some cute pics!

Chess! We are kicking off the new year with a brand new challenge at REACH K9! To start us off right, our January theme is Calm & Confident. Whether you are looking to build steadier focus or help a shy dog find their bravery, this month is all about strategic, thoughtful progress. But we aren't just training—we’re playing! And all our faithful Skoolers get to play for free! And what better game for strategy than chess? Dog training is never just a straight line; you have to be ready, look ahead, adapt, and think outside the box. The same could be said of the Game of Kings. To play, simply print out the board below and pin it to your fridge. You can track your position with a magnet. You claim a square by performing the skill listed, but if you get stuck, no problem! It’s always okay to step back, reset, and set your dog up for success. Post your pictures and videos for validation. (both for the game, and your own confidence!) :) Your ultimate mission is to Capture the King, so take your time, get creative, and enjoy the journey. Checkmate earns you a medal! Who is ready to claim their first square? Let’s get to work!

I *finally* found a few minutes to check our foundations for spins/wraps. What I've learned; 1) Kid has way too much energy at 6am 2) I've focused on one direction much more than the other 3) im inadvertently cueing to my front instead of to my side (hand/reward placement) 4) He does actually understand my distance cue "Go" (if there are two things to go around- "around" means the closest, "go around" means the farthest) 5) I need to slow everything down and work on precision 6) I need to work on adding distance to his spins If you watch closely, when im trying to get him to spin clockwise, he gets super frustrated and mouths my arm. He learned that from me. Its his way of telling me to just "stop moving for a sec and think". Its the same thing I did to him just before, when he was all over the place and I ask/tell him to just stop. We need to pause and regroup. I find it interesting that he recognizes when I ask to stop and regroup and that hes figured out a way to mirror the same thing and ask me to stop and breath too. Teamwork/Relationship at its finest. 😀❤️

If you're paying attention - you'll notice a new channel just popped up! The Weekly Challenge will be a specific goal to work on. Whatever level you're at, wherever you are - this will [hopefully] give you a focus point for the week. (of course, that doesnt mean you can't work on anything else... im just hoping to provide a little direction) If im being 100% honest - im also hoping y'all will keep me on task too! The challenges could be anything; training skills, grooming, etc. If you have any suggestions of topics you want to make sure make the list - send them my way! :) I am planning on posting on Sundays... Since i have a 'Tricks for Better Obedience' class coming up this week; I thought it made sense to make this weeks challenge some of the tricks you'll need for class. Specifically; you'll need a spin (left and right) and a Send Around (left and right). I have some older videos of these skills - but in the spirit of actually training and working my dogs, im going to film new ones tomorrow. Feel free to post before I do though! Don't forget - you can also ask any questions you might have. We're here to help!

So today I made. . A fashion statement 🤣🤣 tell me you live with a German Shepherd without telling me you live with a German Shepherd. Husband said he didn't notice until we were checking out at Walmart, not sure I believe him