When I made arrangements to bring Chief home, I will never forget what my now husband said to me. “If you’re going to get the dog, you know you have to do the things.”. The “things” he was referring to were dog sports. I had never been involved in dog sports before Chief came into […]

I certainly didn’t coin this phrase but I heard it in a song recently and felt the need to share- it is never too late to start. These thoughts aren’t necessarily just about dogs, but I will put them in this dog blog. I want to share this reminder with people who know us, have

I think a lot of multi-dog household handlers get the same comments when we take our dogs out in public. “You have your hands full”, “How do you manage all of that?”, “Good luck” are a few I have heard. I don’t think they are all necessarily negative comments. I think the new norm of

When I train my dogs in public, I am often asked “What are you training for?”. At first, I didn’t know how to respond to this. To me, training with my dogs is a lifestyle. I don’t even think twice before clipping on my training pouch, making sure my dogs have the right gear on

I am on vacation this week (sans-dogs, very sad) so I figured it was a good time to reflect on the busy but enjoyable summer we have had so far. The dogs are doing great, they stay somewhere that they absolutely love and have way too much fun. I miss them terribly, but I try

We all know social media is a highlight reel, predominantly showcasing snap shots of our successful moments and high points. It is easy to feel like you are falling behind. I receive a lot of messages about dock diving- where to start, how to get your dog comfortable with water, and what to do when

Let me guess, when you brought your puppy or dog home the first skill you wanted to work on was recall. I am with you! I think reliable recall is one of the most important things you can teach your dog no matter what age they are. There is an endless supply of “how to”

Raising Chickie has been such an entirely unique experience from what I shared with Chief. As far as I remember, Chief was extremely biddable and seemingly immediately showed a fascination with our training sessions. Some people who have known him from the start say “he isn’t a real heeler” and they might be right. Reactivity

As soon as I found out I was bringing a puppy home, let alone a high energy working breed puppy, I set out to prepare our home and our lives for this major change. I will never understand how people are surprised with a new puppy, because it takes a lot of mental and emotional

Chief’s second birthday was last Monday. I love birthdays. They are fun, celebratory, and meant to make the person (or dog) feel loved. I felt so sad on Chief’s birthday. Our time with our dogs is so short, and every passing year reminds me of that fact. This year, I made the choice to do