Are you scared to start?

 

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 supported us, and maybe even look to what we do for inspiration. 

Everyone moves so fast, myself included. We are all chasing the next goal, big event, or life move. I recognized this pattern in my self over the last few years and set out to change my pace. I can’t be alone in having settled for jobs that weren’t the best place for me, or not taking chances because I didn’t know where to start or where the “chance” would take me. Change is hard, and I recognize that. If I hadn’t chosen change, I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. I wouldn’t have three dogs that I absolutely adore, a house they love to make a mess of, a husband that supports me so strongly that he created and manages this blog, or any of the goals and dreams I have today. 

I grew up wanting a dog, to the point of asking my parents for one every day. I ended up rescuing my family dog, Buckley, at age 16. He came to us as trained as a family could hope a dog to be, so he simply existed to make us smile. He never attended a training class in his entire 15 years of life, yet rarely misbehaved beyond a little too much barking at inopportune times. When I rescued Vinny, I had never experienced a dog with such severe behavior issues. I was forced to choose a new path to learn how to safely handle this out of control dog. Through this process, I was given the confidence that I needed to bring a high energy, working breed dog into my life (shout out to Terence at My Dog’s Mind for believing in me). This dog, of course, is Chief. 

Chief inspired me to train dogs because I enjoyed it, not just because it was necessary. This was the start of a new lifestyle for me. Before dog training, I worked as much as possible, I was always tired, and I was hyper focused on image and fitness. Dog training became the healthiest of obsessions for me, and I have Chief to thank for that. His tenacity to try anything for me with his huge happy heeler grin on his face forever changed my perspective. With our success, I continued to gain confidence in this new journey.

Many times I have doubted myself. I am in my 30’s, married, work a job I went to college and grad school to qualify for, and have all of the expected responsibilities of adulthood. How could I start working towards a completely different lifestyle now? If I let these thoughts darken the bright light ahead that I work towards every day, I would never have met so many incredible people in the dog community, tried new dog sports, started this blog, or applied for the CPCFT program. I used to see my future as a long road to retirement. I now see clearly that this is not the only way. It is not too late for me to try to let my passions inspire my future. 

This is my story, and I urge you to take some time to think about yours. What can you start today that will improve your future tomorrow? Since we are dog people, let’s start there. Have you been making excuses instead of taking action? Sign up for the training class, try the dog sport, start preparing for the difficult hike you’ve been intimidated by, plan the meet up with the local person you get along with best on “dogstagram”. Since my cattle dogs came into my life, I don’t dread the early morning alarms, walks in complete darkness to get in the miles before work, and all of the coffee spilled on myself while trying to simultaneously wake up and play frisbee in the dim light of New England dawn with them. I wish I had started down this path years ago, but I would rather start today than never start at all. It is never to late to start working towards creating a life you love to wake up to every day. 

Bring the dogs, but train them first!

 

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 providing our with dogs fulfilling lives beyond the backyard is still new to some generations. My family dog growing up never had the opportunities that my current dogs have already had in their short lives. My vacation away from my dogs made it extremely obvious to me that my reality includes my dogs experiencing things with me, rather than allowing them to exist in the background. I love my new normal, and have spent a lot of time reflecting on how we got here. 

I fully recognize the fact that I have surrounded myself with like minded dog people. When I brought Chief into my life, I dove into the world of dog sports and became much more serious about dog training. These two activities go hand in hand when you have a high energy, high drive breed like a heeler- without proper training, you can’t expect the dog to excel in the dog sports setting. The dog needs to be prepared to exist around other high drive dogs without letting the stress get to them. I started with socialization (new experiences, sounds, busy locations, variable environments) and by nature of the activities we participate in this evolved into much more challenging training scenarios. Because of all of this hard work, not only can Chief participate in high stakes dog events, but he can also sit quietly on a brewery patio and enjoy lunch with us. This wide spectrum of behavior training was not easy to achieve but it was always a goal of mine for Chief, as it is now for Chickie, too. 

Much like myself, the majority of dog owners now bring their dogs everywhere with them. The tough part about this is that I don’t believe most dog are given the preparation they need to succeed in busy social situations. No dog is born with proper obedience, it is up to us to help the dog achieve a level of comfort in social situations that we ask them to participate in. Not all dogs are going to be perfect patio pups (Vinny would NEVER be able to enjoy this type of outing). Our communities are becoming more dog friendly than ever, which I believe is shedding light on both the benefits of consistent dog training as well as the fall out from a lack of dog training. 

You won’t find me at many “dog friendly events” with my dogs. Something that is important to me is building such a strong bond with my dogs that they would rather spend time with me than anything in the environment around them, other dogs included. This is not to say that my dogs don’t have dogs in their lives that they enjoy spending time with. At the end of the day, our family dynamic hinges on the fact that we prioritize each other and enjoy experiences together.

I remember walking Chief and Vinny past an active construction crew in our neighborhood last summer. As usual, Chief was on my left and Vinny was on my right. As we passed, one of the workers yelled out “You’ve done a great job with those dogs”. That kind comment stuck with me to this day- in the moment, I was so worried that Vinny would react to the crew, and get Chief riled up. But as I heard that comment and registered what was being said, I looked at my dogs and realized they were walking in sync with me, focused straight ahead, entirely unbothered by the chaos around them. My hands may look full, but I have it under control thanks to training, community support, and setting proper goals for each of my dogs. Build the life you want to live with your dogs, and work tirelessly to achieve these goals together. There are more opportunities than ever to share life’s experiences with your dogs!

“what are you training for?”

 

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 based on the outing, and pre-planning how to help them succeed. The answer to this question is a lot more in depth than I think the normal passerby wants to listen to. Everyone has unique goals for their dogs, but I think writing objectives down is the best way to stay accountable. 

Opportunities

In an increasingly “dog friendly” world, you never know when an opportunity to include your dog might present itself. After becoming involved with the dog instagram community I have had the opportunity to meet so many great people and their dogs. If my dogs weren’t prepared to handle these social situations appropriately, I would have missed out on making friends and meeting some fantastic dogs. Another opportunity we had this summer was to enjoy our first partnered stay at a cabin in the Adirondacks (shout out to The Good Chalet!!). My dogs are both crate trained, and extensively trained to not chew/destroy/play with random household objects or furniture. Without training, I don’t think I would have been confident that my dogs could respect the new environment. I am proud to report both dogs, including Chickie at  just under 5 months old, were wonderful house guests, settled in the cabin without any drama, had no accidents, and were extremely well behaved around the other people we invited to join us. 

Overall Wellness

Training isn’t alway sit, down, stay. For us, a lot of training is showing the dog the difference between right and wrong. Chief will not grab dropped food off the floor. He doesn’t put foreign objects in his mouth when we pass something on the ground in a hardware store. He has never destroyed a piece of furniture. This is all from training and consistency, and could be potentially life saving. Teaching your dog how to live safely is a huge piece of everyday training. This is something they learn through real life experience and the reinforcement of boundaries. 

Injury Prevention

The majority of our formal training involves conditioning. This is like “gym time” for my dogs.  While you may think my dogs are conditioned only because they participate in high impact activities, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Every dog can benefit from conditioning. Thinking about your dogs’ future in the present can keep them doing the things they love for many years to come. My dogs condition for sports, hiking, high impact play, running, and even walking. This may not be the most exciting part of training, but I assure you seeing the results over time becomes addicting. Think the equivalent of “making gains” in the gym. I love watching my dogs become stronger and more confident through routine conditioning. 

They love it!

One of Chief’s day school trainers was telling me how surprised she was by Chief’s love of obedience training. Chief literally does a tap dance every morning when he realizes it is his turn to train. He works extremely hard and loves the process. I am working to instill this same enthusiasm in Chickie, who is already showing great interest in our training. If it isn’t fun, neither of you will want to do it. Always make training enjoyable and strive to make it a part of your day that both you and your dog look forward to. 

Everyone has different motivations for training their dogs. The important part is that you are doing it. Training for 5 to 10 minutes a day will likely show better results than training for 30 minutes once or twice a week. Start slow, figure out what you and your dog enjoy, and trust the process. If you aren’t sure where to start, hop into a local group training class. Almost every trainer will give you weekly homework and inspire you to keep practicing throughout the week. Try something new, be safe, and have fun!

The Happy Heeler Summer Recap!

 

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 to tell myself time apart is good for all of us! I don’t know who is more dependent on the other, me or the dogs. They truly are my family and I feel like a part of myself is missing when they aren’t with me. What a beautiful relationship we get to share with these amazing animals. 

Let’s jump back to May. Chickie attended her first pack walk and puppy class at My Dog’s Mind! I was very nervous because she was only 3 months old at the time, but she did incredibly well at both. It was very fun to see her little personality start to show as we built our relationship together through play, training, and new experiences. Chief ran his first Fast CAT in May at American K-9 Country. I haven’t shared about this yet, but it was unforgettable in a comedic way. They first run I had my husband release him, and I called him to the end. He didn’t seem to notice the lure so it was more of a 100 yard recall. The second run, I released him and my husband waited to catch… but Chief decided he wasn’t interested in running without me! So naturally the two of us ran down the track as I laughed the entire way. We learned our lesson for if we ever decide to trial him again! Other notable events were a freestyle disc seminar that Chief and I participated in, and Chickie’s first time at the Dock Dogs pool. I love cattle dogs because once you gain their trust, they are willing to try almost anything with you. 

Back when Chickie needed a life jacket, 
she has come so far this summer!

June brought Chief’s first Dock Dogs event of the season. He did extremely well- achieving a huge personal best of 24’3” and wowing the crowd with every high flying dive. It is funny to see the reactions he gets- very few people expect my little cattle dog to launch more than halfway across the pool with such ease! Of course this event brought its own challenges with Chief’s reactivity (as I detailed in a previous post) but we worked through it and I learned more about what Chief needs from me to feel confident and supported in these situations. 

We met an Instagram friend in real life, @Happylittlewinnie! She is an absolutely wonderful person who I cannot wait to spend time with again someday. We talked for hours and Chief and Chickie loved her. Instagram can offer you an incredible community if you remain authentic and approach new connections with an open mind. 

Chickie meeting @happylittlewinnie

Chickie went on her first vacation with us to The Adirondacks! We stayed at The Good Chalet and it was a weekend of relaxation and enjoyment for all dogs and humans included. We hiked a beautiful trail at Stag Brook Falls so the dogs could swim, visited downtown Lake Placid, and spent quality time at the gorgeous A-Frame cabin. Chickie was a perfect angel the whole trip, even though she made me carry her the entire two mile walk around Mirror Lake. That’s what I get for leaving her stroller at home, but we made it work and she loved the attention. Chief loves exploring new places and did fantastic in the busy environments we visited.

Group photo in downtown Lake Placid

In July, we spent a lot of time at the family pool where the dogs love to dive for their bumpers and make everyone laugh at their antics. Chickie learned the ropes of trail walking and followed the excellent example set by Chief who is my perfect hiking buddy. We hosted our extended family for the annual “beer olympics”. The dogs were on their best behavior even with the bustle of 20 people in our typically quiet house. The dogs learned to paddle board and seem to really like it! After a disastrous first attempt back in June, they settled in and enjoyed the ride with us. Chickie learned to love diving off the ramp at the Dock Dogs pool, and even had the chance to experience the big dock for the first time. I believe this little girl is going to love dock diving just as much as Chief does.

August started with a bang as Chief and I travelled to Wizard of Paws in Connecticut for a live seminar portion of my Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer program. Chief was a very good boy, even while participating in an assessment portion of the course. In typical cattle dog fashion, he can exhibit some stranger danger. He quickly settled in and seemed to realize he was in the company of “dog people”. I was very proud of him for trusting me and being open to the experience. The chance to learn more about something you love in person is invaluable. I cannot recommend these types of experiences enough. 

Chief being a great demo dog at the 
CPCFT Live seminar

I feel such a sense of purpose when I am able to provide my dogs with experiences that enrich their lives. Whether we are exploring a new trail, trying a new sport, or learning a new skill, the memories I make with these cattle dogs are some of the best of my lifetime thus far. I love the idea that this blog will memorialize our experiences together, cementing my memories and emotions surrounding these events into perpetuity. We hope you have had a healthy, memorable, and above all FUN summer!

Our Rocky Road To Dock Diving Success

 

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 they refuse to jump. I love pulling back the curtain and telling people our story. Chief wasn’t always the high flying “Red Blue Blur” which makes me even more proud of where he is today in this sport. 

Before Chief was even earth side, I knew I wanted to pursue dock diving with a fun, driven dog. Our trainer was very active in dock diving and suggested it to me. Both his mal and red heeler absolutely love the sport and were very successful. About a year later, Chief came home in August. One of the first things he did was run into our yard, and cannon ball into the kiddie pool we set up for the dogs. He had the zoomies all over the place and kept falling head over heels into the little pool. I was sure he would be a water dog just like the generational lines that preceded him. 

August quickly turned to fall, and we didn’t have much more opportunity to introduce Chief to water. Over the winter, we brought him to the local indoor dock diving pool for lessons. At around five months he seemed terrified of the pool. He would very cautiously work his way down the ramp, lean as far forward as possible to grab his toy out of the water, and run back to the “safety” of the dock. When the instructor took him into the pool, he was more than capable of swimming independently but didn’t seem to enjoy it. We took 3 or 4 lessons then decided to throw in the towel and try again in the spring. 

In May we joined Seacoast Dock Dogs, our local Dock Dogs club. They were extremely welcoming and supportive of Chief as he continued to be wary of the water. We showed up to practice almost every weekend to give Chief the opportunity to build his confidence. Outside of practice, we went to the beach and my in law’s pool as much as possible to allow him to have positive associations with swimming and build his water toy drive. Finally, he did a little leap off the ramp and I cheered like he won the gold! This is your reminder to always celebrate the little wins. 

Summer continued to pass at lightning speed, and Chief still refused to jump off of the “big dock”. We tried everything- splashing the toy, moving the toy around in the water, even me getting in the pool to entice him to join me. One day in late July, he finally half jumped-half fell off the dock into the pool. I couldn’t believe it, after months of trying he finally went for it. By the end of the hour, he was jumping close to 10 feet consistently and with plenty of enthusiasm and confidence! 

Now that we knew he was capable and truly enjoyed the sport (this part is very important), we signed Chief up for his first Dock Dogs competition. It was a hot August day and I was nervous as ever. Chief and I took the dock, and my only goal was for him to attempt to jump. To my surprise, the MC announced that Chief jumped 12 feet! I celebrated like crazy and the crowd cheered with me. By the end of the competition, Chief jumped 16’1” and I knew right away how special this journey was about to be for us. 

Chief went on to finish the season with a personal best of almost 23 feet. He qualified for Dock Dogs Nationals and was named the number one ranked dog in the Senior Division nationwide. The sense of pride I feel in our accomplishments is beyond compare. I wouldn’t have cared if he never jumped more than a few feet- my goal was for us to have fun and challenge ourselves to learn something new. Chief’s personal best now sits at 24’3” and we compete again in late August, a little over a year after his first competition ever. 

There is a difference between your dog doing what you ask out of obedience, and your dog truly enjoying what they are doing. Please consider this when you participate in dog sports. The environment can feel high stakes and stressful. Advocate for your dog in every situation, and show up to have FUN no matter what you are doing. These days, I enjoy our private pool rentals far more than competitions, but we do both because Chief doesn’t care where we are as long as we are dock diving. Support your dog, figure out what their drivers are, and give them all the patience they need to succeed. You and your dog are capable of incredible things together, you just have to figure out what those things are!

My “Not-so” Secret to Strong Recall

 

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” videos on every platform with tips and tricks to teach a speedy recall. Games are great, but I want to discuss what I think is the authentically challenging part of teaching recall. 

This weekend, I spent some time with a good friend helping her dog practice recall and neutrality around my dogs. I suggested some games I have learned from a variety of trainers. I am so confident that her and her cavapoo will succeed with consistent practice. This session helped me reflect on what I have learned about recall and what I would want to share with anyone trying to perfect it.

Being on “dogstagram”, I have seen countless reels with the most absurd suggested quick fixes for a good recall. One woman suggested you rub a strong smelling treat on your hand, so whenever you call the dog they will want to come back to sniff your hand. A few reels even suggested that you should let your dog off leash anywhere even if they don’t have reliable recall. I have personally been affected by this in real life, and it never ends well. 

Neither of these approaches will lead to a dog that will turn on a dime to come to you the instant you call their name. I have found the best approach takes time and an incredible investment from you into your dog. This approach is based on relationship building. 

I remember teaching Chief to behave off leash. He would be glued to me as long as I had his frisbee. We went to the beach on the first nice day in the spring. There were no less than 50 dogs running around. He paid them no attention and played diligently with me and his frisbee in the waves. I even allowed him to greet a few dogs, which he immediately recalled off of when I asked. We had a beautiful day.

A few weeks later, we returned to the beach to play frisbee. There was another couple with their off leash dog down the beach but Chief didn’t seem to mind them at all. After a few tosses, he tipped the frisbee off of his snout and it sunk into the surf never to be seen again. I thought “no problem, I have a cheese stick. We can work on obedience”. Less than a minute later, the other couple threw their dog’s ball and Chief shot off after it. I sprinted after him calling his name and finally got him to come back to me. I felt terrible about this- I didn’t appreciate when this happened to us in reverse and it was a wakeup call that I needed more than a frisbee to get Chief to recall every time. 

Chief was still extremely young at this point. Very few people will tell you that relationship building takes time and dedication. Maybe what I was doing with Chief was some light bribery, always having his frisbee with us, and bringing high value treats everywhere we went. Depending on the environment, your dog’s mood, and other stress factors these items just wont’ be enough some days.

Today, I can bring Chief anywhere and he will stay with me on or off leash. He recalls off of anything (his highlight reel includes moose, deer, rabbits, and horse poop). We developed a relationship where he determines that I am the most valuable thing to him no matter what else is going on around us. This took time, patience, and hard work. We play together any chance we get, exercise together, learn new activities together, and overcome stress as a team. I still always carry food and treats with me, because my dogs deserve to be paid for their hard work. Bottom line, we just love to be together. That is what will always bring him back to me. 

I am working on this same approach with Chickie. She is a much more social and independent dog than Chief, so I do foresee this being more of a challenge to teach her. I will dedicate as much time as she needs to practice in order for her to safely enjoy off leash freedom. As their handler, I will never knowingly put my dogs in a situation that could be dangerous for them. Letting them off leash is a risk I am willing to take once I am confident with their consistent recall. Anything can happen, and it is important that I prepare my dogs to seek my guidance in unknown situations. Dogs deserve to live a life of freedom, and it is up to us to prepare them to safely do so. 

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has taught me this “not-so secret” to recall. I am so inspired by the trainers who have instilled this idea of relationship building in my everyday training approach. I have seen personally how this approach can take you and your dog to the next level, and will always rely on relationship to lead a happy and healthy life with my dogs. 

Tricky Chickie

 

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 aside, he was easy to raise. 

Part of the reason I wanted to bring Chickie into my life was to see if I could make lightning strike twice. With Chief, I had built a high drive, fit, well rounded, multifaceted dog. I often wonder if I got lucky with him, and I am sure luck was part of it. When we met Chickie, she ran around the room at warp speed dodging all of the furniture with ease. I knew right away she was the kind of puppy I wanted to have in my life, and that she would be a great match energy wise for Chief. 

She slept in the car crate the whole drive home, and settled into our house within hours. A few weeks went by, and I trained Chickie every morning using the same concepts that I have built off of with Chief. She seemed to truly enjoy our training sessions and showed a lot of potential. She had great recall no matter the situation. I remember thinking how easy she was to work with. 

Fast forward a few weeks, and Chickie hurt her leg. Luckily she is fine! She made a quick recovery, but was not spared from a week of crate rest. She begged me to play with her and snubbed any attempts at mind games, puzzles, or enrichment I dared to offer her. When Chickie was cleared to return to normal activity, she made it very clear that she was unhappy with her week of rest. She was not interested in training, refused to recall, and seemed to forget all of her training. 

I think we were hit by the perfect storm- Chickie entered her teenager era and was forced to slow down against her will in one miserable week. I felt a rift in our relationship. Because I had not had fun HER way for a week, it seemed that she felt that I had abandoned her emotionally. She is a little girl that likes what she likes, and made it abundantly clear that she did NOT like crate rest. It took about two weeks for me to regain her trust and light a fire of enthusiasm in her again. We keep training fun, and take it very slow so she can feel successful at the end of each session. 

Chickie is tricky- she has meltdowns over nothing. If you pick her up when she is doing something she deems important, she growls and tries to bite you. She tests me everyday to see what she can get away with, and keeps me constantly pivoting as I try to stay one step ahead of her. To be perfectly honest, this is not easy. However, it is the exact challenge I need. As I pursue my future in canine conditioning training, I need to be equipped to work with any dog (and handler) that chooses to work with me. I am fortunate to have the resources behind me to refer dogs for behavior modification training, but when they come in for a conditioning session with me it is important that I am confident in giving them the best training I can provide. 

Chickie’s challenges are teaching me to be more dynamic as a trainer. She is teaching me more creative approaches, and how to figure out what makes different dogs happy and willing to train with you. Chief is highly food motivated, where Chickie loves to play. I thank her for making me a more well rounded handler and welcome the future challenges she will throw my way. We will grow and improve together. I am so fortunate to have this special little girl in my life, my tricky Chickie.