Honor Bright Dog Training with Janice K Applegate

06/20/2026

Muzzle training with Lenny! In Lenny's case, we are muzzle training due to his displeasure with his vet visits. So, we are working on him being able to accept the muzzle and will build that up to " happy vet visits".

There is so much stigma around dogs wearing muzzles, but there are so many reasons dogs could or SHOULD wear muzzles!

It is an important skill so when actually needed, it does not add to the stress of the situation.

Does your dog ever need to wear a muzzle? If so, why?

Some common reasons...
- scavengers
- vet visits
- emergencies/ if a dog is in pain and needs to be examined
- stranger danger
- dog reactivity
- intra household aggression

My personal favorite.... to help create space! Most people will not approach a muzzled dog!

Lenny is wearing my favorite muzzle design from The Muzzle Movement!

06/18/2026

If you had questions for me at Barkley's Marketplace - Flemington NJ community walk, and I didn't catch you, please reach out!
I will see you all again! Thanks for having me! I've got some ideas brewin!

06/17/2026

Truth be told, I am far better at doom scrolling on FB than posting! But I will certainly try to be better.

I am spending a good amount of time with my buddy Misha this week while his guardians take a well deserved vacation.

Nothing makes me happier than watching a reactive dog's transformation. Misha used to wear a muzzle on walks due to his unpredictable behavior towards dogs and humans. He HATED being brushed (he is getting brushed daily!). He was reactive to his family's horses and cats....

This dog has come so far, and seeing his happy, goofy, lovable personality makes my heart sing.

His guardians are doing a FABULOUS job and I am so proud to be a part of team Misha!

06/06/2026

My sweet boy is STILL looking for his forever home. He comes with forever support from me. I can't fathom not following him through the rest of his life.
If we had an inch of room in this house, he would be here.
I ADORE THIS DOG!!!!!!

Just Garcia 💙 Still Waiting for His Forever Family

Remember Garcia? When he was a starving, critically ill puppy, so many people rallied behind him. Everyone wanted to save him. Now that he's healthy, thriving, and ready for a family of his own, this incredible boy is still waiting.
At just over a year old and around 90 pounds, Garcia is the perfect blend of some of the smartest and most loyal breeds around—Pit Bull, Mastiff, and Rottweiler. He's a true Heinz 57 mix with a personality all his own. Garcia loves structure and guidance, enjoys having a job to do, and has already received professional training through Honor Bright Dog Training with Janice K Applegate. He's eager to learn, wants to please his people, and has all the tools to be an amazing companion.
But don't let his serious side fool you—Garcia is also a giant goofball. He loves to romp around the yard, play with his toys, make silly faces, and entertain himself. While he can coexist with other dogs, he doesn't need a canine companion to be happy. Garcia would be perfectly content soaking up all the attention from his people and having a fenced yard where he can stretch his legs and enjoy life.
This handsome boy has been overlooked for far too long. The right family is out there—they just haven't found him yet.
Let's change that.
Please share Garcia so his future family can finally see the wonderful dog we've all come to know and love.
To apply to adopt Garcia, visit www.outcastrescue.com.
PA Kennel License #16187 🐾

06/06/2026

Felling a big nostalgic....

I have been so blessed in my life with animals that have truly impacted me. I came across one of my favorite photos of Sophie yesterday. Sophie was my ride or die. She accompanied me through many moves in my late 20s, 30s and well into my 40s. Terrible relationships and finally a good one. Carrier changes. Ups and downs. You name it. She was with me.

I can't say she didn't judge. Just peep that attitude! Also, she knew no boundaries. Yes, she is on my coffee table. No, I didn't care. (You choose what works for you!) She clearly needed my attention.

So Sophie is ONE of my heart dogs. Yes, I have another heart dog (or 2) currently. I have had dogs that i consider heart dogs in the past. I LOVE all of my dogs.... but some just connect and touch in a deeper way.

Do you have a heart dog? Do you believe you can have more than one? I will share my others, but this post is for my Sophie.
My Sophia Chicquita.

Please share your heart dogs!

06/05/2026

Cutie patootie Georgie! Georgie came to me as a troubled pup. Terrified of her new world, reactive to the environment and super protective of her spaces. Rightfully so, as determined by her genetics.

Her Mom has successfully taught her property boundaries (no shock collar needed)!
She is adjusting nicely to town life (Lambertville is full of humans and dogs!)
She is accepting new people.

Today, we worked on sending her to her crate and uncovered a few things that Georgie is uncomfortable with. Within 30 minutes of shaping "Go to bed", she was entering the crate and laying down. Mom will be working on closing the crate door, which will start with simply touching the door. Side note- size matters. We will introduce a larger crate for Georgie's uber long body.

Then, we started shaping matt work! This girl is so stinking smart i was able to add a cue and add distance in a handful of repetitions. Mom works from home and sees clients at home, so having a place cue is super important. Plus, who doesn't want to take their dog to the cafe or winery on a nice day!?

That 3rd pic is the one mom sent me after I left. Remember, engaging a dog's brain is the BEST way to tucker them out.

Shaping behaviors is by far my FAVORITE thing to do!

05/10/2026

A very long reminder to take your dog outside of their fenced yard. I had just played ball with the dogs for almost an hour. Norman put the ball outside of our fence at least 5 times before I gave in.
He clearly noted where he thought we should play.

05/07/2026

PSA-

If you want a dog to walk nicely on a leash, as Harper is displaying at Lowes, you have to allow them to just dog.

Last weekend, I picked Harper up for our day training session and all plans went out the window before we even left her house.
She has been making tremendous strides with loose leash walking, waiting at the door and other basic skills we have been working on.

Last weekend, I asked her to sit in preparation to wait at the door. This was the look I got.... 😵‍💫.
I asked again. Same look. Had she forgotten everything?? I felt myself getting frustrated. How dare she blatantly ignore me? In front of one of her guardians to boot!

Then I realized. We have been working so hard on behaviors and exposing her to new environments that we haven't just HAD FUN in so long....

So off to the farm we went! She got to run, play, sniff and roll to her hearts content. After 30 minutes of just fun (and sneaking in some recall exercises), go figure she "remembered" her cues! Before heading home, we did stop for some "real" work at some local stores and again... perfection.

Moral of the story, if you want your dogs to perform for you, you need to fill their cup as well. LET YOUR DOG DO DOG THINGS! Happy dogs = happy handlers.

05/06/2026

Cactus is back for some more sessions!

This beautiful, young, herding mix is a Frenchtown resident. Her guardians reached out to me due to her reactivity on leash. Frenchtown is a quaint little town with LOTS of resident dogs and visiting dogs. Having a leash reactive dog in such a popular spot can be quite difficult to manage.

These folks took our initial 4 sessions and RAN with it. With just 4 sessions (and a lot of work) they are now able to successfully walk Cactus in the presence of other dogs, even successfully passing them on the tow path!

So why are they back?? Because they saw so much improvement, they KNOW Cactus can do even better. Cactus has a few dogs locally that she despises (she won't tell us why!) so we are working towards creating peace with some neighbors and closing that gap even more so Cactus can join her family for even more adventures!

Stay tuned to see Cactus blossom even further!

05/03/2026

Finally some good lighting for Garcia! Capturing details on dark faces is such a pain!

This handsome dude is STILL looking for his forever home.

Just a year old, Boerboel, mastiff, pit, Rottweiler (and other guardian breed) mix. Toys are life. Work is life. Smart and sensitive. He needs an physically active and mentally proactive home, while he loves a good snuggle, Garcia is NOT a couch potato! I have an absolute blast working with him and believe he could do all things dog sports!

Garcia needs his person to connect with! He is available through Outcast Rescue!