Mindset & Manners Dog Training

11/18/2025

Instagram has temporarily banned my personal and work pages so if there’s a message you’ve sent, I have not seen it.

And have no idea when it will be returned to being active.
What a mess social media has become.
Please email or text if you need anything.

07/25/2025

🚨CAR STOLEN WITH DOG INSIDE 🚨
Looking for Noodles!!

♦️Last seen : 4AM, Oltorf and 35 in stolen vehicle

♦️Name : Noodles
♦️Male
♦️30lbs

While packing for a road trip at 4AM, had his Honda stolen with his dog, Noodles, still inside.

He could be ANYWHERE in the city, with anyone at this point so please share far and wide.

Check out :
🔸Homeless people walking w/ a dog
🔸 Neighbor w/ a ‘new’ dog suddenly
🔸Fields & empty lots (common dumping grounds)
🔸Parks & enclosed dog parks (also common dumping ground)
🔸 Cul-de-sacs & neighborhoods w/open trails or tree coverage/mini parks
🔸 ANYWHERE in the city and outskirts is fair game

This isn’t a ‘normal’ lost dog situation. There’s not a starting point to fan out from and therefore is critical to have eyes EVERYWHERE

🆘 Report any sightings of Noodles to

🆘 Report sightings of a Red 2020 Honda Hatchback with license plate NGC 0023 to police.

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(I do not know Noodles or Taylor personally, courtesy posting to help organize info)

07/23/2025

When we are teaching our dogs to walk without pulling, it’s far more complex than most owners ever dream of and a vast majority of trainers never take the time to fully learn as well.

Great read to start reframing your thoughts on walking with your dog.

Loose lead isnt natural. It’s a skill that has to be learnt. Biomechanically, dogs are built to move faster than us. Dogs choose to shift to a natural trot and on average walk at 2.5 - 4 mph (Hildebrand, 1966) where us naked monkeys on the otherhand average 2-3 mph walking (Kirtley, 2006). Do you know what 2.5 feels like? You should!

Because the mismatch alone creates tension — physically with the lead and emotionally in the relationship. Infact Dogs Trust found 30% of owners considered it a reason to rehome.

Now add in breed differences with research by Fischer & Lilje (2011) suggesting that Different breeds have different locomotive profiles based on original function. Malinois and Vizslas who are bred to move, track, cover ground; hearding breed like kelpies and collies who are bred to arc out infront; scent hounds like Beagles and Bloodhounds - designed to follow their noses with purpose, drive and speed; and of course breeds like Huskies who are literally bred and built to pull - it’s in the actual job description.

Its not a suprise that Rooney & Cowan (2011) found Lead tension and restricted gait was specifically a negative welfare marker for working breeds.

So when we expect all dogs to plod beside us through a park at human pace, ignoring smells, distractions, and natural instinct…we’re arent asking for a behaviour: We’re asking for the dog to restrain their pace, suppress their instincts, and constantly self-regulate.

In my opinion loose lead is one of the three essential skills I believe every dog pro needs to understand in depth - gait, drive, motivation, mechanics, assessment, different technique and exercise, consequence gradients and all.

Because when you understand what you’re really asking for,
you stop calling it stubbornness
and start training it like the advanced skill it actually is. And this leads to way better pet dogs with way happier relationships. ###

06/16/2025

I want to start with a sincere apology.

Over the past couple of months, life has thrown more at me than I could manage, and I haven’t shown up as consistently as I expect of myself.

Personal setbacks, curveballs with health and family, an overload of a barrage of time-consuming complications with landlords, vehicles, and other necessities to function has made for one of the most challenging chapters of life to stay above water.

Add in burn-out by not paying attention to what I might need to take care of my well being, feeling I have no time to spare to attend to my own needs because I’m fumbling all the balls I was trying to juggle…

It has been heavier than I could hold up…

If I’ve disappointed you or let things slip—I’m truly sorry. That was never my intention, and it weighs heavily on me.

After much reflection, I’ve made the difficult decision to take a short pause from dog training. I’ll be temporarily stepping back and not accepting new clients at this time.

I will be finishing my current programs with clients and any other scheduling WILL NOT be cancelled.
I will be catching up with any training previously committed to as well.

Please know—I am not closing. I’ll be back, fully committed, and ready to serve at the level you and your dogs deserve.

I have so many ideas I’ve been looking forward to developing that I know will benefit the dog community in Austin. I can’t wait to get caught up and back to a balanced life where I can show up as I intend and know is possible.

This has been a hard call to make, but it comes from a place of care and deep responsibility. I love this work and every single dog and human I’ve had the privilege to connect with.

Thank you for your understanding, compassion, and patience. 💚

Krystal

(If you are in need of training in the Austin area, I have some fantastic people to refer you to!)

06/04/2025

Here’s a few fun photos of the last week of May.

I think I’m going to do more posts of recaps and collages of the outtakes or random photos I take.

Would that be something you would like to see more of?

05/13/2025

🔥🥵🔥

⚠️I have a hard time believing the data this morning. The numbers are just that silly. There's certainly a chance that some of it is overblown, but with how consistent the numbers are between data sources, I'm forced to present this eye-watering forecast.

Nearly every heat record in the book will be re-written this week. The hottest day of this extended heat wave settles in on Wednesday, but I'm expecting triple digits on the thermometer much deeper into the forecast.

What makes this heat especially dangerous is where we are on the calendar. It's MAY. We've had a relatively cool start to the month with highs in the 70s and 80s. We have not had the usual steady warm-up heading into the summer season that helps our bodies acclimate. For the record, we will go from temperatures in the mid-50s this morning to 105-110° in just 60 hours.

Make sure your A/C is working properly. If you work outdoors, HYDRATE and pay close attention to your body for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Check on elderly family/neighbors and make sure they have a plan/backup plan to stay cool. Please don't take this lightly, gang!

05/12/2025

If I’ve trained your dog, most likely they have a plethora of nicknames…

Appreciation post for the cutest pittie patootie, Bagel… AKA Bagellita, BagelButt, Piglet, Lil Dust Bunny, CutiePatootie, Tootsie Toes, Crazy Girl and a few more…

♥️♥️♥️😬♥️♥️♥️

What nicknames does your dog have? Let me hear’em!

05/09/2025

New distraction to work around with our dogs!

👀 Feeling like you're being watched? You might be…

A 26-foot-tall inflatable head covered in eyeballs just popped up at Domain NORTHSIDE, and it’s impossible to miss.

Meet The Eyes: a bold, bizarre art installation that’s part pop culture commentary, part Austin weirdness.

Catch it on The Lawn through May 18… if you dare stare back.

Read more: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/domain-northside-to-unveil-the-eyes-a-26-foot-tall-inflatable-art-piece

*t

04/27/2025

💔💔

Nobody tells you how quietly dogs grow old—
how one day you’ll wake to find silver on their muzzle,
a mistiness in their eyes,
and a heaviness in their steps where once there was none.

They tell you not to blink when raising children,
or you’ll miss it.
But no one warns you about the dog—
the one who loved you before you knew how to love yourself,
who stayed through every heartbreak,
who followed you from place to place,
asking for nothing but your presence.

Cherish that dog.
The one who curled against you on lonely nights,
who waited at the door even when you came home broken.
The one who never needed words to understand you.

Hold him a little closer.
Say his name a little softer.
Because one day, without warning,
you'll take him for a walk and he’ll lag behind,
and you'll realise time has stolen more than you thought.

And then—
with a heart that breaks more than you ever thought possible—
you’ll say goodbye.
He'll cross the Rainbow Bridge,
leaving you standing there with empty hands
and a heart so full of love it aches.

And no matter how many years pass,
you’ll find yourself still reaching for him
in the quiet moments.
Still missing the sound of his paws.
Still loving him with every beat of your heart.