07/14/2025
From Barbara Lloyd
This is for you—the one who trains and practices and shows up with your dog, even though you know you might never set foot in a ring.
Or maybe you’ve tried, and it just… didn’t go the way you hoped.
Maybe your dog shut down.
Maybe they scanned the environment the whole time.
Maybe they barked, or bolted, or flattened into the floor.
Maybe someone said, “They’re not cut out for this.”
Maybe you’ve even wondered that yourself.
But here’s the truth:
You’re still doing the work.
You’re still training.
You’re still showing up for your dog—patiently, creatively, quietly—day after day.
And that counts.
More than you probably realize.
Because you’re not just training for a score sheet or a podium.
You’re training for trust.
For relationship.
For the kind of connection that doesn’t need an audience to feel real.
Your dog may be shy.
They may be sensitive, or vigilant, or easily overwhelmed.
They may struggle in new places, or around other dogs, or when the energy in a space gets too big.
And still—you’re out there, working with them, listening, adapting, loving them exactly as they are.
That kind of commitment? That kind of loyalty?
That’s rare. That’s powerful. That’s something to be proud of.
Because it’s easy to train a dog who thrives in the spotlight.
It’s easy to feel successful when the ribbons come fast.
But what you’re doing? That’s deeper.
You’re walking a path that can feel isolating.
You’re sitting in classes where no one else seems to be having the same struggles.
You’re answering the same questions over and over again—
Why don’t you compete?
Why can’t your dog just relax?
When will they be “ready”?
And sometimes, quietly, you wonder if it’s you who isn’t enough.
But I want you to hear this:
You are more than enough.
You are doing something meaningful.
You are building something beautiful.
Every time you choose understanding over pressure…
Every time you meet your dog where they are instead of pushing them where they “should” be…
Every time you train with joy, even when no one’s watching…
That is success.
That is the work that changes lives.
So if no one has said it lately:
I see you.
I respect you.
And I’m so glad your dog has you.
What you’re doing matters.
What you’re doing is the reward.
