Mindful Canine Dog Training & Behavior

08/19/2025

😍 You never know who you’ll run into at Superzoo…

I met Christina Hunger—the mind behind the famous dog “talking buttons” and founder of the Hunger 4 Words movement—and I’ll be honest, I was starstruck. Years ago, I was scrubbing toilets at a local Airbnb to pay the bills, earbuds in, listening to her on a podcast while dreaming about building my new training business to a full time gig.

The way she explored the canine mind—their potential, their capacity for communication beyond obedience—lit something in me that’s never gone out. There’s still so much mystery in how dogs think, feel, and connect with us, and that’s exactly what pulls me deeper into this work every day.

Meeting her in person, holding a signed copy of her new book Your Dog Can Talk, and flipping through pages of hard science and insight… it was electric. I left inspired, grateful, and mentally buzzing.

Superzoo 2025 was more than an expo—it was a reminder of why I do what I do.

08/18/2025

A decade changes everything.

The last time I set foot at Superzoo, I was a part-time sales associate—wide-eyed, tagging along with corporate leadership thanks to friends upstairs who believed in me more than I believed in myself. I remember being swallowed by the noise, color, and scale of it all… feeling like the smallest fish in a vast ocean.

Back then, I thought the path ahead was corporate leadership. I never could have imagined that one day I’d return here, not with someone else’s name on my shirt—but with my own. Not just observing the industry, but moving inside it. Making my own deals. Standing on my own as someone to know.

My mentors back then had no idea they were building this version of me- but they did, and I'll never forget it.

Walking those aisles this year, I carried my brand, my business, my story. And with it, a quiet pride. A circle closed.

✨ 2025 Superzoo—thank you for showing me how far a decade can take you.

08/17/2025

🤷‍♀️ I don’t let my dogs socialize with just anyone.

When I was a kid, my parents “approved” my friends before I could hang out with them. I thought it was unfair back then, but as an adult—I get it.

I parent my dogs the same way. They don’t get to greet random dogs off the street. I need to know the other dog’s “parents” have control, and that the dog has decent manners and emotional regulation.

The best thing you can do for a socially complicated dog is curate their friends. They do not need to mix with everyone and potentially pick up bad habits or have impactful negative interractions. Boo has made huge social strides this year because of the intentional pairings I’ve chosen for him (thanks to my trainer friends) Every new bond he makes is a huge victory.

Good job, Boo—I’m so proud of the dog you’re becoming. ❤️🐾

Thanks to Maple, Reba, and Rowdy for helping my boy to see how fun pack walks can be!

08/15/2025

😪 If your dog stopped breathing right now… what would you do?

Questions like this have been on my mind lately after realizing my boy Boo is already 8 years old, so I decided it was time to step up my game. I just wrapped up CPR & Pet First Aid training, and I feel more prepared than ever to handle whatever comes my way with the pets in my care. 🐾

It wasn’t easy to mentally walk through worst-case scenarios—I got emotional more than once. The instructor reminded us: it’s not if we’ll need these skills, it’s when.

This workshop left me inspired, prepared, and recharged. I’ll be back every year to keep my skills sharp, because in this industry, there’s always more to learn.

Grateful I could make this happen—for me, and for every animal who trusts me. ❤️

08/14/2025

At the birth of this company, Emmah and I set out to create a logo that captured our favorite moment in dog training— that instant when a dog has an awakening. When their world sharpens into focus and they start to truly think, connect, and see beyond instinct into understanding.

That moment of mental expansion has always been my “why.” I love reaching that milestone in training because it changes things forever for both the dog and person.

Today, I’m unveiling a new chapter— a bolder, brighter version of that vision. Stronger lines. A more vivid green. The heart still in the eye.
And that spark of attention and clarity—now accentuated—over the dog’s head.

This logo is a bridge between past and future.
It honors where I began and celebrates where I’m going: running this business with more clarity, boldness, daring, and growth than ever before.

This is more than a rebrand.
It’s a declaration.
We’re wide awake—and moving forward.

Thank you for this masterpiece and for making the celebration of this transition unforgettable!

08/11/2025

Where do you dream of taking your dog?

😍 Updates like this one make my day— Manny's owner has a booth at street markets and faires and wanted to be able to take Manny along. Training at places like Home Depot has been a big part of that! I love seeing that Manny's owner is keeping up with the training and having great success both on regular shopping trips and now as a "market dog." It's so rewarding to help people achieve the same freedom I have with my own dogs.

08/09/2025

I heard a toddler yelling a dog’s name and knew we were in trouble. The neighbor’s Yorkie was on the loose again—roaming the neighborhood like she owned it—while I was out with my two powerful dogs, one of them dog-aggressive.

I spotted her trotting toward home, blissfully unaware of us. I quietly dropped my dogs into a down across the street, hoping our stillness would keep us invisible. It worked! She slipped back inside without a second glance, and we carried on our peaceful walk.

When an off-leash dog appears, my first choice—every time—is to avoid interaction. You’d be surprised how often you can just walk away, as long as you don’t let your dog stop, sniff, or react. Keep moving, or, if you can, stay still and unnoticed.

I only allow interaction with a strange dog (even if both dogs are friendly) if it’s truly unavoidable—and when that happens, what I do next depends on many factors that don’t fit into a quick tip or hack. The key is this: don’t stand there and let things happen to you and your dog. Be proactive. Avoid first. And if it can’t be avoided, have a plan that’s tailored to your dog.

08/07/2025

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08/06/2025

LAST DAY TO VOTE!

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08/04/2025

Throwback time.

Ruby's owner just sent me this old pic from when we first started working together—and damn, look at that era. That be**er car in the background? No AC. Radiator on life support. Windows jammed open. I was rocking gas station sunglasses and secondhand threads like it was Paris Fashion Week.

I didn’t have much back then—just a busted ride, no heat in my house, a wild dream, and a whole lotta grit. Now I'm living the dream I thought would take another decade to reach.

It’s wild what happens when you bet on yourself.
If you're sitting on a dream—start walking. One foot, then the other. You don’t have to be ready- you just have to move. I wish I could send a time travel message to the girl in this photo and tell her how amazing her life would be in 2025. ❤️