Mystic Mutts, Centennial, CO (2026)

04/16/2026

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the three years you all have given me in changing the lives of disabled folks and their service dogs.

While I don't plan to entirely step away from my role as a service dog trainer, Mystic Mutts will be closing for new clients. I will be retaining evening and weekend availability for 1-2 ongoing private lesson clients per week, and may accept limited referrals from other trainers and folks close to me, but my time as a full-time, public-facing dog trainer is coming to a close as markets shift and my own needs change. I'm in contact with all existing clients to continue or finish out their programs.

I will be retaining my AKC Evaluator registration and IACP membership, and will remain active in the sport and service dog communities with my personal dogs as well as active here with educational and advocacy content. So please take this as a "see you later", not a "goodbye".

I'm sad to be leaving this step in my journey behind, but enthusiastic to see what the future holds. Thank you all!

03/25/2026

Rally-O is, in my sincere opinion, THE best sport for service dog teams to try out and compete in.

It's a friendly environment, has accessibility written into its rulebook, is very easy to find classes and trials for, and is rapidly growing in popularity. Created in 2002 as a fast-paced and creative cousin of competition obedience, handlers and dogs work their way through a 10-20 sign course instructing the team to perform different obedience commands. Higher levels include off-leash work, spins, jumps, and even complex skills like sending around obstacles and backing up! Teams are scored on a basis of 100 points, losing points for signs performed incorrectly or for slow responses/dog being out of position. A score of 70 or above qualifies, and 3 qualifying scores are needed for all titles except Master, RAE, and Champion (which have special requirements).

Teams are not given a course map until the day of trial, so you have to be prepared for any of the signs in your level and pay attention during your run! If your dog can walk on a leash, and sit, down, and stay on command, they are 90% ready for Rally Novice.

Jinx and I have competed at all levels of Rally Obedience and it's been phenomenal for our relationship and her working ability. What questions do you have about Rally-O?

03/25/2026

First off, don't be this person. 🤚 Being charged from halfway across a field is absolutely unacceptable and the owner refused to get his dog + verbally threatened me when I told him to do so.

Second off, don't create bad experiences for your dog by panicking every time another dog enters your space.

Dogs are mirrors of us and our reactions. In your dog's eyes, you can make a situation like this an emergency, or just another day in the park, depending on how you react. Understanding how to read and respond to an approaching dog and staying calm and controlled while doing so not only keeps your dog safe, it prevents reactivity and builds your dog's confidence.

There was no real threat here and no reason to kick or harm an approaching puppy. Had I been unsure of this dog's intentions, I would have addressed this differently.

03/20/2026

So proud of my little dropout 💛

Fable came into my life after she was returned to her breeder by her first home as a washed service dog prospect. We've been pursuing sports, hikes, detection, and adventures ever since, and loving life together.

Now we're off-leash reliable, catching plastic, and preparing for our Skyhoundz debut this summer & PDC this year or next. Mold detection is in progress, and she's shown talent in absolutely everything I've let her dabble in. I may specialize in service dogs, but this one was meant to be everything but. I love her for it. The epitome of a "career change" dog.

Alchemy Von Solidago, 15 months.

03/08/2026

Let's talk STRESS. Depending on who you ask, stress is a villain that we must eliminate from our dog's lives. Or, it's part of every young creature's healthy development and a natural piece of interacting with the world around us.

I'm of the school of healthy stress. I want to put stress on my dogs. Not because I want to see them struggle, but because I want them to be empowered to overcome it. Early Neurological Stimulation and Puppy Culture programs used by responsible breeders are based on this concept, and I continue it with every dog I work with.

We start with obstacles. Stumps, ramps, benches, kennels, trunks of cars, water, anything my dog is hesitant about. I don't allow them to walk away, and instead use my leash, voice, and encouragement to get them onto or into it. We teach them to push through that low-level stress, climb the obstacle, and get a huge paycheck and reassurance after they've done it. We then do it several more times, rewarding every single success, then allow for decompression.

In doing this, the dog learns that a cycle exists. They feel stress or discomfort, they face it head-on, and then they are supported and praised.

This is how you build a self-confident dog with total trust in you. Controlled but real risk, controlled but real discomfort, and support every step of the way. I don't do this because I want compliance, I do this because I want my dog to be resilient, empowered, and confident in everyday life.

03/07/2026

Some hard lessons over at today. Brucie is a young dog building the important skill of learning how to "turn off" while exciting things happen around her. This is a skill that any dog, in any line of work, from any background can benefit from.

All I am doing here is sitting and not giving her any input. And as you can see, she's having a rather hard time with that. This same dog can walk perfectly on a leash, run to place, sit, down, and stay. The skill she is missing is not obedience- it's patience.

The key to this exercise is to practice it consistently, for long peroods, and to remain patient and calm throughout the entire process. An excess of affection, treats, praise, commands, and even corrections is counterintuitive when teaching this skill to a dog. I'm not micromanaging. I'm letting her be bored and learn how to cope without constant input. The leash keeps her from wandering away and finding trouble to get into. The rest is her choice.

01/29/2026

Mystic Mutts is and always has been a safe space for minorities. That only intensifies as our government attempts to actively harm our most vulnerable communities.

Anti-immigrant language, racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia are not and have never been tolerated at our classes and events. Please take the time to make yourself aware of our stances and distance yourself if you cannot agree with any of the above.

We actively work to create a safe, welcoming community and fully acknowledge and respect the intersectionality of advocacy and civil rights progression between people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, the womens' rights movement, and the disabled community. All of these groups have contributed to the rights and privileges that are rapidly being torn apart by the current administration, and all are deserving of awareness, respect, and protection.

Stay safe, stay connected, stay aware. Thank you.

01/01/2026

🎉 Happy New Year!
With the new year comes a new group class structure! I've been working hard behind the scenes to streamline a new group class system that makes it as easy as possible to keep track of what's happening when, and sign up with just a click.

❓️ Why Discord?
Discord is a web app that has an integrated events system. Surprisingly, this events system and community is easier to use than the one I pay for in my booking system (which was a major culprit in group class technical issues last year.) Joining and using Discord is completely free.

👋 Who can join?
Anyone is welcome to attend my group classes! These classes are free for existing clients who have completed or are working through a full program, and $25 for anyone else who would like to drop in.

Can't wait to see you there!

12/30/2025

It is your responsibility if you own a bully breed, a shepherd-type dog, a guardian breed, or a game dog to provide them with training and structure appropriate to the lifestyle you lead together.

An untrained power breed is a loaded weapon that decides when it fires. A well-trained one is safe.

These dogs, on a genetic basis, are bred to chase, bite, shred, and kill. Your Pyrenees in a suburban backyard cannot be allowed to behave like a working Pyr on a farm. Your Doberman cannot be left to determine what is and isn't a threat on their own. Your German Shepherd or Malinois is already genetically hardwired to bite and hold on. It's your responsibility to teach them when they can and cannot do it.

If you choose to have a power breed in your life, you must also take on the responsibility of building that safety catch.

12/30/2025

Here's a Behind-The-Scenes into how I prep between Stay & Trains!

I only ever have one dog in training with me at a time to provide the best quality of care & sanitization. Each kennel and my kennel space are deep cleaned between dogs, including sanitizing walls, floors, and crates, and building each space to be as fitting for the individual dog as possible.

We're going from a tall Standard Poodle to a little brick-shaped bully, so a kennel change, instead of just a deep clean, was in order!

Mystic Mutts

04/16/2026

03/25/2026

03/25/2026

03/20/2026

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

01/29/2026

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12/30/2025

12/30/2025

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