Copilot Dog Training

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Positive Reinforcement Training for the Urban Pup

10/31/2026

We tried 👻 Happy howloween from Drop Off!!

10/31/2026

We tried 👻 Happy howloween from Drop-Off!!

10/26/2026

I’m here with the kind of content you’ve come to expect from Copilot: educational, a bit ridiculous, and embarrassing for me.

So here’s the thing. I’m a trainer. I own and operate a dog training business. And my own dog started peeing on my fridge.

When Artie came to me in February, he wasn’t potty trained. Not even a little. He’d had three shelter stays in his 1.5 years, the second two lasting over a month while he recovered from significant injuries. By June, we were in a pretty good place with potty training. He was sleeping through the night without major partying. Smooth sailing? Nope.

The fridge peeing started when I went out of town in June. His lovely pet sitter alerted me to the issue immediately, and we added extra walks since she needed to be out of the house for longer stretches than I usually am.

(It’s important to note here that Artie has confinement anxiety—being crated for long periods of time isn’t an option for him at this time. Historically, though, he would sleep and engage in enrichment activities when left with some room to roam in the apartment.)

I assumed the behavior would stop when I got home. It did not. But there was a pattern: it only happened when I was gone for more than three hours. Sounds like some separation distress? Maybe. But let’s get the camera out. Here’s what I found: Yes, the peeing was happening around three hours into my absence. BUT Artie was also drinking a LOT of water in the first five minutes after I left (and then settling down to sleep or finish his toppl).
I’d been timing our walks so that he went on a long walk RIGHT before I left. This was peak summer. Dude was THIRSTY.
The solve: I didn’t want to limit his water, especially in the summer heat, so I changed our schedule instead. We’d go on a longer walk, come home about 30 minutes before I needed to leave, and then take another quick potty break right before I headed out.
This all may seem kind of obvious, but the part I really want to emphasize is that without collecting data, I would have assumed the problem was something completely different than it actually was—and probably treated it differently.

09/27/2026

Words to remove from your dog vocab in 2026:
✨ stubborn
✨ guilty
✨ manipulative
✨ spiteful

We tend to use “stubborn” when a dog won’t do something we think they should be able to do.

They stop on a walk, ignore a cue outside, refuse to get in the car, won’t come inside, or suddenly can’t do something they’ve done a million times.

But calling it stubborn doesn’t tell us WHY it’s happening — and it definitely doesn’t help us figure out what to do next.

Maybe the environment is too distracting. Maybe they’re nervous about what’s ahead. Maybe the skill isn’t as solid here as it is at home. Maybe the reward doesn’t match the difficulty. Maybe they’re tired, uncomfortable, or overwhelmed.

So next time your dog is being “stubborn,” don’t stop at the label. Take a second to think about what might be making that behavior hard right now and switch it up.

09/23/2026

Dogs are one of the few species that play well into adulthood, and I think that’s a huge part of what makes our relationship with them so special.

Play builds the human/canine bond, helps us get better at reading our dogs’ body language, and it is HEALING — it builds endorphins, joy, and connection. It can even help dogs retain information after training! But when we say “play,” we don’t necessarily mean throwing a tennis ball over and over. Get on the ground. Wrestle. Tug. Chase each other. Roll around. Laugh. Figure out what makes both of you have fun!

09/18/2026

The cookie pushers would like a word 👋

09/11/2026

Thanks for letting your dogs be weird with us this summer at drop-off training 🧡

🫶 Susy, Hailey, Alli & Matt

09/02/2026

A few things we recommend all the time for dogs living in the city:

White noise machine — if your dog barks at hallway noises, doors closing, neighbors coming home, or every mysterious sound outside your apartment.

Frosted window film — for window barking, staring/fixating at people or dogs outside, or dogs who spend a little too much of their day on neighborhood watch.

The Snoop — for dogs who need more to do at home, especially on days when walks are shorter. Bonus: it won’t sound like you dropped a bowling ball every time your dog plays with it.

Long leash — for dogs who want to sniff, wander, and explore but can’t safely be off leash. More freedom without breaking Chicago leash laws.

Leash with a traffic handle — for crowded sidewalks, tight spaces, passing other dogs, or those moments when you need your dog close quickly.

Treat pouch — for reactivity, pulling, scavenging, surprise triggers, or just rewarding your dog for making good choices out in the world. Even if you’re “just going out to pee,” bring the treats.

None of these fix a behavior on their own, but good management can make a huge difference while you’re working on the actual training.

08/19/2026

My mom used to tell us that one of her parenting strategies was to let her kids get into a little bit of trouble so they wouldn’t end up doing hard drugs.

She applied a similar philosophy to our childhood beagle, Hamlet. Hamlet had a habit of expressing his displeasure by knocking over the garbage can. He didn’t eat the garbage, he was usually making a statement about us eating dinner without him.

So here I am, years later, as a professional dog trainer, occasionally recommending that you let your dog get into trouble.

Sometimes you have to pick your battles. Letting your dog get away with the occasional harmless naughty behavior gives them opportunities to make choices without us constantly interrupting or directing them. It gives us more insight into their needs. And it can improve your relationship. If you ask your dog to leave every single thing they look at on a walk, that cue will lose meaning quickly. You may be better off letting your dog pick up a few sticks and save your “leave it” for the dead rat carcass. Do I let Artie steal and run around with my shoes sometimes? Yep. It’s harmless, he’s often using it as a displacement behavior to manage big feelings, and it’s kind of cute too.

Note: I never did hard drugs.

08/11/2026

Kinda chic ✨

Address

3266 N Elston Avenue
Chicago, IL
60618

Website

http://copilotdogs.com/

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