So Much PETential

10/29/2026

This is why I love what I do!

I recently received this beautiful testimonial from a family whose adolescent spaniel was really struggling with arousal and frustration when we first met.

I remember that first visit. His arousal escalated so quickly that there was a real risk he could hurt me. He was jumping, nipping, and having a hard time settling. His dog parents were struggling, too, and they needed help understanding how to support him.

Together, we worked on teaching him how to turn off and settle, making sure his needs were being met, and helping him learn new skills in fun, positive ways.

When I was notified of a new review, my heart was full as I read it.

💬 “Lisa has changed our life with our sweet puppy! We came to her with a frustrated, highly aroused adolescent dog that could not settle. He was constantly jumping up and nipping at us. She has changed the way we think about training and interacting with him and taught us to have FUN! His behavior has improved more than we could have ever imagined in just a few short months. She was patient with our crazy puppy, even more patient with us (we needed more training than he did) and he absolutely LOVES her!”
— Caiti Rhodes

I am so proud of this dog and his family! And I'm grateful I could be there as their coach, helping them navigate the challenges, celebrate the progress, and build a better relationship with their dog.

Being part of transformations like this is one of the most greatest parts of my career.

Because to me, training isn't just about changing a dog's behavior. It's about changing how we understand, communicate with, and support that dog.

When we focus on understanding the why behind behavior, meeting needs, teaching skills, and making learning fun, I can facilitate a meaningful difference in the lives of both dogs and their people.

That's the kindest way to change behavior. And that's what I'm passionate about. ❤️🐶

10/28/2026

Cincinnati parents, registration is open for my November 17 kids class on dog friendship!

These are free classes that I offer as community service to teach child dog lovers (age 6 to 11) about being someone their dog will want to listen to and learn from.

My students learn how dogs communicate, how to be a positive dog teacher, and how to be a safe and fun dog playmate. Certified Therapy Dog Murphy is my helper.

A parent or guardian is required to stay through the class as there is a lot for parents to learn also. While free, pre-registration is required through my website. See my comment for more.

Classes are held at the Wyoming Civic Center. Do not bring your dog to this.

These are some of what parents shared that their child learned by attending a class:

“cues that a dog is uncomfortable and what NOT to do with a dog”
“what different feelings look like in a dog”
“that one action can mean different things depending on the situation”
“cues that a dog is uncomfortable and what not to do with a dog
“not to force interaction with the dog yawn in a dog doesn’t equal exhaustion”

Please feel free to share this with your friends. Registration space is limited.

Wyoming Ohio Wyoming Civic Center

10/27/2026

If your home includes a dog, for the safety of kids AND your dog, I encourage you to choose handing out candy to Halloween trick-or-treaters OUTSIDE of your home.

With so many strange noises, sights and activity, Halloween can be stressful for dogs and puppies. Some dogs enjoy seeing new people but can be prone to jumping on them and barking at them, especially since they may be wearing funny outfits (that could also be tempting for your dog to grab). If the doorbell causes your dog to become stressed – even good stress – having it go off very often, can cause your dog to remain in a heightened state of alert and elevated heartrate…which means a higher likelihood to react in barking, jumping, lunging, or growling or worse.

During trick-or-treating, a better option to lower your dog's stress and keep everyone safe so that the focus can be on enjoying the holiday, is to:

keep your dog inside and away from front windows
have the tv on or white noise in your dog's space
give your dog something calming to focus on

Then go out and have fun!
~ Lisa

10/26/2026

Isn’t my new little friend darling! Kaiyu is all of two pounds…yet he fills the room with his love and cuteness. He has the ability to spread joy to everyone who he meets. What a very special gift! I see a lot of fun in the weeks ahead, thank you to his puppy parent Jade, for entrusting me to help get him off to his best start. 🥰

10/22/2026

Building optimism in a cautious and fearful dog.

Yesterday, I visited a home for an assessment of a sensitive dog who is afraid of and conflicted by sudden environment changes, weather conditions, novel sights and sounds…. unfamiliar people, garbage cans, loud cars, wind, storms are among them.

When I brought out a few new toys, his body language changed. He was curious and wanted to investigate, but his weight shifted back. He would take a step forward, then think twice and back away. There were also a couple barks.

In the training world, we call this reaction approach-avoidance conflict. The dog is caught in a stressful tug-of-war between curiosity and fear. His dog parent mentioned he faces this same when new visitors enter the home.

Instead of pushing him to interact with my new and novel objects, I focused on building his optimism and feeling of safety. I scattered my things across the floor, spread treats around the area, in and around the objects, and simply stepped back. By leaving the choice entirely up to him, he was able to explore at his own comfort level, learning that new things can predict wonderful outcomes.

Consequences drive future behavior. When we force a conflicted dog to approach something scary, we risk heightening his/her fear. But when we offer the dog agency, we begin to build resilience.

Want to learn more about approach-avoidance conflict? Please do a search for it on my website.

10/22/2026

Watching this video of my client’s dog settling beautifully at his feet in a busy area might look like “nothing” is happening. But a massive amount of learning is taking place. We are building a foundation of calm, teaching his dog that being close to her human is the best place to be, and helping her process a distracting environment without rushing into it.

Sitting in a busy area and teaching your dog to relax at your feet does wonders for your walks because it builds:
1️⃣ High value for hanging out by your side.
2️⃣ Environmental neutrality (learning to ignore busy surroundings).
3️⃣ Impulse control and a calm state of mind.

There are many other skills that can be split out of your lesson too, to improve your and your dog’s walking on a leash behavior.

As some examples – teaching
➡️directional cues
➡️engagement and communication with you
➡️waiting

And don’t forget to enjoy your time together outside!

10/19/2026

Oh my gosh, the older I get the more beautiful acts move me to tears. And this week, especially with some really difficult stuff I am dealing with with my precious Dawson. Chris Harris is a local realtor I have loosely been connected to for awhile. I was really touched when she approached me, telling me she would like to tell my story on a new website she is working on...focused on dogs. We talked for awhile, she did her own research, and then she sent me what she wrote. To say I am moved is such an understatement. Chris, this means so very, very much to me.

I am sharing a link here. Now, you will know my whole story. (Or at least key points of it.)

Cincinnati trainer Lisa Desatnik of So Much PETential on the unconventional path that led her to dog training, and why she believes behavior is communication.

10/14/2026

This life of the party adolescent gal, showed up for our park lesson on a short leash. And she was pulling every which way. Life is exciting!

So I brought out my 16 ft leash to work on engagement games. And guess what?

She became engaged…with us!

Lesson here: Short leashes can create pressure. Especially adolescent dogs do not like feeling pressure. With a longer leash, there is more space to move freely, make better choices (from the human perspective), and have fun TOGETHER.

Oh, and some distance from the competing stuff out there also helps!

This is how you build better engagement, take pressure off, and enjoy the process.

😊 ~ your friend, Lisa

10/10/2026

Meeting new friends totally make my heart sing! Oh Maggie, you are as silly as me, we are going to have lots of fun in the future!