Hannah Branigan - Wonderpups

09/15/2025

Is anybody else struggling with feeling guilty because you aren't training your dogs enough or well enough because you're constantly distracted/overwhelmed by everything that's going on in the world? But also simultaneously feeling guilty when you do train because you really should be doing more about the... everything?

Well, the world doesn't seem to be getting any less complicated. So I guess if these dogs are going to get trained, I'm going to need to figure out how to get it done even when the constant everything is just being A Lot.

So, Emelie Johnson Vegh and I had the idea to run a little workshop all about How To Train Dogs While Spiraling. The live event will be tomorrow, Sept 16 @ 12:30pm Eastern. (and yes, it will be recorded!)

If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, you can register now.

How to train while spiraling Sept 16, 2025 | 12:30pm ET (Yes, it will be recorded!) Soooo… Is anybody else struggling with feeling guilty because you aren’t training your dogs enough or well enough because you’re constantly overwhelmed/distracted by everything that’s going on in the world? B...

09/15/2025

Every night when I turn off the tv, Clay pops up and stares at me intently. He’s waiting for me to stand up so he can race to the kitchen. Of course, he’s free to race there without me, but that’s not the point (I guess). If I don’t stand up quickly enough (in his opinion), the stare turns into a throat punch followed by a return to the Sit & Stare. The procedure will be repeated until the dose is sufficient to get me off the couch.

I choose to believe he is performing a life-saving, cpr-adjacent maneuver because he “loves” me and is “helping” me. And not that he’s “impatient” or “rude”. Perception is reality, right? 😂 (and no, I am not accepting feedback at this time.)

09/07/2025

This style of outdoor cushion works really well as a simple prop for weight-shift exercises like fold-back downs, etc, and this is the time of year that they go on clearance.

It doesnt have to be this brand or from this store (in case you have a store you would rather support with your dollars). What I look for in a cushion is that they are pretty squishy, flat, and have those square edges.

They aren’t quite the same effect as a “real” balance pad or inflatable, but they often get the job done! And sometimes the size and texture actually give me a better effect for what I’m looking for with an individual dog. Particularly useful if the official fitness props are really out of your budget… or you just like collecting and hoarding training props (I’m sure I don’t know anyone like that).

05/03/2025

I was going through all my old puppy pictures and videos of current and past dogs as I was putting this presentation together. They grow up so fast! 🥺

Anyway, if you want to hang out and talk about building motivation in your puppy, you can check this out. The whole symposium is a great deal - the entire day for almost the cost of a single webinar. And yes, of course it’s recorded.

03/07/2025

For more context, please see the previous 3 posts where I describe and demonstrate the original exercise. Also, sorry my voice sounds weird… I was trying to hold my phone with my chin to record this. 😅

03/05/2025

For those who were asking to see a real life demo of this technique, here is an example of how I might incorporate the sidestep in a figure eight focused training session.

02/27/2025

02/26/2025

This one of my favorite “drills” for building really sharp Figure 8s for obedience or rally.

When moving from the right loop to the left loop, instead of turning to cross the midline perpendicular or diagonally, try taking a sidestep or two to the center and THEN turn to move into that left loop. Makes for nice halts too!

Of course, this depends on having a strong, clean sidestep. But that’s something I could help you with, if you’re interested…

01/10/2025

Congratulations to all the Zero to CD teams that moved up to new modules in November & December! 🎉

01/10/2025

Congratulations to Sarah Kahn & Jam, and Katharine Maus & Pooka for earning new titles recently!! Way to go! 🤩

12/06/2024

Congrats to Katharine & Pooka for earning their CD!! 🎉

12/05/2024

Congrats to Susan & Bo for earning their CD!! 🎉