Jess Trains Dogs, LLC

10/29/2026

Confidence isn’t built by avoiding challenges. It’s built by learning to overcome them. You can see Milo here navigating makeshift steps onto a deck that doesn’t have steps yet.

It’s not about forcing a dog to conquer an obstacle. It’s about creating a safe environment where they can explore, make choices, and discover that they’re capable of more than they thought.

Teach your dogs to do scary things!

10/27/2026

Distraction is not disobedience.

This is Toph, a Rottweiler/Bully mix, navigating a crowded farmers market with me. There are children everywhere, multiple clients and their dogs just outside the frame, and a whole world of sights, sounds, smells, and movement to process. For Toph, this is a relatively new experience at this level of stimulation.

And yes, there are moments when she disengages from me to look around. There are moments when her obedience isn’t picture-perfect. And that’s okay.

My job isn’t to demand 100% obedience in every environment. My job is to meet the dog in front of me.

Watch how Toph checks out her surroundings and then chooses to reengage with me. That choice matters. She’s learning that even in a busy, overstimulating environment, engaging with me is worthwhile. She’s building confidence, developing emotional resilience, and learning how to navigate the world with my support.

I could insist on perfect positions, constant eye contact, and immediate responses to every cue. But what would that teach her about working with me in an environment she’s still learning to process?

Instead, I’m giving her room to observe, process, disengage when she needs to, and come back to me when she’s ready.

This is how we build a positive conditioned emotional response (CER) to training in challenging environments. We aren’t just teaching behaviors; we’re building an emotional foundation that makes those behaviors possible.

Acclimation isn’t about forcing a dog to tolerate everything. It’s about creating experiences where the dog can learn, feel safe enough to engage, and gradually develop the skills to handle more.

Relationship before performance. Emotional regulation before perfection. Connection over compliance.

Sometimes the best training decision is knowing when not to ask for more.

Because distraction isn’t defiance, and a dog looking at the world isn’t a dog failing you. Sometimes, she’s simply learning how to exist in it.

09/04/2026

That’s awesome

08/09/2026

07/16/2026

How do you communicate with your dog?

Harvey has been making great progress learning that every cue and marker has a specific meaning. Clear communication helps create confident dogs who understand exactly what’s expected of them.

“Ready” is my engagement cue. It lets Harvey know we’re about to work and encourages him to focus on me.

“Take” gives him permission to take food directly from my hand.

“Thank You” is a terminal marker. It tells Harvey, “You’re doing it correctly, but I’m not going to reward you just yet.” It marks successful work while signaling that the exercise is ending, allowing me to transition smoothly to the next repetition.

🐾 “Good” is a continuation marker. It tells Harvey he’s making the right choice and to keep doing what he’s doing. His reward is delivered directly to his mouth so he can remain in position without interrupting the behavior.

Today we used this communication system while working on place. The goal wasn’t simply to have Harvey stay on the cot—it was to teach him that calmness, patience, and relaxation are valuable behaviors. By giving each marker a consistent meaning, Harvey can focus on learning instead of guessing what comes next. Every repetition builds understanding, confidence, and a stronger relationship between dog and handler.

07/06/2026

What does confidence look like in a dog?

Confidence isn’t just a dog that runs full speed into every situation. Real confidence is the ability to calmly assess something new, think through it, and move forward without panic.

In this video, Rita Janet is walking across open deck joists a surface most dogs would find intimidating because they can see through the gaps and every step requires body awareness. Notice what she doesn’t do:

• She doesn’t rush.
• She doesn’t avoid the challenge.

Instead, she investigates, adjusts her footing, solves the problem, and keeps moving.

This is the kind of confidence we strive to build in training. It’s not about forcing dogs through scary situations—it’s about creating enough trust, resilience, and problem-solving ability that they can handle the unexpected with a clear head.

A truly confident dog isn’t fearless. They’re capable.

06/29/2026

Oh my heart

Meet Miss Firecracker
Young handler Mackenzie Wagoner brought smiles all around at the Newfoundland national. In the Newfoundland Club of America’s upcoming Gazette column “Big Dogs, Little Handlers,” Katie Dolan writes about the pure joy youngsters are bringing to the sport. (photo courtesy Tami Palomba/NCA)

More about Mackenzie, a third-generation dog-show kid, from Katie’s column: “Mackenzie entered her first conformation ring when she was only 3 years old. Handler Samantha Brainard was in the ring beside Mackenzie and a Newfoundland, using a double leash. Samantha says, ‘Mackenzie is a firecracker. She is totally comfortable around dogs and has a natural understanding of animals—a 4-year-old going on 14. At last year’s national, she dressed for the ring every day. She helped watch the dogs in the ex-pens, held my bag at ringside and handed me supplies I needed, and gave out plenty of treats.’ ”

Read the full column, along with a full slate of Sporting and Working Group breed columns, in the July AKC Gazette arriving in your inbox next week. If you don’t already subscribe to the Gazette, you can do so at https://www.akc.org/subscribe/ It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s free!

VIEWER ALERT— AKC Agility Premier Cup on ESPN: Sunday, June 28, at 3:00 pm ET (check local listings). Commentary by Carolyn Manno, Kelly O’Donnell, and Carrie DeYoung.

June AKC Gazettehttps://images.akc.org/pdf/gazette/june-2026.pdf

Back issues https://www.akc.org/products-services/magazines/akc-gazette/

AKC Down and Back podcast https://www.akc.org/about/down-and-back-akc-podcast/

Gazette on Substack https://akcmagazines.substack.com

Gazette on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/

AKC Digital Library https://library.akc.org/

Happy weekend! We’ll see you around the rings.

06/27/2026

Session with Quill the Akita working on his cooperative care skills target focus and consent based training. Methods shown here are continuous reinforcement schedule and target focus. #+r

05/23/2026

The amazing people at Whiskers and Fang have two amazing Akitas this handsome man is Quill. Quill loves having agency and the ability to say no. The criteria I use when I’m doing cooperative care with him is target focus equals consent avoidance means to wait. I will often verbalize for the owner when the dog is avoiding so they can recognize the slightest of cues. If you’d like to know how to do this with your dog type Consent based training in the comments!