Tails Up Dog Training

11/02/2026

🎓🐾 Another Puppy Kindergarten class has graduated! 🎉

Congratulations to these adorable graduates and their dedicated humans! We loved watching everyone learn, grow, and build the foundation for a lifetime of good manners! 💚

This class had a fun little family reunion, too! 🐩🐩🐩 Three of our graduates were Standard Poodles, including two littermates and a third who is a close relative! Apparently, puppy training runs in the family! ❤️

We’re so proud of all our graduates and can’t wait to see what they accomplish next!

Way to go, graduates! 🎓🐾

10/31/2026

🏆🐾 WE HAVE A NEW OBEDIENCE TRIAL CHAMPION! 🐾🏆

Please join us in congratulating Tails Up instructor Nancy and her Australian Shepherd, “Onyx”, on earning their very first AKC Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH) title today at the BOTC obedience trial! 🎉👏

Just how big of an accomplishment is an OTCH?

It’s one of the most prestigious and difficult titles in competitive dog obedience. Earning it requires far more than simply passing an obedience test!

To become an OTCH, a dog must:

🏆 Earn 100 championship points through outstanding performances in AKC Open B and Utility B competition.

🏆 Earn three first-place wins—at least one in Open B, one in Utility B, and a third in either class.

🏆 Earn those three first-place wins under three different judges, with a minimum number of competing dogs required for each win.

🏆 Demonstrate exceptional precision, teamwork, and reliability through advanced exercises that include off-leash heeling, retrieving, jumping, scent discrimination, and responding to hand signals.

And here’s what makes it especially challenging: You’re not just working toward a qualifying score. You’re competing against other highly trained dogs and handlers for placements and championship points!

Nancy has been training dogs for more than 40 years, working with many different breeds and participating in a variety of dog sports.

Today, all those years of learning, dedication, perseverance, and hard work culminated in something incredibly special. ❤️

Your first OTCH is a milestone you’ll never forget!

We’re so proud to have Nancy on our Tails Up teaching team, sharing her knowledge and experience with our students.

Congratulations, Nancy and Onyx! You’ve earned every bit of this moment, and we couldn’t be happier for you! 🥹🏆

Let’s give this incredible team a HUGE round of applause! 👏👏👏

10/12/2026

🎓🐾 ANOTHER PUPPY KINDERGARTEN GRADUATING CLASS! 🐾🎓

Look at these adorable graduates! 😍🐶

Congratulations to our newest Puppy Kindergarten graduates and their dedicated families!

Over the past several weeks, these young dogs have been busy learning important skills, building confidence, practicing good manners, and discovering how to work together with their people. ❤️

But perhaps the most important thing they’ve learned is that training is fun, and paying attention to their person is rewarding!

Puppy Kindergarten is just the beginning. The habits and relationships being built now will help shape the dogs they’ll become as adults.

👏 A big round of applause for these hardworking teams! We’re so proud of the progress you’ve made and can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.

Graduation isn’t the end of training—it’s the beginning of a lifetime of learning together! 🐾❤️

10/11/2026

Hunters - beware of the heat this weekend!

Hunters - Be CAREFUL in the heat this weekend!The pheasant season is a long one and there’s not a bird out there worth the life of your 4-legged hunting partner. With temps approaching 90 for the opener, heat stroke will kill some dogs today; please don’t let it be yours! Some signs of heat stroke:

Excessive panting
Drooling
Bloody diarrhea
Vomiting
Weakness/collapse
Confusion

Keep them cool, hydrated and alive to hunt another day!

10/09/2026

🐾💙 PUPPY SPOTLIGHT: MEET TINO! 💙🐾

How handsome is this guy?! 😍

Meet Tino, a 5½-month-old Pit Bull puppy who is currently attending Puppy Kindergarten at Tails Up!

At this age, Tino is learning so much about the world around him, and Puppy Kindergarten is a great place to build the foundation for a lifetime of good manners.

🐾 Learning to pay attention to his handler
🐾 Practicing basic obedience skills
🐾 Building confidence in new situations
🐾 Learning to be calm around other dogs and people
🐾 Developing good habits that will last a lifetime

One of our favorite things about Puppy Kindergarten is watching puppies of all breeds, sizes, and personalities learn and grow alongside their people. ❤️

Good training isn’t about what breed you have. It’s about building communication, understanding, and a great relationship with the dog in front of you!

We’re happy to have Tino and his family training with us! 🐶💙

Let’s give this handsome boy some love! 👇❤️

10/01/2026

🖤🐾 NATIONAL BLACK DOG DAY 🐾🖤

Today is National Black Dog Day, and we couldn’t let it pass without remembering a very special black dog from the Tails Up family—Cedar.

Cedar was my own black Labrador Retriever. Although we said goodbye to him in 2021, he will always hold a very special place in my heart. ❤️

And no - that photo isn’t photoshopped or AI! It’s 100% real. And for reference, I’m 5’8” tall!! Channeling Cedar’s high energy and big personality into becoming the 2017 AKC National Obedience Champion was the most gratifying achievement of my life.

But did you know there’s a reason black dogs have a day of their own?

National Black Dog Day was created to bring attention to black dogs in shelters and rescues and encourage adopters not to overlook a wonderful dog simply because of the color of its coat.

Black dogs have sometimes been thought to be less noticeable to potential adopters—a phenomenon often called “Black Dog Syndrome.” While research suggests the effect isn’t universal, the day remains a great reminder to look beyond color and get to know the individual dog. 🖤

And those of us who have loved a black dog already know how special they can be!

Today we celebrate them all: the competitors, working dogs, family companions, goofy ones, serious ones, youngsters, seniors—and the special black dogs who are no longer beside us but will never be forgotten.

Today, I’m remembering Cedar. 🖤🐾

Have you loved a black dog? Share their photo and name in the comments so we can fill our feed with beautiful black dogs today!

09/28/2026

💪🐶 **WHEN YOUR DOG TRAINER TAKES “WORKING DOG” A LITTLE TOO LITERALLY…** 😂

Apparently our Puppy Kindergarten instructor Jen has been putting her own dog through a pretty serious fitness program!

Burpees? ✅
Push-ups? ✅
Enthusiasm? ✅
Perfect form? Well…we’ll let you be the judge. 🤣

We love this trick because it’s a great reminder that **training doesn’t always have to be serious!**

Teaching silly tricks is a wonderful way to challenge your dog’s brain, improve communication, build your relationship—and simply have FUN together. ❤️🐾

After all, if our instructors are going to give you homework, apparently their own dogs have to do theirs too. 😂

We give this workout a 10/10 for effort! 👏

What exercise should Jen teach her next?!

09/18/2026

🐾 Great training can change your dog’s whole world.

A well-trained dog isn’t just a dog who can sit, down and stay. Training creates communication, confidence, reliability—and a stronger partnership between you and your dog.

At Tails Up, we’ve been helping families build those relationships for more than 30 years. And there’s something that makes our program a little different:

🏆 Our instructors include some of the most accomplished obedience trainers in the country.

We bring the same principles that create nationally successful competition dogs into the classroom with everyday family dogs: clear communication, good teaching, consistency, appropriate expectations, and skills that hold up when distractions are real.

Your dog doesn’t need to become an obedience champion. ❤️

Maybe your championship moment is a puppy who finally walks nicely instead of dragging you down the sidewalk. A dog who comes when called at the cabin. A calm companion you can take to a patio, park, or family gathering. Or simply a dog who understands what you’re asking and is enjoyable to live with.

National-caliber training. Real-world results.

🐶 Puppy through advanced training
📍 Eagan, MN
🐾 Experienced instructors. Proven methods. Small group classes.

Ready to see what you and your dog can accomplish together?

Come train with us at Tails Up Dog Training!
🌐 TailsUpDogTraining.com

09/17/2026

There is still availability in our Therapy Dog class starting Monday!

❤️🐾 **THERAPY DOG CLASS — ENROLLING NOW!** 🐾❤️

⚠️ **PLEASE READ BEFORE REGISTERING:**
This class is designed for dogs who **already have solid obedience skills.** Dogs should have an **AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title OR equivalent skills and be capable of passing the CGC evaluation now.**

This is **not a basic obedience class** or a class for dogs who are still working toward CGC-level manners. The focus will be specifically on preparing qualified dogs and their handlers for Therapy Dog work.

🐾 **THERAPY DOG CLASS**
📅 Mondays beginning September 21
⏰ 5:45–6:45 PM
📚 6 weekly classes
💲 $175
👩‍🏫 Taught by Sheryl

Do you have a friendly, well-mannered dog who enjoys people? Have you wondered if the two of you might make a great Therapy Dog team? ❤️

This six-week class will prepare dogs and handlers for the **Pet Partners Therapy Dog evaluation**, with an emphasis on the skills, handling, manners, and real-world situations Therapy Dog teams encounter.

Sheryl brings extensive experience to the class as a longtime Tails Up instructor who is very active in Therapy Dog work and serves as a **Pet Partners evaluator**.

Therapy work can be an incredibly rewarding way to use your dog's training to bring comfort, connection, and smiles to others. ❤️🐶

**Already have a CGC or confident your dog could pass the CGC evaluation today? This may be the perfect next step for you!**

Space is limited—contact Tails Up Dog Training to reserve your spot. Link in the comments!!