Best Friend - Companion Dog Training, LLC

07/28/2026

To our valued clients, friends, family, and neighbors,

Our hearts are with everyone affected by yesterday's storms. We know you are facing unimaginable loss - of homes, belongings, and beloved pets.

Please know that we are thinking of you, and standing beside our community as we all begin to heal and rebuild.

For those searching for lost pets:

Please provide YOUR name, your PET'S name, a description/photo of your pet, and a primary contact number.

Lost Dogs of Wisconsin
Get Toby Home
Fox Valley Humane Association
The Neenah Animal Shelter
NorthPaw Cat Finders

For those who may want to help by donating dog/cat food or cat litter, we are happy to be a collection site.

You are not alone. May we stand together as a community and support those in need.

07/21/2026

We would like to take a moment to say THANK YOU to you, our valued clients, and friends.

We are absolutely THRILLED to announce that for the THIRD consecutive year, we have been awarded "Best of the Valley" in the Community Choice Awards Pet Training category.

We are grateful for each client, both human and canine, who walks through our doors or calls on us for guidance. It is an honor that we will never take for granted.

We are truly honored and humbled by the recognition you have bestowed upon our team.

Thank you ALL.

With Deepest Gratitude,
Silvia
Kayla
Bronte
Tate
Liz

07/12/2026

Whew!! The weather this coming week will be frightful!

Due to heat indexes potentially reaching above 100 degrees our PDX class scheduled for:

MONDAY, JULY 13, 6:00P IS CANCELED.

We will meet at Sunset park as planned next Monday, July 20th instead.

Please keep your pets cool, remember to provide plenty of fresh water, and limit light exercise to early morning and late evening when the sun is not so intense.

07/04/2026

🎉🇺🇸 Happy 4th of July! 🎉🇺🇸

Fourth of July is the day that sadly, most dogs go missing. They’re much safer and happier at home than is a place that sudden loud bangs and booms frighten them. A frightened dog will continue to run until they feel safe and can hide. With bangs and booms likely “everywhere” over the next few days safety will be hard to find.

If your dog struggles with loud noises, please create a safe space for them. Place a crate in the basement and cover with a blanket. Turn on music to cover the sound and leave the lights on to eliminate sudden flashes. Ideally, have them out to potty early before the big noise starts and have them settled in before their fear escalates.

Happy Birthday America! 🇺🇸

07/01/2026

Due to the National Weather Service’s forecast for severe weather this evening—including the potential for damaging wind gusts, large hail, frequent lightning, heavy downpours, and even an isolated tornado—I have made the difficult decision to cancel tonight’s first in-person puppy class.

The safety of my clients, your puppies, and your families is always my top priority. Our training facility does not have a basement or suitable storm shelter, and I am also concerned about the potential hazards of traveling to and from class if severe weather develops.

It’s entirely possible that we could all be sitting at home this evening with the sun shining, and I truly hope that’s the case. However, I would much rather have everyone safely at home enjoying a relaxing evening than risk anyone traveling in dangerous conditions, dealing with vehicle damage, or encountering an emergency on the road or at home.
If you are enrolled in tonight's class, please respond to this post so I know you have received notice.

07/01/2026

I love this! If only our dogs could talk and tell us what’s up… 💖 (Actually, they do!)

Sweet Cocodoodle explains a few simple ways our dogs try to communicate with us.
Pay attention. They’re always sharing “something” important.

06/29/2026

It's going to be wicked HOT over the next few days!!
Yay, we've waited and waited for summer to finally arrive and arrive it will.
Please remember the following tips for keeping your dog safe in the heat:
1. Always provide fresh, cool water and keep bowls filled at all times. Bring water on walks, and encourage your dog to drink after any exercise.
2. Walk during to coolest parts of the day. Early morning or after the sun goes down in the evening. Avoid exercise during the hottest part of the day.
3. Check the pavement! Use the back of your hand to test the heat of the surface you're planning to walk on. Asphalt can get HOT fast so if it's too hot for your hand, it will burn your dogs paws.
4. Never leave your dog in a parked car! This is the number one cause of heat stroke in dogs. Even with the windows cracked, the inside temp and reach dangerous levels quickly.
5. Find a shady spot to spend time outside. Even with a breeze and water, your dog can suffer heat stroke. Always find a shady place to rest.
6. Watch for signs of heat stroke! Early warning signs: excessive panting, thick drool, bright red gums, weakness or stumbling, vomiting, and collapsing. Heat Stroke is an emergency! Seek veterinary attention immediately
7. Know if your dog is at higher risk. Puppies and seniors dogs, over weight dogs, dogs with heart or breathing problems, dogs with double thick coats, any flat faced dog.
8. Use cooling aids such as kiddie pools, frozen treats, fans, cooling mats or vests.
9. Don't over groom. Never shave double coated breeds unless medically recommended by your veterinarian. That double coat insulates against excess heat.
10. Know when to stay indoors! Short potty breaks outside and then back inside to play mental enrichment games.

06/15/2026

To all my behavior clients with dogs in muzzles, you are NOT alone. To those who don’t understand the responsible use of a muzzle, here is a perfect example of why. To those who feel muzzles are “mean” please take a look at that smile!
Thank you Cari for sharing Raya’s story so we can all continue to learn and grow.

This beautiful dog is Raya. Raya was adopted from a local shelter, her guardians reached out to work with me on a dog reactivity program. Part of our training included conditioning Raya to wear a basket muzzle, the one pictured is from the company The Muzzle Movement. Raya is comfortable wearing her muzzle in the same way I am comfortable wearing a helmet when I bike or a life jacket when I kayak - the goal of a muzzle is to provide dogs a way to safely participate in activities. We slowly acclimated Raya to wearing it and have paired it with walking and exploring, which she loves. If you saw Raya walking with us today through my eyes, you’d see a dog attentive to her person, calmly dismissing the other dogs she saw. She’s worked hard on expanding her skills, so now her world has opened up and expanded, too.

While Raya’s family is very responsible and follows leash laws, sadly some people allow their dogs to roam off leash and approach others, so Raya wears a muzzle just in case that happens. Sometimes folks with dogs who are muzzled get looks from others or comments, which is why I asked Raya’s family permission to share this photo and story. If you see a dog in a muzzle training in public, give them space and consider how much their people love their dog to work with them responsibly. I think Raya looks stylish! Her harness is made by Spark Paws, and she also has a backup harness to collar safety strap that prevents her leash from failing, the leash and strap can be moved to the front clip positions of the harness and collar to help with dogs who pull.

Look past the muzzle and see Raya’s smile ☀️

06/10/2026

Pet Memorial Day today!
Share a photo of your sweet pet who has crossed to the other side.

Here are my boys at The Bridge: Kyle, Dante, River, Greyson, Cian, Raen, and most recently, my beautiful Declan who left us in February. They were all incredible boys who touched our lives forever.

Never forgotten. Always loved.
🥰🕊️🌈✨💖

05/17/2026

We appreciate your votes!
Voting round through Monday, May 18th!
Thank you for supporting our local small business. 🥰🐾