Top Dog Training, Kentucky

06/22/2026

This morning Margot’s recall failed.

Not because she doesn’t know it… it’s like 99/100.

Not because we haven’t practiced it… we do it daily.

Not because it hasn’t worked hundreds of times before… I’ve shown it and live it.

It failed because she encountered something she found more valuable at THAT one moment than listening to me.

In this case, thank God it was just a skunk.

The skunk won.

I have a lot more to say on this because while her recall failed, her other skills, etc shined through (our relationship, trust, cooperative restraint, etc).

Margot is a drivey predator and on this one occasion her genetic drive to chase, bite, etc outweighed her desire to listen this ONE time. 😂

That’s one of the realities of living with dogs. Training isn’t about perfection and nature has a vote.

Living with Dogs is about balancing control and freedom and stacking the odds in your favor while understanding that dogs are still dogs.

This time of year, when wildlife activity increases, I often add an e-collar back into the picture because we have come face to face with skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, coyotes, deer with fawns, foxes, snakes and more.

Not because she doesn’t have a phenomenal recall…
it’s like 99/100…
but because that one time when pulling off a recall when the dog is 50 yards away and a prey animal takes off running requires the ability to communicate and change the motivation.

The goal isn’t proving that you don’t need a tool to train a dog, it’s picking the right set of tools for the dog in the current environment.

The goal is helping dogs safely navigate a bigger life.

Right Dog. Right Life. Everything Changes.

06/17/2026

It’s been over a decade of helping pups grow…
clients deal with adolescents…
those teens grow into adult dogs…
and helping families navigate life with senior dogs.
It’s the best job ever.

A short clip of Maggie's stay

06/16/2026

Just 2 of my own dogs wearing their ecollars (Stella is still conditioning to wearing it) getting ready to go out and run around with the possibility of deer, turkey, foxes, skunks, raccoons and other dogs.

When used mindfully and as part of a complete system the reality is the ecollar can be one of the best welfare multipliers…
or one of the worst welfare mitigators when misused.

Please don’t try to do it yourself and instead find a professional trainer to help if you want off leash reliability.

06/16/2026

Nova started yesterday! After discussing the realities of raising an adolescent husky we worked on recalls (which all husky owners know is a priority) 😂😂😂

06/15/2026

Dog training doesn’t have to be complicated.

Most people spend their time looking for the next technique, tool, or trick when what their dog often needs is something much simpler: structure.

In Living With Dogs, I teach the SIMPLE framework:

• Structure
• Intention
• Movement
• Purpose
• Lifestyle
• Expectations

When those pieces are in place, training starts to feel less like managing problems and more like living life together.

This video isn’t obedience. My drivey lab Stella isn’t performing commands. She’s simply being a dog—enjoying the sunshine, rolling in the grass, exploring her environment, and then choosing to reconnect with me.

That’s the goal.

Not a perfectly trained dog.

A dog who understands how to live in your world while still getting to be a dog.

Simple doesn’t mean easy.

Simple means clear.

And clear changes everything.

06/14/2026

I was out with the dogs the other morning while it was raining and caught this beautiful rainbow!

06/10/2026

One of the most overlooked challenges in dog ownership is the gap between the dog you have and the life you live.

This client is in her 70s, and like many people, she dreamed of sharing life with a chill dog. The puppy they got from the breeder became a pushy adolescent doodle—full of energy, enthusiasm, and very little impulse control.

Young dogs don’t care how old we are. They pull on the leash, jump, get distracted, and test boundaries because that’s what young dogs do.

The good news? With the right structure, skills, and guidance, life gets easier for both ends of the leash.

Our goal isn’t to create a perfectly “obedient” dog. It’s to help people and dogs move through the world together safely, confidently, and with less frustration.

Because the right training isn’t about completely changing who your dog is—it’s about helping the two of you live better together.

06/03/2026

I’ve professionally raised a few litters when mom couldn’t… it’s so hard to say no 😂. Whether they were orphaned or mom was recovering from her own trauma (like these guys from The Arrow Fund). My dogs are great with young puppies and I follow specific socialization protocols to do everything I can to ensure the pups are ready for the crazy world they are about to go into. It’s hard to say no and if you’ve ever raised a litter of pups without mom you are “on” every 3-5 hours. 😂

05/29/2026

Watching dogs eat mulberries probably isn’t what most people think of when they hear the word “training” but it’s where “training” becomes intentionally “living with dogs.”

Here’s the truth:

Dogs are scavengers and foragers by nature. Dogs that get to do that safely score higher on welfare assessments and have less behavioral issues.

Long before food bowls, dogs survived by investigating the world with their noses, searching for opportunities, and consuming what they found. Sniffing, searching, and gathering are natural canine behaviors.

That’s one reason activities like snuffle mats, scatter feeding, and scent games are so popular… they tap into instincts dogs were designed to use.

When my dogs discovered ripe mulberries on the ground, I let them enjoy a few. They sniffed, searched, found, and ate them. Then, when it was time to move on, I motioned them along (Stella the teenager is still learning that 😂).

That’s the challenge of focusing on Welfare… balancing “freedom when possible” with “control when necessary” and it’s a balance in the modern world.

Just because it’s a natural behavior doesn’t mean you allow unlimited access.

It means giving dogs safe opportunities to be dogs while still providing guidance and boundaries when needed.

Not every berry, stick, or mystery object belongs in a dog’s mouth. But appropriate foraging opportunities can provide enrichment, engagement, and a little bit of joy.

Sometimes enrichment isn’t a lickimat, a stuffed Kong or a snufflemat.

Sometimes it’s simply allowing dogs to experience the world the way dogs were designed to but with a level of control that keeps them safe and not being a nuisance to others.

So the goal isn’t to stop dogs from being dogs. The goal is to help them be dogs safely.

Real dogs. Real life. Real learning.