Grateful Dog Training, Inc.

05/23/2026

Canine Life Skills Class is off to an adorable start! 🐾 🥰

05/12/2026

My favorite thing about dogs is the quiet time we spend together - and by “quiet” I mean simple, unstructured time.
Whether that’s looking out the window and seeing my cattle dog taking a deep snooze in the spring sun, or my little Supermutt enjoying an evening chew, old beagle Copper romping though the field, or the feisty little staffy challenging me to a game of tug. If I’m smart, I notice these moments and relish them.
Training is fun, and even necessary to help many dogs navigate the artificial landscape and routines we require of them in modern society.
But the reason I surround myself with animal companions is to enjoy these easy moments of joy and relaxation.

05/12/2026

Happy hounds from last week:

05/12/2026

The many faces of Meg. Welcome back baby girl!

05/12/2026

Rosie brought pupcakes to her birthday celebration with friends. Happy Birthday Rosie!

05/01/2026

After 10 years years in daycare Luna is retiring to her best life: days filled with woods walks, lake swims, pup cups, wild critter p**p scavenging, field forays, afternoon naps in the sun or in front of the fire, and the serious work of overseeing her human’s flower planting. During her time Grateful Dog Luna has won awards for most sneaky treat pouch diver, gentle puppy chaperone, poo alerter, and between-the-legs butt presenter (for scritches of course). She will always hold a special place in our hearts, as she feels like one of our own - puppy to matriarch. We will miss you Luna! But the door is always open - and our treat pouches are too. We love you!💕🐾🙏

04/28/2026

Such a fun class today. The group was small but focused; dogs were all happy and engaged. Positive experiences in a busy environment builds confidence and connection. 💕

04/22/2026

Truth as I know it:

The good death window

Knowing when to say goodbye isn’t always black and white and easy. Even for someone who does this every day. So I wanted to share with you a metaphor I use to explain to people how they should look at it IF they can. We have to remember not everyone gets lucky enough to have these kinds of talks. Catastrophes, emergencies and accidental deaths rip the decision making from you and while that may seem “easier” it’s actually the worst kind of way to lose your best friend.

Imagine you are in a house, and it catches fire. At first, it seems small, and you try the fire extinguisher to put out the flames. That works briefly, but then the flames continue to grow. You watch them spread to the ceiling, and then to the next room. You know at this point there’s no intervention big enough to stop it, so you quickly grab what you can that you love, all the memories you can save, and exit out either the window or door, unharmed.

The good death window is the same thing. I do not wait until an animal is suffering or struggling to help them pass. If their house is on fire, and their body is failing, I will give them as much joy and love as I can and then let them pass before they feel anything but comfort and love. That window I let them leave through allows them to escape in a peaceful way, without withstanding burns.

Some people will try every intervention possible to stop the flames, but that success can vary based on how big the fire is when it starts. There’s no right or wrong answer, and knowing when to stop trying and when to leave is one of the most excruciating experiences you can endure. For me, the good death window means that my animals leave on their last best day, not on their worst. Sometimes I don’t get that luxury, and the death finds them too quickly, suddenly - those are the worst kinds. It’s those deaths that keep the good death window so clear to me. The experiences of losing an animal in a catastrophic emergency way versus a planned and peaceful way solidify what I fight for these animals every day. Peace, comfort, calm, and of course me beside them.

In the end, none of us will escape death. And it’s almost always that when we have an animal, we will be the ones outliving them. That means we carry the responsibility of seeing them through all of it, including walking them to the door when the house can no longer be saved. I don’t ever want them lost in the flames, so I will help them exit before that happens. It is the greatest and hardest gift we can give them in return for the lifetime of love and devotion they have given to us.

- Helen St. Pierre

04/22/2026

It’s warm, it’s cold; we’re inside, we’re out…April in Vermont.

04/21/2026

“Alert!”
We braved the cold weather as scent class progressed to vehicle searches this week. Despite distractions, all the dogs successfully alerted to hidden odors.
This class has been tons of fun, and for most of us, a new way of experiencing our dog’s amazing talents.
Thanks to Rebecca Cash and yesterday’s demo dog Patches - 18 year old wonder pup and Champion trialing dog - for teaching us the ins and outs of this sport.
We will be holding a Schooling Scent Trial open to the public in May. Leave a comment if you want to be added to our invite list!