Common Scents Dog Training

10/29/2026

I'm putting together a free resource called Halloween Safety for Dogs: What Every Dog Owner Needs to Know.

We're talking about more than just keeping chocolate out of reach.

Think doorbell chaos, unfamiliar costumes, stressed-out dogs, escape risks, and how to make Halloween a little less overwhelming for everyone.

No sales pitch.
No strings attached.
Just practical information to help you keep your dog safe.

Want it?

Comment HALLOWEEN and I'll send you the free video!

10/22/2026

Many medications for pets have been recalled.

At every first session, I will ask if your dog is on any medications.
Some of these I have heard many of my clients mention so PLEASE check the list and speak with your veterinarian if you are concerned.

Certain veterinary medications are being voluntarily recalled over concerns they could be too weak and ineffective or overly potent. Here's what animal owners should know ⬇️

10/16/2026

🎃🐾 HOWL-O-WEEN PACK WALK! 👻🐕

We're getting spooky, sniffy, and a little chilly this Saturday!

Join Common Scents Dog Training for our Howl-O-Ween Pack Walk!

🦇 Saturday, October 17th
⏰ 2:30 PM
📍 Gathering Pond at Milford

It's supposed to be a little chilly, so grab your hoodie, bundle up, and get those dogs outside for some fresh air and sniffing!

Our Pack Walks aren't about marching dogs around in perfect heels. They're about giving dogs opportunities to explore, decompress, and enjoy the world alongside their humans.

🏅 BONUS: This walk counts toward your AKC FIT DOG mileage!

🐾 IMPORTANT: This event is exclusively for Canine Revolution members! Please RSVP on the post inside the portal or shoot us a message letting us know you're coming!

Not a member yet?

Canine Revolution is our dog training community where we go WAY beyond basic obedience. Members get access to ongoing training, adventures, community events, and more!

🖤 Raise Dogs. Not Robots.

10/14/2026

The Halloween “Prank” your dog might remember for months.

We walked into Lowe's the other day and they had their Halloween decor out.
You know...the 15-foot-tall animatronic Grim Reaper.

And like every dog owner in America, my husband gave me this look like a 3-year-old plotting nothing but evil.

Y'see...I had my dog Voodoo with me.

She's not my most confident dog by any means, but she is my favorite.
No, my dear sweet husband.

As entertaining for US as it would be to see Voodoo p*e down the aisle when the Grim Reaper tried to attack her...

It wouldn't be what's best for Voodoo.

Dogs (and people!) learn by association.
And dogs are REALLY good at making associations.

So while you think your dog is just scared of a Halloween decoration, there's actually a lot of other associations happening at the same time.

And it's different for every dog.

They might associate that fear with a person walking by.
A shopping cart.
The entire store.
The smell in the air.

Isn't the brain magical?

The only reason you should take your dog to check out Halloween animatronics is if you plan on taking your dog around a lot of Halloween decor or unpredictable situations and you're intentionally helping them learn how to navigate it.

That's it.

Otherwise, we're just causing unnecessary fear to a dog for our entertainment.

And look, I'm not sitting up here on my high horse judging you if you've done it before.
Because I've done it too. (Peep the photo.)

But that's kind of the whole point I'm trying to make here.

The more I learned about how dogs actually experience the world, the more I started questioning the things I did simply because that's what dog owners do.

Instead of asking, "Would this be funny?"

I started asking:
"What is my dog learning from this?"

And that one question will change the way you raise your dog.

Training isn't just teaching sit, down, stay and recall.
Your dog is learning ALL. THE. TIME.

They're learning whether new things are safe.
Whether you'll listen when they're uncomfortable.
Whether the world is predictable.
And whether they can trust you when it isn't.

That's the kind of dog training we teach at Common Scents.

Not how to create a dog who blindly complies with everything you ask.

How to understand the dog standing in front of you...their brain, their genetics, their environment, and what their behavior is actually telling you.

If you're ready to stop asking, "How do I make my dog listen?" and start asking, "What is my dog trying to tell me?"

Apply for a FREE Evaluation at:
www.commonscentsdogtraining.com

10/13/2026

Abilene pet owners: what’s the ONE thing you wish someone could take off your plate?

The dog needs a walk, the yard needs scooped, you’re headed out of town, or your pet needs a ride to the vet…what would make your life easier?

If these were available locally, which would you actually use?

🐕 Dog training
🏡 Drop-in pet sitting
🦮 Dog walking
🌳 Dog adventures: sniffing and exploring beyond the neighborhood
💩 Yard p**p cleanup
🐈 Litter box cleaning
🚗 Pet taxi: rides to and from vet/grooming/boarding appointments

Drop your top one or two in the comments.
Or tell me what I missed!

I’d love to know what pet services Abilene actually needs.

10/12/2026

Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. And that should scare you.

Dog training is an unregulated industry.

This means that someone can wake up today, call themselves a trainer, and start taking clients.

Scary, right?

This might seem kind of dramatic, but I get the privilege of fixing dogs that other trainers have screwed up and do so daily.

This is why I chose to become a Certified Dog Trainer with CCPDT.
So that dog owners know that the trainer they’re working with is educated and held do a standard.

With my CPDT-KA certification, I had to have 300 hours of hands-on experience, hundreds of hours of studying, recommendation letters, and pass a pretty intense test.

We also have to Continuing Education Units each year.

All of mine are in behavior and aggression…because I’m studying to take the Certified Dog Behavior Consultant exam. (And I’m a total nerd about this stuff.)

The courses I’ve taken for “fun” (aka CEU’s):
Applied Behavior Analysis
Health, Development, and Life Stages
Anatomy, Physiology, & Biology
Ethology, Body Language, and Observational Skills
Scientific Method
Understanding Canine Behavior
Becoming a Behavior Consultant
Aggression in Dogs Masterclass
Family Dog Mediator
Behavior Adjustment Training (B.A.T)

For me, there is CLEARLY more to this dog training thing than popping my phone up on a tripod and recording a TikTok on how to get a dog to sit and lay down.

I don’t collect certifications just because I want letters after my name.
(Although, they DO please me.)

I keep studying because people trust me to know what I’m doing.
And I take that responsibility really fu***ng seriously.

P.S. We’re still doing Free Evaluations. Apply here:
Www.commonscentsdogtraining.com

10/11/2026

You don’t ACTUALLY want a dog who can walk off-leash.

Being able to walk a dog off-leash shouldn’t be the measurement of success.

I get a lot of inquiries from people who want to be able to walk their dogs off-leash.

That’s an immediate “no” for me.

Here’s why:

Most cities and state parks have leash laws.
These laws state that your dog must be on-leash.
This is to protect other people, other dogs, and yes…even your dog.

The standard dog owner is FAR too busy to train a dog’s off leash skills to be to the level of fluency that are required.

You’d need to practice around literally every. Possible. Distraction.

When I see someone with an off-leash dog, my first thought is “I KNOW I could make that dog come over to me.” (I don’t - but I know I could.)

Because most dog owners don’t train for the psycho dog trainer with a point to prove.

Does a dog need space to run and roam? Yes.
Do they need a reliable recall? Also yes.

But we have to follow local leash laws and common sense when it comes to safety.

And to be blunt…you don’t really want an off-leash dog.
You want a dog that is reliable.
A dog you can trust.
A dog that “listens”.

Most dog owners just think that the most impressive version of all of that is a dog off-leash.

And what? Do people not have crippling anxiety like I do?
Even ON a leash, I’m afraid the space station will fall out of the sky and scare my dog to run away because it’s the ONE THING we couldn’t train for.

My dogs are GOOD off-leash.
They’re not going anywhere.
But I still keep them on a long line.

Just leash your dog.
And if you need help navigating leash walking and recall, you should apply for a Free Evaluation here:
www.commonscentsdogtraining.com

10/09/2026

I can’t believe I have to say this.

Your dog HAS to be current on vaccines to be seen by us.

This isn’t optional.
This isn’t a negotiation.
This isn’t a suggestion.

Parvo happens. It’s a real thing.
Rabies happens. It’s a real thing.

The survival rate for parvo?
5-10% without treatment.

The survival rate for distemper?
20%.

The survival rate for RABIES?
0%.
They WILL die.

Every puppy that enters our facility MUST have at least one round of core vaccines and Bordatella. Rabies is required as recommended by your veterinarian (normally after 16 weeks).

Adult dogs must have core vaccines, Rabies, and Bordatella.

In order to keep everyone safe, we verify vaccines by asking for a picture of your dog’s vaccine record prior to the evaluation. If we don't get that vaccine record...your evaluation is cancelled.

You guys would be SHOCKED at how many dogs are not current on vaccines, or have none at all. And you'd be shocked at how many evaluations I've had to cancel this week due to no vaccine records.

As much as this is a business and has to make money…I would rather see you spend your money on vaccines. THAT’S how important this is.

Because this has been such a prevalent issue this week, I am currently working on an Online Puppy Course that will allow people to still get help for their puppies while waiting to get vaccines done.

100% online, at your own pace, with weekly office hours with a trainer to ask questions and get help.

Drop a comment below if this course is something you would be interested in!

P.S. If you’re needing a recommendation on a local veterinarian, we highly recommend Wildcat Vet Services.

10/07/2026

This is my FAVORITE time of year.

Leaves start to fall.
The smells start to change.

And your dog will inevitably start to go WILD!

Every year around this same time, my clients start reporting that their dogs become really goofy, a little distracted, and have zoomies for DAYS!

It’s because the world around them is changing.

The air smells more crisp.
The soil smells different.
The leaves provide cover for fun bugs and small animals.
The weather cools off.
The days are getting shorter.

I mean…we all feel it, right?
Anyone who loves this time of year gets a little squirrely too.

What I love most about the last three months of the year is how the world slows down a little bit.

Suddenly, you have time for that walk and to spend a little bit more time with your dog.
Yeah, the holidays coming up are busy…but in the best way.

This month, we will be helping our followers prepare for the fall craze your dog will go through and upcoming holidays.

So make sure to follow along.

10/06/2026

Here’s what one of our newest clients had to say after their Free Evaluation:

"Had a consultation today and it was such an amazing experience! In one session, I saw my dog LISTEN. Actually, it was immediate. Emily has a gift and I can’t wait for us to learn more!! Thank you!!"

This is why I do these sessions.
Not for likes.
Not for comments.

But for results.
Life-changing results.

Look, I get it.

You’ve probably tried every method under the sun.
Group classes that got you nowhere.
YouTube Trainers gave you conflicting information.

But here’s the thing:

The problem isn’t you.

The problem is you’ve never had someone break it down in a way that actually works for your dog’s brain.
And that’s exactly what I do in these Free Evaluations. And yes, they are free.

But here’s the deal, they’re not for everyone.
We want to work with dog owners who are serious about getting help for their dog and are ready to get to work.

If you’re ready to Apply for a Free Evaluation, click here:
www.commonscentsdogtraining.com