Grunt Style Canine Training

12/03/2025

Can I sleep just 10 more hours, dad?

12/02/2025

Before you hire a dog trainer, slow down.

When you talk to a trainer, write down exactly what they say — word for word.
Then probe anything that sounds broad or polished:
• “Assertive presence.”
Cool. What does that actually look like in practice?
• “Obedience.”
According to who? What does that mean to them, not you?
• “Balanced trainer.”
Balanced how? With what tools? With what philosophy?
• “ #1 in the area.”
Based on what? Reviews? Results? Or just website wording?

If the words are big but the explanations are vague, that’s a red flag.

And here’s the part most people miss:

Your environment influences your decisions.

Stress, fear, pressure, embarrassment, a new baby, a reactive dog — all of that can rush you into choosing someone fast.

Slow the process down.
Ask questions.
Take notes.
Look for clarity, not catchphrases.

A good trainer can explain their approach simply.
A bad one hides behind buzzwords.

Your dog deserves the difference. 🐾

Pictured: When you read claims like this, ask for definitions. Ask for evidence. Ask for clarity. Advertising isn’t training.

Trainers we recommend:
Animal Aide
Eastern Shore
Heyfarm
Sun paws
Mobile bay dog training club.

11/30/2025

Apollo is still looking for his forever home.

11/25/2025

Name: Apollo
Age:3
Breed: German Shepherd/Rottie

About: his family was deployed to Japan and now he’s in need of a loving family. Apollo is a very talented dog, he’s good with kids, dog selective, and people friendly.

11/22/2025

✨ CALL FOR NOMINATIONS —
2025 Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce Shining the Light on Cheboygan Beacon of Excellence Awards! ✨
Nominations are due THIS Friday!

Nominate through the link below of pick uo a paoer copy at the Cheboygan Chamber office!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfctYqnhq41ow28x6W1Z0RDTXUCnH6TX1bHGyh78iBmb6Y-RA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=109825476794026838938

Cheboygan… what a year it has been. Despite unprecedented challenges, our hometown has continued to rise, shine, and show what a truly remarkable community looks like. We’ve witnessed perseverance, compassion, creativity, and leadership in every corner of Cheboygan — from our businesses and organizations to the incredible individuals who go above and beyond every single day.

Now it’s time to shine the light right back on them. 🌟
The Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce Beacon of Excellence Awards celebrate those who make our community brighter — those who lead, lift, support, and inspire.

Being nominated is a true honor, and it means more than many people realize. Your favorites can’t win if they’re not nominated… so take a moment to advocate for the people, organizations, and businesses you believe deserve to be recognized. Celebrate their accomplishments, acknowledge their strides, and help put a spotlight on the efforts that make Cheboygan extraordinary.

📬 And stay tuned… those iconic big, beautiful, COVETED nomination envelopes will be hand-delivered to the Top 3 nominees in each category in early December. It’s one of the most joyful surprises of the season, and we cannot wait!

Let’s lift up the best of the best.
Let’s shine the light on Cheboygan.
And let’s celebrate together at the 2025 Beacon of Excellence Awards.

We are sooooo excited to celebrate our incredible community! 💙❤️💡

11/21/2025

Gang, I need help finding this dude a home!
Name:Apollo
Age: 3 years

Very outgoing and energetic dog, dog selective, is good with kids. If you’d like to find out more or meet this dude. Feel free to reach out.

11/21/2025

11/19/2025

Mission complete and now I need food/rest

11/18/2025

Today’s training didn’t go the way I originally planned — and the language I use to describe that matters just as much as the work itself.

When I say I felt flustered, I don’t mean incompetent.
When I say it was challenging, I don’t mean impossible.
When I say it was too soon for the plan, I don’t mean I failed.

Those distinctions matter.
The words we choose don’t just describe our experience — they shape it.

A lot of people jump straight to harsh self-labels when things get tough:
“I’m lazy.”
“I messed everything up.”
“I can’t handle this.”

But most of the time, the truth is something much simpler and far more workable:
“I’m adapting.”
“I need to pivot.”
“This wasn’t the right moment.”

That’s exactly what happened today.

Rather than force a session that wasn’t aligning, I shifted. It wasn’t an escape; it was a decision to keep momentum without burning myself — or the dogs — out. The adjustment kept the whole room moving forward instead of spiraling.

And even the walk afterward wasn’t an escape.
That language doesn’t serve me.
I call it decompression or recovery, because I always return to the work.
If I label it as running away, my mind will weaponize that against me later — and that’s how people talk themselves out of their own progress.
The words matter. They shape how you come back to the moment.

Here’s how the crew handled the shift:

Maximus — I don’t do much “place” work with him, so I wasn’t surprised he struggled. That’s not a flaw in him — that’s a gap in our reps, and we’ll fill it.

Blink — Managed Max’s chaos like a pro. Calm, steady, grounded energy. Exactly what I needed from him.

Oliver — Just a silly dude doing some heeling, happy to work and happy to move.

Blink (again) — His flow between positions is still capped. That’s been part of his personality since he arrived. Nothing “wrong” with it — it just means our next project is shifting away from place and heeling and into work that opens up those transitions.

Today wasn’t about things going wrong — it was about reading the moment, choosing better language, and adjusting without attacking myself for it.

Training isn’t just physical reps.
It’s emotional reps, too.
And the words you use to talk about your own experience matter more than you think.