ShawShack K9

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

Best advice ever especially with high drive high energy puppies. I get so many naughty dogs in my training program and a lot of them are just over stimulated. Slow down. Enjoy your puppy. Let them be a puppy.

🐾 YOUR PUPPY DOES NOT NEED TO BE ENTERTAINED EVERY WAKING SECOND.

I said what I said. 🙃

Somewhere along the way, we decided that if a puppy is awake, we need to be doing something with it.

Playing. Training. Toys. Walks. Enrichment. More toys. More activities. More stimulation.

STOP.

Puppies need to learn how to do nothing.

They need naps. They need quiet time. They need to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around entertaining them every second they’re awake.

A puppy who is constantly stimulated can quickly become a puppy who expects constant stimulation.

Then you end up with a dog who can’t settle unless someone is actively entertaining them.

Teaching your puppy to relax, chew a toy, hang out in their crate, lie at your feet, or simply EXIST without demanding attention is just as important as teaching sit, down and recall.

And no, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise, train, play with, or enrich your puppy. Those things are important!

But balance is everything.

Your goal isn’t to create a puppy who is constantly exhausted.

It’s to raise a dog who knows how to turn it on AND turn it off.

Because eventually, you’re going to want to sit on the couch without your dog demanding a full-time entertainment director.

07/24/2026

Keep your pets healthy, protected, and easy to identify by staying up to date on vaccinations and microchipping!

Join Odessa Animal Services for a Drive-Thru Animal Vaccine Clinic. Simply stay in your vehicle while your pet receives its vaccines and microchip.

Cash only.

Animal Services
432-368-3527
odessa-tx.gov/animalservices
Email: [email protected]

06/08/2026

If you are traveling to Mexico with your dog please be aware you MUST have a screwworm exam from a vet in Mexico BEFORE coming back to the United States! This is a SERIOUS problem. They are supposed to be asking for certificates at the border crossings but as pet and livestock owners that responsibility falls to us too! Don’t be irresponsible. As an owner of livestock and a dog boarding facility that lives less than 15 miles from the Andrews County line this news is terrible. If your dog has travelled to Mexico in the last 30 days they will not be allowed on my property.

06/02/2026

Proud sponsor of West Texas Renaissance Faire!!!!

Huge shout out and thank you to all of our amazing sponsors! We couldn’t have pulled this off without you! Huzzah!!

06/01/2026

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity before July 4th fireworks. We still have a couple of spots in our class Tuesday night at 7pm and our Saturday class at 2pm!!!

05/29/2026

We have a few spots left in both classes! Let me know if you’d like to attend!!

The 4th of July holiday will be here before you know it! More dogs go missing during Independence Day celebrations than any other US holiday due to panic from firework displays. If your dog struggles with noises like fireworks, thunderstorms, backfires, gunshots, and the trash truck this would be a great class for you! If your dog is aggressive, shy, not current on vaccines THAT'S OK because this class is just for YOU! We want to teach you things you can do to help your dog that you can practice with them at home. No dogs will be attending the hour long class but I will be demonstrating the exercises with some of my personal dogs to help you see how things work. The classes will be held inside our training building and seating is limited. These techniques can be used on older dogs that already have opinions about scary noises as well as new puppies that you want to prevent developing that anxiety. We use these techniques on adults and even our newborn puppies we raise. For just $25 you will get an hour of instruction with demonstrations, a handout covering the exercises used in the class, a certificate of attendance (if needed), and one free ID tag for your dog at home and you can purchase more at $5 each. Contact us today to get signed up! Well trained dogs live better lives!

05/21/2026

Don’t forget to sign up for our noise desensitization training for 6/2 or 6/6. This is an easy informative 1 hour class to teach you techniques to help your dog or puppy with sudden loud noises for just $25. Spaces are limited and we already have people signed up for both dates. Message us on FB or txt our phone number to get signed up!

The 4th of July holiday will be here before you know it! More dogs go missing during Independence Day celebrations than any other US holiday due to panic from firework displays. If your dog struggles with noises like fireworks, thunderstorms, backfires, gunshots, and the trash truck this would be a great class for you! If your dog is aggressive, shy, not current on vaccines THAT'S OK because this class is just for YOU! We want to teach you things you can do to help your dog that you can practice with them at home. No dogs will be attending the hour long class but I will be demonstrating the exercises with some of my personal dogs to help you see how things work. The classes will be held inside our training building and seating is limited. These techniques can be used on older dogs that already have opinions about scary noises as well as new puppies that you want to prevent developing that anxiety. We use these techniques on adults and even our newborn puppies we raise. For just $25 you will get an hour of instruction with demonstrations, a handout covering the exercises used in the class, a certificate of attendance (if needed), and one free ID tag for your dog at home and you can purchase more at $5 each. Contact us today to get signed up! Well trained dogs live better lives!

05/20/2026

FREE

Online sport SAR mantrailing course

Join Melissa Stagnaro, training director for ARSA the all-breed American Working Dog Federation Sport Search and Rescue U.S. organization, for a six-month course to prepare you, your dog, and your team of helpers for the FCI/IRO Sport SAR Mantrailing tests.

Beginning June 2 and every other Tuesday (skipping one date, see below), from 8P - 10P Eastern U.S. time, there will be an interactive Zoom call covering:

Scent specific foundation
Scent specific training
Building mantrailing skills for dog, handler, and trail layer
Why your training isn't as effective as it could be
Starts
Scent challenges
Trail difficulty factors
Boots on the ground planning
Final indication and continued training

Pass this invitation on to your mantrailing friends and your trail layers, flankers, and trail plotters.


No experience needed to join. For those new to mantailing, there will be time during each class for questions. Mantrailing requires a support team of humans but this course will give you exercises to work on your own to make the most of the group time as well as tips on how to find or make a trailing training group.

How to join

To be invited to the first lecture or to receive the link to the first lecture's recording you must email me no later than June 1, 2026.

To be invited to the second and all subsequent lectures you must opt in during the live class or by commenting on the recording.

To sign up and for any questions email - [email protected]

Session dates
June 2
June 16
June 30
July 14
*Skip 28th*
Aug 11
Aug 25
Sept 8
Sept 22
Oct 6
Oct 20
Nov 3
Nov 17

Pictured are Melissa, her GSP, trail layer, and support team at the successful conclusion of the GAK9 urban level 4 double blind test; passing this test is extremely uncommon and they passed this test on the first attempt.

04/30/2026

Thank you to Midland RockHounds for a super fun Bark in the Park! The weather was great and the crowd was awesome! We made free Pet ID tags for visitors and introduced our two youngest ShawShack puppy pals! Lily has already been to some big events but this was her first baseball game. She will be joining our therapy dog program as soon as we can find a tester/observer! This was Indy’s FIRST big event! He is just 6 months old but he did GREAT! I could not be happier with these two ambassadors! Well trained dogs live better lives!