Smiles Dog Training

07/27/2025

Being disabled in America has always been hard. But right now? It’s terrifying.

As someone living with migraine disease, I rely on access to specific medication, research-backed care, and specialists who understand my condition.

And with disability rights being dismantled, healthcare systems weakened, and science devalued, I’m scared.

Scared of losing access to treatments that keep me on my feet and with relatively manageable pain.

Scared of having to fight harder to be believed and supported in medical settings and social services.

Scared for my community, especially those already facing even more systemic barriers.

This isn’t just about politics, it’s about survival.

And it’s about the right to exist and to live with dignity and support.

To my fellow disabled folks: I see you.

To those feeling overwhelmed right now: You are not alone.

To everyone else: Please fight for us. You never know when you might join us.

📸 by

07/24/2025

Chronic illness reshaped my experience and made me a better behavior specialist.

Migraine disease has taken so much from me. My energy. My predictability. My sense of control.

But it’s also given me something: a deeper understanding of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t always feel good and how that shapes behavior.

When a dog hesitates or struggles, I don’t just ask “How do I fix this?”
I ask:
❔What might this feel like for them?
❔Is there discomfort or overwhelm?
❔How can I make this moment more doable?

Living with chronic illness has made me a more attuned trainer, a more compassionate listener, and a better advocate, for dogs and their humans.

Disability changes everything. And sometimes, it makes you better in ways you never expected.

Have you experienced something in your life that brought you closer to understanding your dog’s experience? Share with us in the comments!

📸 by

07/17/2025

Let’s talk about invisible disabilities.

Migraine disease is a neurological condition, not just a bad headache.

Here’s what that can look like for me:
* Days where I can’t tolerate light, sound, or movement
* Attacks that appear suddenly and last for hours or days
* Heat and stress acting as major triggers (hello, Arizona summer)
* Brain fog, memory issues, and executive dysfunction

Even with effective treatment, I still average one migraine attack a week. So I’ve modified my business and my schedule around how my brain and body function. It means less clients and more pacing, less availability and more rest, less quick replies and more patience.

The truth is: this work is my passion, and I will do it until my body just can’t anymore. I don’t want to do anything else, and I’m thankful that I have the support to keep going with my business, taking breaks when I need to. But I also know not everyone has the support or flexibility to keep working through disability. I honor that too.

July is Disability Pride Month, and I’m proud to share my experience in hopes it creates more understanding, more empathy, and more access for all.

📸 by

07/13/2025

Some days I crush it. Some days I cancel everything. That’s what chronic illness looks like for me.

Disability Pride Month is about visibility and truth. So here’s mine: I live with migraine disease.

It got considerably more debilitating last year, and I’ve had to change how I work, play, and show up every day. Just the other day I forgot to take my morning medications and pushed myself into a pretty bad flare up.

I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing it because being disabled doesn’t always look how people expect. I still love my job. I still show up for my clients. But I do it differently now: on my terms, with new boundaries and systems that support my body. As much as possible of course. Some days are still just rough af.

To every pet parent who’s shown me patience, rescheduled a session with kindness, or simply asked, “How are you doing today?”… you’ve helped make my work more sustainable and inclusive. Thank you!

📸 by

07/09/2025

🌈 He was the heartbeat at my feet.

It’s been a quiet shift, one day at a time, navigating the world without Finnick by my side. He wasn’t just “a dog.” We walked this life together for 14 years. He was my teacher, my mirror, my home, my heart.

To everyone who has reached out with kind words or quiet presence, thank you. It means more than I can say. Tidus, my partner, and I are figuring out what life looks like now as a solo-dog household, honoring the space Finnick filled so fully.

Grief isn’t linear. And in the world of dogs, where we give so much of our hearts away, it can feel especially deep. I’m giving myself grace. And holding space for those of you who’ve walked this path too.

We don’t “get over” dogs like Finnick. We just learn how to carry the love differently.

07/05/2025

In case you’ve lost or found a pet today ❤️

Here you can find resources to help you find a lost pet and what to do if you find an animal.

05/29/2025

My heart dog is gone. He passed this week and I will be taking bereavement. I don’t have any more words right now. Thank you for your understanding.

04/23/2025

🚨 Heads up, pet owners and outdoor lovers! The number of rabies-related incidents have been increasing statewide, so protect yourselves and your pets by keeping a safe distance from wildlife. This is especially important for animals that may be behaving abnormally, like appearing aggressive or lacking a fear of humans. Read more: https://bit.ly/4cIBVYq.

Please note: AZGFD file photo of a gray fox, not fox involved in this incident.

03/19/2025

RECALL ALERT - Petdine, LLC. is voluntarily recalling select Zesty Paws soft chews due to potential Salmonella contamination. These products were distributed to one consignee in Illinois, with no further distribution. For more information and affected lots, visit: https://bit.ly/4hFCrar

02/03/2025

The H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as H5N1 or bird flu, typically infects poultry and wild birds but has also recently infected dairy cattle and domestic cats.

The current public health risk is low, but this is an evolving situation as the virus continues to mutate, and protecting our cats may help mitigate public health concerns.

Swipe through to read our latest tips on how to keep you and your cat safe. 🐾

12/12/2024

At this point in time, most folks understand the link between pain and behavior. It’s logical: you don’t feel well, you have less patience and tolerance, you lash out or shut down or otherwise are not the best version of yourself. It makes sense that the same would be true for dogs.

But how do we know there is pain with animals who cannot verbalize that pain?

The short answer: we can’t know.

The longer answer: we also can’t know there ISN’T pain.

Meet Malus.

From puppyhood, he’s been a little spicy. But he’s a terrier, so that’s normal, right? He didn’t like having his feet handled. No biggie. And as he got older, he got a little reactive to other dogs - again, see “terrier” in the dictionary. And after he got neutered at 2.5 years old, his behavior spiraled - going after his housemates, aggression directed at his owners, even less tolerance for handling, increased fence fighting. But there’s some evidence of increased aggression after neutering, so maybe he just got unlucky.

For many folks, that explanation would’ve been enough. They would’ve worked on behavior modification, or just accepted a crate and rotate household, or managed the heck out of all of his triggers… or, honestly, would’ve ended up euthanizing him for his dangerous behavior.

Luckily, Malus’s mom is Katrina, who is essentially a terrier in a human body. She dug in.

Training, a veterinary behaviorist, consulting with other behavior experts, expensive testing - and then we got our first physical explanation: low zinc.

But even with a zinc supplement, his aggressive episodes remained unpredictable. Katrina had noticed some very, very intermittent lameness, foot chewing, butt/tail biting, so off they went to the first orthopedic specialist - one who cleared him orthopedically for all activities.

So they did physical therapy, and pain meds, and kept working on training.

But the weird, mild lameness continued, and so did visits to specialists. A neurologist who recommended an MRI, then more physical therapy for a possible psoas strain, different meds, another orthopedic/rehab specialist consultation, adjustments to physical therapy, a PEMF bed for home use, adjustments to behavior meds, consults with nationally respected trainers and behavior specialists, and finally - FINALLY - a recommendation to see a pain management specialist.

“I think he may have Tethered Cord Syndrome. I’m going to try different pain meds, but there’s a specialist in Massachusetts you should get in touch with.”

With the new meds on board, his behavior improved. He was brighter, happier, had fewer episodes of lameness, self mutilation, and aggression.

Yesterday, Malus had a dynamic MRI at Tufts, where Tethered Cord Syndrome was confirmed.

Today, he had surgery to relieve the adhesions to his spinal cord that have been causing him pain.

He was never “just being a terrier.” He was not acting out for no good reason. He didn’t need harsher training methods. He wasn’t aggressing for no reason.

He was in pain.

There are no words to adequately describe how thrilled I am for Katrina and Malus to have this diagnosis and surgery in their rear view mirror - it has been a long time coming. The strain on Katrina and Kevin’s emotions, time, resources, finances, and household over the last 5 years cannot be overstated. Most folks wouldn’t - and couldn’t - go to the lengths they did.

We can’t rule out pain. We can only rule out specific issues and diagnoses. For Malus, it took finding the right vet who had heard about this rarely diagnosed issue to connect them with the vet who could help.

To my clients I encourage to work with their veterinarian to try to find any physical explanations: Katrina and Malus are the reason why I will push you more if your primary care vet shrugs you off. It’s why I will push and push and push, especially if your commitment to training and management is excellent but we still are struggling to make progress. Malus is on my shoulder (sometimes literally), poking me with his nose, screeching in my ear to look harder.

If you’ve ever heard him, you know how hard that ✨ delightful ✨ noise is to ignore.

(PS - Here’s your sign to sign up for pet insurance.)

To learn more about Tethered Cord Syndrome:
https://vet.tufts.edu/news-events/news/breakthrough-surgical-procedure-relieves-dogs-chronic-pain

09/15/2024