The Practical Dog

18/07/2025

Nothing unusual here ... everything as it should be.
And yet just two days ago, this was impossible.

Lucy, a 10 year old x breed, has a lot of anxiety that I was called in to help with.
Part of the end result of that anxiety was her reaction to the television if there was a dog or dogs in the program or movie they were watching.
Lucy's reaction to the sight or sound of a dog on the TV was SO bad that her family could not watch a movie or a show that had even one dog in it.
This resulted in one owner, who really wanted to see the movie "Dog", to have to go somewhere besides home to watch it.
It was also affecting their family Thanksgiving.
They have Thanksgiving at the wife's mothers house.
Mom likes to watch the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving.
Mom has not been able to do so in years due to Lucy's endless LOUD barking, hackles up at the TV without even pausing for a breath.

What you see here is the result of one meeting with Lucy's family -
no leash
no treats
no yelling
no correction

When she'd start barking at the TV, we'd simply get up and walk her out of the living room, saying nothing. Once out of the room, she was immediately quiet so was invited back in.

After a few repetitions, Lucy learned the cause and effect of her barking at the TV - bark and be invited to leave the room and the family, or be quiet and be with the family, and that the dogs on the TV were nothing to be concerned with and laying quietly near her family trumps her unfounded worry.
We didn't share her worry and once she was quiet in the living room she was able to pick up on that - her family behaved no differently when there were dogs on the TV than when there weren't.
Dogs are family animals, just as we are, they want to be with their family, so showing them how to accomplish that gives them the ability to relax, be at peace and enjoy life.

Her anxiety also bleeds into other areas of her life and responses, so we will be addressing those over the next 3 weeks while we work to get to the core and root cause of her anxiety and relieve that so she can spend her remaining years in a happy state of mind free of worry.

Anxiety rarely, if ever, shows itself in just one response or behaviour; it can affect many aspects of a dogs reactions and all of their life and mindset.
A dog living with anxiety is not living their best life, with the right tools and knowledge, you can change it - and you owe it to your dog to do so.
I am so happy for Lucy that her family is willing to do the work to change it and give Lucy her best life

16/07/2025

Like a dog with a bone, I tend to chew on big decisions. My mom used to tell me to "sleep on it" before deciding one way or another.
I've chewed this bone for awhile now - last night I slept on it.

There are some big changes in store for my family and TPD later this year - we're expanding to a full Training and Rehabilitation center so that I can help more dogs in more places.

Over the years I've been flown in to other states to help rehabilitate last chance dogs as well has having had dogs sent to me to train, handle and title in AKC Rally and Obedience.
With the new center I will be in a better position to do more of both while also serving my local community with their needs.
This expansion will also include partnering with another trainer who specializes in Retriever Hunt Training as well as training, preparing and handling dogs in AKC Rally and general companion dog training.

We're excited for this venture and the chance to help more dogs and their humans live their best lives. I will share more as this new adventure unfolds.

Every dog deserves a home and every family deserves to experience the joy of a good companion.

12/07/2025

The word "unusual" is defined as: different from others of the same type in a way that is surprising, interesting, or attractive.
Or in the case of well mannered, balanced dogs - a repellent to those with out-of-control dogs.
Take for instance this photo; we had just reached the one mile mark of our walk and I put the dogs on rest because it was still fairly toasty despite it being late evening and nearing sunset, so before heading back I gave them a rest and some water while I did the same.

All along our walk we passed dozens of people and the dogs never broke stride, all walking next to me at my pace regardless of other goings on; joggers, skateboards, bikes, none of it changed the walk. I was able to greet people in passing, or on occasion, stopping and chatting without them leaving my side, they would take that opportunity to lie down because that is the natural state of dogs moving with purpose, to rest when stopped. A dog in a natural state has two modes, moving and resting. When we would come up on someone with a dog, they never blinked, didn't give the other dog a thought or care despite many of those dogs being in an excited state.
The thing I found odd was the response of those excited, unmanaged dogs handlers - when they would see us walking their way, despite my dogs behaviour, they would move off to the side 20 to 30 feet and hold there watching us until we passed, as if worried that my dogs might react to theirs or overwhelm their dog by shear numbers. I had no worries that my dogs would do anything other than what they were doing - walking with me; we're a team, a family, a pack - we stay together, and we were walking with a purpose.

When I am out with my dogs I stay acutely aware of my surroundings, you never know what you may run across and my job is to protect my dogs from any and all disruptions and/or assaults, so I keep my 360 vision on.
When this picture was taken I noticed a youngish couple with 3 large dogs who had just entered the park from the opposite side of the street. Obviously the two of them just home from work, it was time to get the dogs out - "dragging" their owners would be putting it mildly, these 3 would have given a sled dog team a run for their money, to every bush, tree, blade of grass; leashes getting tangled, dogs all over the place. The plain and simple fact is, they had no control of the dogs whatsoever, it is an accident waiting to happen. The dogs excited state was more than they could handle, so after each one had 'done its business', and having barely 'walked' 50 yards, they turned them around and headed back home; all the while staring at my dogs as if expecting them to leap up and .... do something, because I wasn't holding their leashes.
They didn't seem to see the differences in my dogs and theirs and appeared to assume mine were as unmanageable as theirs, I could tell by the way they watched my dogs that they expected the worse from them because that was their experience with dogs.
I would love for people to "see" a different experience with their own dogs so they could see it in others, so they could experience the same joy as I do when walking with their dogs.

It doesn't matter how many dogs you have.
It doesn't matter how long the problems have gone on.
It can change.
Every dog deserves to enjoy life, every family deserves to have a dog or dogs they can relax and enjoy life with.
This is such a beautiful area, and a wonderful place to start or end the day with a walk with your dog(s) and just relax. How fortunate we are to have a place where we can enjoy both shady, grassy parks and the beach on the same walk; watch the sun rise or set and hang out with our best friend.

I understand why dogs that behave that way don't get the exercise they need, and I understand the frustration it causes their families living with insanely excited dogs all of the time - but it can change.

Taking your dogs for a walk and having them in a calm state of mind should not be seen as "unusual", it should be the norm, and it opens doors for the two of you to do so much more.
For the dogs sake, for the families sake, do what you need to do to change it. Having dogs that are calm on a walk doesn't mean they are brain dead, unhappy drones - the 3 dogs in this photo are all multi titled in dogs sports, including Lure Coursing and FastCats - they run, they play, we play together - but when we walk together, we walk with purpose together, in a calm and relaxed state. It keeps everyone safe as well as meeting the natural needs of both dog and human.

You can have it all and in the end, both dogs and humans are happier.

https://ThePracticalDog.net
https://lesacrowe.bio.link

10/07/2025

Get Ready for the winter AKC Rally trials!
Rally Novice Prep Class (includes instruction) or Rally Novice run Through (no instruction)

Starts Thursday September 11th and runs for four (4) weeks
Location: Foley, AL

Rally Novice Run Through 5PM to 6PM - Drop in $15 (cash only)
Rally Novice Prep Class 6:15PM to 7:30PM - Instruction Class $120 (pre-pay)

We will be covering all Novice signs and using course maps designed and used by AKC judges in AKC Rally Novice A and B competitions.
We will also cover check-in procedures and order for those new to AKC Rally competitions.

Prep Class will be limited to 5 teams, pre-registration is required via contact form on our website: https://ThePracticalDog.net

Video - Archer and me AKC Rally Novice title run.
Score 100 / 100
Placement 1st
White Feathers Bad Moon Rising CD, RN, AD, RI, RA, BCAT, CA, FDC, TKN, FTN, AKC FIT DOG, CGC, CGCU

08/07/2025

The number 1 reason given for "rehoming" a dog is behaviour problems.

The easiest thing to prevent are behaviour problems.

Some of the most challenging things to 'fix' are set behaviour problems.

Most behaviour problems are near impossible for the average pet owner to fix on their own without the help of a professional. Simple math - if they know enough to fix them, they knew enough to prevent them.

If your dog has reached 18 months, 2 years or more of age and the only thing that you can think to say about him / her is that s/he is housebroken and knows how to "sit", and you are having behaviour problems, it's time for a change.

You don't have to be a dog sport enthusiast to have a Good Dog. The best dogs, ALL dogs, no matter their "job" should be given the opportunity to be a great companions first and foremost. This is one of the number 1 ways to prevent behaviour problems.

Learn what you need to know to PREVENT or fix problems.

Your dog deserves the benefit of both one home for life and the education it needs to accomplish that with understanding and clarity.

If you've gotten caught up with life and didn't see the potential outcome of the beginning of problems, and they are reaching "S/he's gotta go" proportions or have realized that your dogs behaviour is impacting your family life to a negative degree, we are available to help your dog see its best self and live its best life.

Don't let one mistake be the end of a relationship that has yet to begin. Your dog needs you more than you need him.

https://ThePracticalDog.net
https://lesacrowe.bio.link

06/07/2025

We have one spot available for the
Jump Start™ Board & Train Program beginning July 21st!

If you are interested in this spot, contact us to set up a phone consult and evaluation / assessment.

Happy Training! 🐾🐕

If you are interested in a Board & Train program for your companion or competition dog, please complete the contact form. Once it is received we will schedule a call with you to go over details, ask and answer questions and schedule the required assessment / evaluation.  

02/07/2025

Bella - stepping up the game.
Overall, Bella is a sweetheart of a dog and gets on well with the other, older dog in the home; but when it comes to other animals, be they dogs or livestock she has discernment issues.
She has been a willing student and has learned proper greeting skills when people enter the home having learned to stay calm and not jump on people or invade their space uninvited when they sit on the sofa and chairs socializing.
She has also learned to kennel when asked without the previous "no, chase me catch me" silliness she was doing prior. And because of her improved behaviour with guests, she isn't being required to remain in her kennel when people arrive.
Win win for all involved.
She has excelled at learning the desired Trade Skills™, so the next logical step was to work on her reaction the the livestock that will eventually be a daily part of her life.

Her first time meeting the horses at her owners Retirement Home Rescue for racing horses and dairy cattle she was not properly introduced and one of her owners misread her body language missing all of the signs of an impending bite. And Stella didn't disappoint when one of the unknowing horses had its nose low enough for her to offer a bite, she did just that.
As bites go, it wasn't a bad one and what most refer to as a "nip", but with a nip being nothing more than the degree of the bite, it is something that absolutely needs to be addressed properly, without panic and without punishment - Stella needs to learn a new way of being around livestock.

At our last meeting we met at the owners 400 acre rescue and started from scratch, and that means from the moment the car door is opened and how she is to exit the vehicle. If you allow a dog to exit a vehicle in an excited, head long manner, they will take that energy with them moving forward, and that results in owners pulling and tugging and nagging on the leash while the dog pays no heed.
So we begin at the beginning!
It took the better part of 20 minutes to show Stella that she wasn't going to be permitted to leap out of the door as soon as it was opened and that she needed to calm her mind before there would be any moving forward.
Once she was settled she was leashed and then asked to exit calmly.
From there was spent time well back from the livestock and allowed her to engage her nose and eyes while continuing to ask her to be calm until eventually we were able to walk up the the fences of the horses first and then the cows, pet and love on them without her moving towards them, allowing them to relax.

While we were doing this I was showing the owners what body language to watch for in Stella and when to redirect her attention away from the animals as well as building a barrier for Stella by showing her that she needs to remain a few feet back from all livestock fences and all livestock faces.

All in all it went very well! There was no lunging, no barking, no attempt to engage the animals while at the same time Stella got the opportunity to learn about these large, gentle creatures by being back far enough to watch them and learn their body language while also being able to fill her nose with their scent and see the bond between them and the owner.
Now going to the farm will be a daily part of Stella's training going forward so she can have the practice needed to refine her understanding of expectations so that when the owners do move to the property there won't be mistakes that could result in disaster.

This is not for the purpose of ever allowing Stella or their other dog into the pastures with the livestock, most of these animals have had a hard go at things, being chased or harassed by a dog will not be part of their retirement, but Stella learning to stay back from the fences and more relaxed around the large animals will help them all have a better life.

The first picture is an example of body language from Stella that needed to be redirected - strong eye contact engagement, wrinkled forehead, ears beginning to move forward, leaning into the leash... all telltale signs of what was on her mind and what her next move would be should we allow that thought process to become action. Once redirected she quickly relaxed and while holding Stella's leash I was able move forward without her and love on Ted (who wouldn't want to love on Ted!!).
The following pictures show her being calm while her owner gave affection to the horses and the cows becoming completely relaxed in Stella's presence.

https://ThePracticalDog.net
https://lesacrowe.bio.link

29/06/2025

With July 4th just around the corner, it seems a good time to address dogs getting out and running loose.

We see them everyday, posts on social media about a dog running loose or someone who is asking the community to keep an eye out for their dog (and all too often "to keep an eye out again") because it has taken off.
This isn't directed at those who choose to allow their dogs to roam free, this is for those who dogs "escape and run away".

Unless the dog is picked up by ACO or a neighbor or hit by a car, the vast majority of them take themselves back home. So what's the deal?
It's simple - your dog isn't "running away", your dog is "running TO"; or put another way, you are not meeting your dogs needs so he's tending to them himself.

Dogs need more than food, water a bed and love; they need to MOVE. They are physically and genetically designed to move, and this is why daily walks are important and necessary.
Not a stroll around the block, but a structured walk, a walk with purpose, because that is how dogs move ... with purpose.

Dogs that get daily, structured walks don't "escape" and "run off".
Dogs that get daily walks aren't nutso crazy in the house and yard.
Dogs that get daily walks aren't spending their waking hours destroying things or digging holes or "looking for a way out".
Dogs that get daily walks have a calm mind and a healthy body.

What is a structured walk?
A structured walk is one where YOU decide where you are going and you go there. It is not a "stop every 3 steps and sniff for 2 minutes" stroll around the block.
It is a walk where you have a plan and walk from point A to point B and then back home with A stop along the way when you know (because you know your dog well enough to know what they're telling you) your dog needs to toilet, allowing them to do so and then moving on.
Dogs do not need to p*e where every dog in a 12 block radius has p*ed! It does not matter male or female, the walk is not so they can mark everything between your home and kingdom come! Marking is a behaviour, not a 'need'. They are not wild animals with miles of territory they need to claim everyday, and marking can lead to bad leash behaviour should they see a dog coming their way where they've already marked and claimed a spot as "theirs".
Unless your dog is paying your rent or everyone else's lawn care, they own nothing, and marking is nothing more than a dog laying claim to an area or item.
I keep intact males and do not have dogs that mark outside of their own yard - they are free and welcome to lay claim to their own yard.

It really pays to understand dogs and why they do the things they do, and some of those things simply don't need to be done!
When you are holding the leash, you are driving the bus, not the passenger, so ... move and your dog will move with you!

The misconception about a dogs need to bury its nose in every smell doesn't help people on their walks either. I'm not saying a dog should never be allowed to sniff, but for most people the "walk" is more of a "wait" for them than it is about movement because they think they need to allow their dog to stop and sniff every blade of grass.
A dog can smell 10 drops of bleach in an olympic size pool, they do not need to stop and bury their nose in a smell to know what they are smelling, that is human confusion of what a dog needs.
A dog needs to MOVE to satisfy it's mind and body.

"It's too hot to walk"
Not if you walk early morning or in the evening it isn't. And with the number of dogs that bust out mid day willing to brave the heat to meet their needs ... think about it.

"I don't have time"
Then you don't have time for a dog.

"My dog is terrible on a leash"
That'll happen when its never practiced. When was the last time you got good at anything you didn't practice? When was the last time you started something new that wasn't a bit of a challenge at first until the learning curve was met?
And if you need help learning those skills ... there's about 400 trainers in Baldwin county, any one of which would be happy to teach you!

Walk your dog BEFORE you feed them, not after. A nice, structured walk prior to eating goes to the heart of meeting a dogs primal needs. In the animal world, you move to "find food". If you do this you will discover that after they eat, they are content for the rest of the day, especially if you walk them in the morning. You can go to work or otherwise tend to your day and your dog is content to do what is natural for them and lay about until the afternoon when they need to toilet. This calm state can carry them through the evening if the walk is properly done, but ideally they are taken for a second walk in the evening BEFORE their dinner.

There is also a physical reason to walk them before you feed - just as with humans, after a meal is eaten the body diverts blood flow to the stomach to aid in digestion, so a dog walking on a fully belly doesn't have the advantage of as much blood flowing to the muscles or brain to reap all of the benefits, they move "lazy" (until excited about something) and it can result in them tiring too quickly while delaying proper digestion.

🐾 🦶Walking your dog helps you learn more about your dog (if you stay off your cell phone and actually spend the time WITH them rather than treating it like another chore that impedes your endless need to be in constant contact with everyone you know).
🐾 🦶Walking your dog aids in developing strong bonds between the two of you, especially if done prior to meals.
🐾 🦶Walking your dog helps build trust.
🐾 🦶Walking your dog actually relieves stress for both of you, it is mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy for all involved.

There is no down side to walking your dog.
There are not many things in life that are 100%, but walking your dog ... 100% benefits, 0 down side.

The point of this post?
To tell you to walk your dog!

28/06/2025

Amelia Rose is a natural born dog person, from the start she has had a sense as to what a dog needs and how to best approach it.
When she was 8 she took Cleo, a 9 year old rescue dog who knew nothing, and trained her to be a reliable off leash dog.
She was one of the first of my students to become an AKC Junior Handler.

Amelia joined Courtney and I this morning on our pack walk handling Violet and Pedro, giving both the walks they needed and also helped them burn some nervous energy by helping them feel comfortable swimming. Once done with them she turned her attention to Jackson, a large boy with a lot of energy to expel!

While most have to learn dog, Amelia was born with the gift, I am always happy when she joins us, she brings the right energy to the walk and exercise with a calm, take it as it comes, approach to dog

26/06/2025

Guinness and Bubba have come a long way.
✅They have learned how to curtail excessive barking and can now watch the golfers come and go from the green without raising the dead with their barking. Still some hackles up at the "interlopers", but quiet - we'll continue working on teaching them a calm mind so they learn not to give the golfers a second thought.
✅Guinness has learned to trust his human on walks and no longer locks up and refuses to move if he hears another dog bark.
✅They have both learned calmer behaviour in the house, and their person can actually have a phone conversation without it being drowned out with their demand barking.
✅They have learned to be calm when someone comes to the house; no more endless barking, they settle and are quiet once their person lets them know she's got it - the door is no longer their business.
✅They have learned that jumping on people is not the way to greet and that affection comes when they are 4 on the floor.
✅They no longer demand bark or get over the top excited about food, treats or toys and now wait and get / play from a calmer mind.

They have become better citizens and better housemates, and as a result of that, their human was able to open her door to a 3rd Dachshund from rescue that needed a home