The Practical Dog

05/07/2025

I thought I'd try something a bit different and am interested in your feedback.
If you've followed my page you know that I like to post educational posts regarding client dogs, most often they are one off posts of a particular dog; so I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice and more beneficial to dog owners if I were to do a sort of accumulative post of a dog / family journey.
In other words, not just a "here's where it ended after working on training and problems" but a post that takes the journey from beginning to end in one post.

That would mean I photograph and video one dog / families each lesson and when we were done with our training, make a post that shows it all so the progression can be seen.
One benefit of this, in my opinion, would be you would be able to see the reality of it, the step by step, that it is not "magic", but a planned, calculated approach to teaching a dog and family what they need to know to accomplish their goals.

Do you think you would like something like this? Benefit more from it?
Or do you prefer the one off lessons?

Let me know in the comments, and feel welcome to add any additional thoughts on the idea (or offer other ideas on what you'd like to see!)

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

Offering both pet and competition dog training. Real training for real dogs for today's world. Fairhope, Private Dog Training

05/02/2025

Being in this business for a long time has both joys and sorrows.
The best part is the people you meet along the way that become, in a sense, family. Watching them grow along with their dog and become a truly bonded family with understanding of one another and open communication is the best part, that is only topped by having someone think of you and reach out years later to both thank you and update you on their goings on, and that is where the sad parts sometimes come in.
While it is moving beyond my ability to express that a family thinks of me a dozen years down the road, it is sad when that is to tell me "as part of the family that loved him", that they want to let me know the dog has passed.

Such is the case with Barkley, a Golden retriever belonging to the Stone family that I began working with when he was just a wee pup. The kids were active participants in rearing Barkley with their parents guidance. They helped teach him games to play that benefited all and would serve him well as an adult, and most of all, they loved him madly. He was taught how to live well in the family and in society; he had excellent social skills and manners and better than average Trade Skills ™.
Barkley was a Good Dog, a fantastic family member, a friend to all, an excellent ambassador for the breed.
He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

The Photos:
Barkley with dad and the 3 kids when we began
Barkley with the 3 "kids" - young adults, shortly before his passing.

05/01/2025

A novel vaccine is showing promise for dogs with cancer.

A Yale researcher developed a vaccine that can slow or halt certain cancers in dogs. And it could be used to treat humans in the future.

04/17/2025

Bridget and I doing some training / refinement out side of a dog park.

Nothing like the chaos of a dog park to help prepare your dog for life as well as competition!

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

Nothing like the outside of a dog park to get your dog better prepared for not only the chaos of life but the energy and chaos of a dog competition! ...

04/14/2025

We wrapped Scouts training up with some work around a local dog park to do some needed proofing in new environments. She has come SO far from where we began.
If you saw any of my previous posts about Scout, when I first arrived on the scene there were no cushions on the furniture because she had taken it over.
She had little to no tolerance for visitors or passers by and went absolutely nuts if she saw another dog.

The living room has been fully restored for human comfort since January.
She doesn't loose her mind all day seeing people and dogs go by the house and she is MUCH better on walks in her neighborhood.

She still needs continued work with her leaning to sometimes get overly excited when on walks, but her owners are more than up to the task utilizing the skills they have learned, and I'm here for follow ups and refreshers when needed.

Scout is a young dog and very biddable with a great family who loves her and supports her education. They enjoy taking local weekend trips and are looking forward to Scout joining them.

04/11/2025

A beautiful morning by the bay -
I met with Vivian and Bailey for a bit the other morning to do some refresher work with Bailey.
Vivian, Bryce and Bailey completed training with me a couple of years ago, but refreshers are a good way to reintroduce and reinforce learned skills and get back on track when things have been allowed to slip. Bailey's leash walking had gotten a little ... sloppy (AKA, he went on full "GO" at the end of the leash, they were towed along!)
Bailey, having had a good foundation, fell right into his previously learned behaviour allowing Vivian to relax and not worry about being pulled about so we spent a relaxing hour by the bay enjoying the spring weather.

With upcoming travel plans that will include Bailey, Vivian wanted to refresh some loose leash walking skills so their cross country trip and vacation in the Rockies is a pleasant one for all.

You're a good dog Bailey!

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

04/09/2025

Guinness' biggest problem was he wasn't getting enough of the 'right kind' of exercise. His owner was talking him on daily walks, but they were dictated by this pint size terror. He decided where they would go, would put on the breaks and refuse to move if the corner she was about to turn wasn't to his liking or he had other ideas. Her world was getting smaller and smaller and she was denying herself the joys of walking and seeing the things she wanted to see and share with Guinness.
It was all about him.
Then he'd come home still boiling over with energy, run crazy through the house, barking and raising holy hell.
When out in the yard, with or without his owner, he would bark at the golfers and dig holes deep enough to bury a small human in.
He was a Dachshund without boundaries.
So we changed that!

I discouraged her from playing ball with him in the house, not only because it was teaching him that this high energy craziness was okay indoors, but lacking carpeting, he was sliding and slipping all over the place and that's simply not good on their body parts.
We started having more directed walks on a regular leash, putting the retractable in a drawer where it belonged (at least for now), and began building a solid, mutually beneficial relationship between the two of them so he understood that to get, one must also give.
His time in the yard is more directed and engaging, with ball play happening outside now he doesn't have the interest in filling in his time by digging holes and his barking at golfers has nearly stopped completely, and on the occasion he does bark, a simple "thank you, that's enough" does the trick.

Now following his walks in the neighborhood, he is happy to come inside and grab a nap allowing his owner the time needed to do adult human things rather than being an on-call 24HR concierges entertainment service.

Their relationship is growing and thriving, both are happier, needs are met and his owner can have the snuggles she was hoping for when brining Guinness home rather than spending all of her time trying to "tire him out" and make him happy at the expense of her own work and happiness..
🙂🐾

Balance in life is everything!
Relationships need to be two way streets with give and take to be successful, happy and beneficial for all involved.
Guinness is a happy guy, and as sweet as can be, and now it is far easier to enjoy that side of him.

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

03/31/2025

Come join us for our last group class before summer sets in!
Class will be on Saturdays beginning April 26th and run for 4 weeks.
Meets will run for approximately 90 minutes, start time is 9AM.
Email via website or bio link to sign up, your email will be followed with a phone consultation.
Learn Trade Skills ™ and good social skills while improving your relationship with your canine partner.

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

03/29/2025

Pringle's Tale -
All 2nd hand dogs have them, much of it often times made up, but here's what is known as fact about Pringle.
He was picked up by ACO at an estimated age of 6+ and taken to the pound, all told he spend 18 months there.
There was one foster home that agreed to take him in while a permentate home was sought, but for reasons undisclosed that lasted less than 48 hours and then it was back to the pound.

Along comes Mary and her husband months later and there was no way she could walk away and leave this dog to spend one more day there, so they decided to adopt him outright, no fostering, no trial period, just "we'll take him".
Needless to say he came with some baggage, most of it due to having spent so long in prision rather than a home with a dedicated family. And like most in these situations ... no training.
He jumped on people, pushed through doors, pulled on walks and destroyed things.

To his credit he's about the friendlest hound you'll ever meet; Pringle really likes people and other dogs and while this doesn't make for the easiest walks just yet, at least they are happy ones!
Having had nothing out side of what the shelter workers gave him by way of toys, he had no way to know that everything soft and rippie wasn't his to rip up, so there was that to contend with - he'd happily grab anything within his reach and race around with it before munching it.
He's been a quick learner and with minimal direction has learned not to do that and to stick to his own toys.
And we've started him on his Trade Skills ™ while teaching him the proper way to ask for affection and interaction from people, replacing is previously known approach of pulling towards, lunging and jumping and have begun teaching him our prefered way of walking on a leash.

Because of his 18 months in a high stress environment where peace and rest came fleetingly, Pringle is still a pretty worn out guy - his energy comes in spirts and depletes quickly at which point he is happy to lay down where ever he happens to be when it hits him and take a long relaxing nap, resting easy and enjoying the calm that his new home surrounds him in.
Because of this I'm taking a different approach to our sessions and stopping when Pringle shows us he needs to rest preferring to have more sessions adapting to his needs rather than pushing through "a package" of sessions.
He needs and deserves the time, and he has certainly earned the peace that comes with a restful nap when he needs it.

He has an appointment with Dr. Riddick (my go to and the vet I refer people to for chiropractic care) to see if he can benefit further by having some adjustments, it stands to reason that so many months in a high stress environment in addition to the endless hours spent in a kennel, he's likely a bit stove up from it - I am hoping this brings him even more relief and happiness.

Pringle is one of those dogs that no matter what people tell you they've been doing that they'd rather they didn't, you know after spending a bit of time with them are really good dogs, they just need the chance to have you show them what you want and they'll happily give it.
One thing is for certain, Pringle will never again spend even one night in the pound, he is home for good, and at 8 years old, he deserves nothing less.

Every Good Dog Deserves Favor

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

03/27/2025

National Terrier Day!

It's a day to honor all terriers, past and present, who have brought love and companionship to our lives.

03/26/2025

Marvin - A 2nd Chance
Marvin is getting a 2nd chance with his new family; like many dogs who find themselves in rescues, his biggest problem was a lack of education and training, and dogs with no education or training are an annoying PIA and all too often, find themselves divorced from their family.
His new family loves him to bits but they want to like him too, as well as give him the life he deserves, so ... we educate and train.

Like many Dachshunds, Marvin was a massive barker, bark, bark, bark, bark; it seemed to never end. After working with him at home, inside and out and around his neighborhood and him showing us he understands that it's not necessary to be on constant verbal alert, he had his first outing yesterday at a local park.
We scheduled our meeting to coincide with the evening walks taken by MANY locals and their dogs along this path, there was even a parrot visiting the park with its owner!
Marvin was fantastic. One short 'outburst' at the start that was quickly addressed and him reassured he need not worry about other dogs existing and he was golden for the rest of our walk.

So his owners now begin their "1 new thing a day for 100 days" social proofing to solidify his social skills, which will enable them to meet their end goals of being able to take Marvin anywhere knowing he will behave well in public.

He's been a great student, learning his Trade Skills © with ease and will sit, stand, down, stay and come when called, so a bit more refinement of his social skills and he'll be golden as well as adorable.

The world is yours Marvin.

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