Happy Tails Dog Training Center

12/04/2025

Thursday’s Beyond the Basics class challenge! How would your dog do?

12/03/2025

We are canceling all of today's classes. Emails will be sent updating students as to the make up date of their class.

Sorry for any inconvenience but the roads to the training center for our instructor, Brenda, are still in bad shape.

Stay warm!

12/03/2025

Wednesday 8:00 am - Roads are hazardous this morning so we are canceling the 11:00 am agility class.

A decision on afternoon/evening classes will be made by noon.

12/02/2025

Attention Wednesday students!

Brenda tried to get into Rapid City today but the snow and ice caused her to 1) slide into a ditch and 2) slide backwards down her driveway on attempt number 2.

She’s fine but with the additional snowfall predicted overnight getting in on Wednesday may also be difficult. Please watch Facebook for updates in the morning and/or check your emails.

12/02/2025

Training Tip Tuesday

“Training isn’t optional. Management isn’t optional”

11/28/2025

Let’s talk Cues. We give cues with both our body and our voice.

I use hand targeting to give my dogs information on where I want them to be, especially for heeling.

11/27/2025

We are thankful for you!

May your day be filled with blessings

11/25/2025

Training Tip Tuesday

Do you use "resets" in your training?

For those of you who need heeling skills for competition, this is a "MUST READ"!

If you're working on heelwork, you're going to encounter mistakes. Crooked sits, forging, lagging, loss of attention — they're all part of the process. The key to handling heeling mistakes is recognizing that errors aren't failure; they're feedback.

11/24/2025

Myth Busting Monday

"My dog loves it when I hug him!"

But does he really? The answer may surprise you.

Have you ever watched two dogs hug each other? I mean really use both front feet while standing on their rear legs and HUG each other? It doesn't happen in the dog world.

Our inner "primate" means we use our hands and arms to show affection to each other. But to most dogs, hugs are space invading and remove the ability to use their "flight" response.

It is especially true with children. Children often try to lay on the dog and hug them, or pull them in closer, resulting in stress for the dog. Over time, this can result in a dog that feels growling, or worse yet, biting is necessary to change the situation.

I never like saying this.🫣
We see it as affection.
Dogs can see it as a restraint.
That's the issue here.

As humans we feel a desire to show our love and affection the exact same way we show it to our family.
We wrap our arms around, pull closer and squeeze tight.
They may wriggle, so we hug tighter.
We might playfully wrestle with them when they move away or try to leave, we often do that to other people we know well.

That doesn't mean it translates well to dogs.

If a dog is trying to leave or is not accepting or receptive to a hug, don't insist.
If we need to use our strength to hold our dogs from leaving, they don't want a hug.
They want space.
Space equals safety to a dog.

Don't take it personally, many dogs don't like hugs.
It goes back to feeling restrained and having their freedom of movement restricted.
Being able to move away from anything they're uncomfortable with builds trust way more than insisting they accept that very close, tight physical contact.

Children often greet family dogs with hugs and that's absolutely fine if that dog is happy to be hugged by that child, but this may form a habit of greeting other dogs by getting low, face to face and restraining/hugging a dog they don't know.

Hugs aren't a right we should insist on.
If a dog accepts them and enjoys them, that's trust built over time and feeling safe.

It's not from restraining and removing options to move.

11/22/2025

Our first two classes of 2026 are live on the website!

Puppy Preschool class begins Thursday January 8th at 6:30 pm. This class is for puppies 10 weeks to 4 months of age.

Novice Rally class begins on Wednesday January 7th at 5:30 pm. This class teaches the signs in the AKC Novice Rally class and helps students learn to navigate courses.

https://www.happytailsdogtraining.biz/book-online

11/21/2025

Save the date!

Happy Tails Dog Training Center will be hosting an indoor “Pet Items” garage sale on January 10th! This is a great opportunity to find the supplies you need at a great price!

Would you like to have a table or donate items? Please email us at [email protected] for more information.

A portion of the proceeds will be given to the new Black Hills Pet Food Pantry, which provides pet food at no cost to families in need.