Your Dog's Friend

07/30/2026

Voting is now open in the 2027 Best of Bethesda poll! 🗳️

Please visit BestOf.BethesdaMagazine.com to vote for ✨ Your Dog’s Friend ✨ in the Shopping & Services — Pet Trainer Group/Category and help us win Best of Bethesda 2027! 💙

In 2025, this wasn't on our radar and so it was a very pleasant surprise to learn that we'd won Best Pet Trainer! In 2026, we asked for your help and were able to win again!

We'd love to win again for 2027 because being featured in Best of Bethesda really helps us get the word out about ✨ our nonprofit and the free and low-cost services that we offer. ✨ Please vote for Your Dog's Friend, to help more loving dog guardians find us!

We are so grateful for your support! 💛

07/27/2026

PB had his first day in Puppy K today. I’m smitten!

07/26/2026

We have a FREE Welcome Home, Pup! webinar with TODAY, Sun, July 26 at 2pm ET!

Have you recently adopted a dog or welcomed home a new puppy?

Are you fostering for a local shelter or rescue organization?

Your new buddy has just experienced a lot of changes and will need some time to adjust.

07/17/2026

With wildfire smoke creating poor air quality across the U.S, the AVMA is reminding the public that wildfire smoke can pose serious health risks not only to people, but to pets and livestock as well.

Smoke from wildfires contains fine particles that can cause respiratory issues in animals, especially those with pre-existing heart or lung disease. Pet owners should keep a close eye on their animals during poor air quality events and contact their veterinarian if any of the following signs appear. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4wqddp3

07/08/2026

Join us THIS Saturday, July 11 at 2pm ET for a FREE webinar, Dog-Dog Conflict in the Home, presented by Tanzi Leary, CDBC, PMST1, CSAP-BC, Dog Crazy Lady - Dog Training & Behavior Consulting!

Living in a multi-dog home can be full of cuddles, fun, and joy! But if conflict arises, it can feel stressful to navigate day-to-day interactions, especially when emotions run high. A certified behavior consultant who specializes in aggression will join us to discuss how to prevent conflict between dogs who live together, address the dynamic relationships between dogs if issues arise, and prepare for merging two households that both have dogs.

Register at https://yourdogsfriend.org/free-workshops/!

06/09/2026

06/07/2026

I grew up with (adorable and incredibly tolerant) dogs, but I didn’t really begin learning about dog behavior and body language until about 13 years ago. There was suddenly so much I’d been missing, and so much I couldn’t unsee.

Similarly, for many years, I had said, when behavioral concerns were at play, “Oh, be sure to ‘rule out pain,’” as if this is something that can just be checked off by a quick exam or blood test or observation of a dog having a grand time frolicking about. (As a human who may experience a variety of types of pain that can be tricky to tease out, and who is often very playful even during pain, why did I think pain would be so simple to “rule out” in dogs?) In the past couple of years, I’ve started to become more pain informed, and, again, it’s changed the way I see dogs and their behavior. And again, I feel like there are things I may have missed in the past, which can be tough. And things that I see now that might not have simple or easy answers, which can be hard on my heart.

But even though it can be emotional, I am so grateful to know more now and to be able to continue learning, from and alongside, so many dog pros who are always trying to do better by dogs and their people. 💛

06/06/2026

Do you, like me, love learning about dog body language and behavior? How about identifying signs of potential pain and discomfort in our dogs? This is so important. 💛 Check out our recent webinar, Dynamic Dog Assessments: Could Pain Be Behind Your Dog’s Behavior?, presented by of , on our YouTube webinars playlist.