Red Dirt Dog Training, LLC

29/12/2025

Energetic, love to use their nose, vocal, and they very clearly have a mind of their own. These are all common characteristics of the Bluetick Coonhound.

Now add in a dash of Labrador Retriever. What do you get? Miss Bluey! Bluey recently completed her custom on-leash 2-week board & train program with Red Dirt Dog Training, LLC.

During her program, we focused on:

*Crate training and putting the behaviors of entering and exiting the crate on cue.

Before her board & train, Bluey often resisted getting in her crate and needed to be picked up and carried to the crate by her owner.

*Loose leash walking and on-leash manners

There are times to be a wild child and times for more focused, slow-paced walks or keeping all four paws on the floor around young kids and senior family members. Bluey can now practice polite greetings and walk nicely on leash next to her dedicated owner.

*Other important foundations like a clear and consistent marker system, sitting and downing on cue, Place work and impulse control exercises, structured play, and routine grooming and husbandry protocols including brushing and nail trims. Bluey no longer tries to flee the scene when the dremel comes out for a nail trim.

*Intro to scent detection

Hound dogs have superior smelling abilities! So much so that hound breeds have big, long ears and jowls that help funnel scents towards their nose. We are putting purpose, intention, and fun to all of the sniffing that Bluey girl loves to indulge in! 👃

I’m so proud of this girl and her very dedicated owner. We’ll catch up next month for our follow-up lesson for some continued training!

26/12/2025

🎄 From our pack to yours, Merry Christmas!

🎁 We spent part of the afternoon in our favorite place—the forest. There’s nothing quite like watching these pups explore, play, and enjoy themselves in nature.

🎅 Our holidays guests Molly & Betty White sported a tiny cowboy hat instead of a more-seasonally appropriate Santa hat for their holiday glamour shots. 🤠 I think our tiny Santa hat got lost in our move earlier this year.

🌲 They also enjoyed some special snacks and multiple walks to celebrate the holiday.

🙌 To every single client: thank you for trusting us with your dogs and supporting our small business. Helping you and your pups reach your training and lifestyle goals is what we love most about what we do.

☃️ Wishing you all a day filled with wagging tails and happy memories!

24/12/2025

🎄 Welcome Ms. Betty White the Boxer! She's hanging out for a structured boarding stay with the Red Dirt Dog Training pack for the holidays. 🎁

20/12/2025

We love Filbert’s breeder, Forthright Farm Bordercollies! They breed such versatile dogs. 🐕

This speckledy puppy is seven month old Filbert, a Clark/Teal pup, with his owner Abbie from Red Dirt Dog Training, LLC. Give her a follow to see all her great work and continue to watch Filbert grow up! 🐾

19/12/2025

Turning a moment of uncertainty into engagement & curiosity on a public access outing with Filbert the service dog in training

12/12/2025

🤔 Yes, this is a video of Filbert peeing… and here’s why that matters! Service dogs need to be pros at taking potty breaks everywhere. Concrete, grass, gravel, wood chips, artificial turf, sand, you name it.

That’s why SDIT Filbert regularly practices pottying on cue on tons of different surfaces while on leash. No wandering around for 10 minutes sniffing for the perfect spot.

When Filbert hears his potty cue, he knows it’s time to handle business so we can be efficient and he can relieve himself in safe, designated areas.

Just one of those behind-the-scenes details that relates to the bigger picture of our SDIT training together.

I also love teaching these same principles to pet dogs because it really comes in handy when traveling and adventuring in new and unfamiliar places, or when you need to make that quick bathroom stop with Fido on the long drive home.

12/12/2025

I’m stoked to have completed the most recent cohort of The Triple Helix course taught by Dr. Melanie Uhde of Canine Decoded.

This deeply comprehensive curriculum explores neuroscience, biology, genetics, ethology, behavior, and the realities of working with canines.

Oh, and your girl passed the exam, too! 🧪

Dogs have helped me in so many ways, including showing me that I CAN actually be “good at science” as a grown a$$ woman.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and teachings with the world, Dr. Melanie! 🧠

10/12/2025

Let’s talk about resilience building and guiding dogs through small, manageable levels of stress!

This looks different for every dog. The key question: How does YOUR dog handle and navigate uncertainty and realistic challenges?

What does their recovery time look like? How quickly can they regain focus after working through that uncertainty?
Meet Bluey, a hound who ALWAYS wants to move. But stillness? That’s part of life, Miss Hound Dog! Teaching movement paired with slowing down creates a stronger brain-body connection. This connection helps dogs navigate our human-designed world with more confidence.

Our challenge: Ask Bluey for several seconds of stillness in a controlled environment (our Red Dirt training room).
After multiple reps of short-duration sits, we add a dose of complexity: stepping onto the raised dog bed (something she was hesitant about at her meet & greet lesson a few days ago). We pattern the behavior for a few reps, then chain it back with the sit.

The result?

✓ Bluey intentionally learning to slow down

✓ Conquering hesitation and gaining genuine confidence (A highly rewarding feeling for a canine!)

✓ A manageable brain and body workout

Simple, but really important work right here!

09/12/2025

Welcome Bluey! This big, bouncy, and bashful Hound/Labrador Retriever mix recently arrived for a two-week board and train program, and she’s already showing us her goofy personality.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be working on establishing clear marker words, building basic behaviors, and developing on-leash manners and impulse control.

We’re keeping training positive and fun while maximizing the use of rewards that really motivate Miss B.

Stay tuned for updates on this sweet girl’s progress!

05/12/2025

❄️ Updates for Winter 2025 & Early 2026 🐶

04/12/2025

🙌 Want to know what fills up my cup? A roomful of dog trainers, pet pros, and dedicated owners who genuinely want to understand what makes dogs thrive.

Yesterday at Red Dirt, we hosted a workshop focused around the topic of microbiomes led by Zina Burt, who’s Certified in Companion Animal Nutrition. The turnout was rad!

Zina walked us through how microbiomes, diet, and environment influence long-term canine health in ways most people don’t realize. Workshop guests brought thoughtful questions and we had some real, nuanced conversations about kibble & raw feeding, hydrolyzed diets, and the gut-brain connection that affects everything from skin conditions to a dog’s ability to engage in training & behavior modification work.

The best part? Folks showed up with open minds and an eagerness to learn. We also collected food items for dogs in need that will be donated to a local animal shelter. That’s the kind of community that actually moves the needle for dogs!

Thanks to everyone who carved out time to be there.

Have a theme or ideas for small group workshops you’d like to see hosted at Red Dirt in the future? Drop your ideas in the comments. 👇

29/11/2025

Loose leash walking is one of those skills that benefits pretty much every dog & handler team

Working dogs, therapy dogs, pet dogs - all of ‘em. That nice “J” in the leash, moving at the same pace, your dog learning how to yield to your movements & pace? It’s worth its weight in gold.

But here’s the reality: it takes time, reps, and practice from both of you. This isn’t just training your dog—it’s training together WITH your dog.

Filbert the Service Dog in Training is often thinking hardest when both ears are pointing up (gears turning! 🧠). Here, he’s putting together the various links in the chain, and we’re moving together as a team as we practice our loose leash walking skills. It’s feeling more fluid. We have more work to do, but I’m loving the progress we’re making.

Need help with your pup?

Red Dirt Dog Training has 2 board & train spots available starting mid-January 2026. Get a jump start on your New Year’s training goals now!

📋 Fill out a client questionnaire at www.reddirtdogtraining.com/contact.