Top Notch Service Dogs and Dog Training

06/08/2025

🐾 Maple Update!

Maple has been spending her weekends with a host family and going on outings in the community as part of her early socialization—and she’s doing an amazing job! From meeting new people to experiencing different environments, she’s building confidence and learning how to stay calm and focused in all kinds of situations.

We’re so proud of this sweet girl and excited to begin her official training with her facility therapy dog organization very soon!

Facility therapy dogs like Maple play an important role in first responder and professional settings—offering emotional support, lowering stress levels, and helping build connection in high-stress environments like:

🚒 Fire Departments
👮 Police Departments
🏥 Hospitals
🧠 Mental Health Facilities
📚 Schools

These dogs aren’t just companions—they’re trained to work alongside professionals to support the mental and emotional well-being of those who serve our communities.

Stay tuned as Maple continues her journey. We can’t wait to see the difference she’ll make. 💛🐶

06/08/2025

📸 When you’re both professionals and you know it.

Jerry: “We take our job very seriously.”
Casey: “This is not playtime. This is pawfessional development.”

No zoomies. No nonsense. Just two highly trained experts saving the world one sit-stay at a time. 🐾

05/08/2025

🐾 Raven’s Still Putting in the Work! 🐾

Even though Raven has already graduated from our Puppy Day Training Program, she still comes back a couple of days a week to keep her skills sharp — and we love having her here!

Training doesn’t stop after graduation — in fact, consistent reinforcement is one of the most important parts of a well-trained dog. Regular Day Training helps dogs like Raven:

✅ Stay confident in new environments
✅ Continue practicing manners and obedience
✅ Build on their foundation as they grow
✅ Work around real-world distractions

Raven is doing an awesome job — focused, happy, and still rocking that adorable head tilt we all love

Learn more about our programs:
https://topnotchservicedogs.org/puppy-day

04/08/2025

Sage and Levi are both working hard in our Board and Train Program, and we’re loving the progress we’re seeing from them!

One of the biggest benefits of our Board and Train is the strong foundation we’re able to build. Over the course of their stay, dogs learn structure, clear expectations, and consistent communication—making it much easier for them to succeed long term.

When they head home, they don’t just leave with new skills.
They leave with a solid understanding of what’s expected of them—and just as important, their families are coached on how to continue the training at home.

We don’t just train the dog—we give you the tools to maintain the progress.

✅ Reliable routines
✅ Clear leash skills and manners
✅ Real-life exposure and confidence building
✅ Transfer sessions and owner support
✅ A dog who’s set up for success at home and beyond

We’re proud of Sage and Levi and excited for their families to experience just how far they’ve come.

Interested in learning more about our Board and Train? Shoot us a message—we’re happy to answer any questions!

04/08/2025

Is your dog feeling a little stiff? Got an achy back from all that sitting politely and staying in place?

You’re in luck—Jerry the Dog Training Cat is now offering exclusive Catupuncture sessions.

He’s calm, he’s focused, and he has absolutely no formal training. But that won’t stop him.

Just ask Casey—today’s brave volunteer. She came in for a tail tune-up and left feeling slightly confused but deeply centered.

Walk-ins welcome. No appointment necessary. Jerry will find you.

04/08/2025

🐾 Reo’s Out and About! 🐾

Sweet little Reo is working hard —learning new things and going on short, positive outings as part of her early exposure work.

Proper exposure is one of the most important things you can do for a young puppy—especially a future Service Dog like Reo. But exposure doesn’t mean overwhelm. It means purposeful, positive experiences that help build a confident, well-adjusted dog.

Here’s what healthy puppy exposure looks like:
✅ Short trips with clear start and stop points
✅ New environments introduced slowly
✅ Positive experiences with people, kids, and calm dogs
✅ Never pushing a puppy into fear—watching for signs they’re overwhelmed
✅ Always ending on a good note

What it’s not:
❌ Flooding your puppy with loud, chaotic places too soon
❌ Forcing them into situations they aren’t ready for
❌ Thinking more is better—quality > quantity!

Right now, Reo is taking in the world one paw step at a time—riding calmly in the car, visiting quiet stores, walking near shopping carts, hearing new sounds, and learning that the world is safe and predictable.

Whether your pup is headed toward service work or just needs a solid start in life, early, intentional exposure lays the foundation for everything that follows.

📌 Save this post as a reminder—and share it with someone bringing a new puppy home!

02/08/2025

🌾 Fresh Air & Happy Hearts: A Special Day for Goldie 💛

Not everyone knows this about sweet Goldie, but she’s actually allergic to fresh-cut grass — we’re talking swollen face, snotty nose, the whole bit. So during mowing season, we have to be extra cautious. Quick potty breaks and lots of indoor play help keep her safe and comfortable.

But today? It’s been a couple days since the yard was mowed, the temps are perfect, and Goldie got to enjoy some well-deserved freedom. She ran, she sniffed, she zoomed — and she absolutely soaked it in.

Sometimes it’s the little moments that mean the most 💛

02/08/2025

A very serious update from Bruno & Bear.
(Yes, we’re still alive… barely.)

We found Bear and Bruno’s letter to their family and thought we’d share..

Dear Family,

We hope you’re enjoying your relaxing vacation while we are over here… being TORTURED 😩

Every day, these people make us wait politely for our food.

We have to walk nicely on leash (even though we could totally win a speed race).
And worst of all… THEY TELL US WE’RE GOOD BOYS ALL THE TIME.
Like… enough already.

We promise to keep acting like we are miserable when the team takes photos of us so you feel bad for ditching us to have a good time.

Please hurry home before we learn something else helpful.

We miss you. But not as much as we miss doing whatever we want.

Love,
Your “well-behaved” little monsters,
Bruno & Bear 🐾

02/08/2025

It’s so awesome to see all of the dogs getting ready to head back to school too! Walter we miss you but look at you enjoying all of your new friends. Have an amazing school year buddy!

Walter is counting down the days until he gets to be with his favorite Eagles! 🦅. He’s so excited to see all of you!

01/08/2025

🐾 Little Rocco’s First Week of Puppy Day Training 🐾

We’re wrapping up Rocco’s very first week in our Puppy Day Training Program — and he’s already off to a fantastic start! 👏🐶

During the first week, our focus is all about building a strong foundation. That means:
✅ Name recognition
✅ Learning how to settle and focus around distractions
✅ Introduction to leash manners
✅ Beginning crate training
✅ Socialization new places and people
✅ Lots of positive reinforcement and confidence building!

Rocco is taking it all in stride and showing us he’s a smart little pup with lots of potential.

Our Puppy Day Training Program is designed to help young dogs learn essential life skills while still being puppies — with plenty of playtime, structure, and love throughout the day.

Great job this week, Rocco! We can’t wait to see what next week brings!

01/08/2025

Playtime for a Purpose 🐾

Mara and Holly are enjoying some well-deserved playtime! 🎾 While training is a big part of their lives, we believe it’s just as important for our dogs to relax, socialize, and just be dogs.

Mara is a fully trained Service Dog patiently waiting to be matched with the right person, and Holly is currently in training as a Facility Therapy Dog for a local organization. Both girls are doing incredible in their programs and bringing smiles to everyone they meet.

At Top Notch, we make sure our dogs are not only well-trained but also well-balanced — and that includes playtime with their friends!

31/07/2025

Charlie & Pax Update! 🐾✨

Charlie and Pax have officially completed their three-week Puppy Day Training program—and we couldn’t be more proud of how far they’ve come!

These two may not be littermates, but they’ve grown up side-by-side, and it’s been such a joy to watch their progress. Now, they continue to join us a couple of days each week to stay sharp and keep building on the strong foundation we’ve worked hard to create.

We’re loving every minute of watching them grow into confident, well-mannered young dogs—and we’re so proud of their families for continuing to invest in their success. Consistency really is key, and these pups are a great example of what’s possible with early training and ongoing support.

Keep up the great work, Charlie and Pax!