Polite Pups Dog Training

08/23/2026

Today I had 3 clients and 1 cancelation. I didn't get pics today because it was a day of leash work! First I met Eddie at Hessel Park. He started off pretty rough, but after awhile he calmed down. He gets very excited seeing other people and other dogs. Fortunately, he's very treat motivated lol. Right after Eddie, I met Auggie the Pug at Hessel. Auggie did so much better today! He has really come a long way with his leash skills. He still pulls a little, but we'll get that resolved. He used to be very reactive on leash. Last today Arlo came to my home. Today we did leash work with him for the first time. He pulls quite a bit. He's a typical puppy with low self control and very little focus. It shouldn't be too hard to teach him some leash manners. I'm tired now lol.

08/22/2026

Today I had 3 clients and 1 cancelation. Yup, I forgot to get pics. First today was Rocket. Mother Nature finally calmed down, so we did leash work! Rocket isn't awful on leash. She does do a little bit of pulling. There weren't many people out at 9am, so we couldn't work any potential triggers. Next was Sandor. Sandor has had a little bit of regression do to being at a relative's home while his owners were put of town. So, his pulling and fear was a bit more pronounced today. We did have an opportunity to work on his biggest fear today, loud trucks. He did pretty good. No panic attacks. But, you could tell he wasn't very happy about the truck. I also had a new client today, Derf. He's a little Shiba Inu puppy who doesn't trust the world yet. I'm really looking forward to watching this little guy grow.

08/20/2026

For anyone who takes their dog to Hessel Park. You may want to avoid Hessel on Saturday evening.

08/18/2026

Today I had 2 clients and 1 cancelation. First was Daisy. Today we continued her leash work. She still likes to come back to your side, get her reward and then dart forward again. So, we started using a different method with her. She did much better once we started using a method that matches her. There are so many different ways to train any given behavior. The tough part is figuring out what works with each different dog. I also saw Maisie today. Today we started her leash work. She's a young puppy. So, today we started with confidence building on leash. She was a little hesitant at first. But, it didn't take long for her puppy curiosity to win. I'm so glad the weather had improved and we're finally able to do leash work again. I forgot to take pics of anyone lol. So, here's an older Pic of Daisy.

08/16/2026

I know I haven't posted in a while. Things have been quite busy around here. We had some garden supplies delivered recently, wood chips. A whole mountain of them. I have started calling it Mount Mulch. I was making pretty good progress with getting it all moved. Then Mother Nature had a hot flash. She's a little hormonal right now. Someone must have said something about her weight or hair, because she's now been crying for the past 4 days. Hopefully she gets herself under control soon. I have more Mount Mulch to move and dogs that need leash work. I heard it's supposed to cool down this week. Anybody else have a dog that likes to roll in dead worms? Both of mine do. Both of mine ended up smelling like rotting carcasses in a swamp. So, both got a bath. Dakota got the zoomies so bad that I swear she was trying to rearrange my furniture. I hope to be back on track with posting soon. For now, stay dry and don't let your dogs roll in dead worms.

08/05/2026

08/04/2026

Are you giving your dog too much stimulation each day? Let's talk about it.
Does your dog get cranky, bitey or just generally badly behaved in the evening? They might be over tired and over stimulated. All over the inter webs you'll see people talking about the benefits of lick mats, snuffle mats, puzzle toys, walks, free play, etc. There is nothing wrong with any of these. They're all great for your dog's mental health. But, just like everything else in life, moderation is key.
Let's talk about sleep for a minute. Do you know how much sleep your dog actually needs in a 24 hour period? The answer might surprise you. Adult dogs need 12-14 hours of shut eye a day, puppies and seniors even more. Do you get a bit cranky when you don't get enough sleep? They do too!
People quite often over stimulate their dogs with the best of intentions. They have a high energy dog and think that if they wear the dog out they'll get better behavior. The opposite is actually true. High energy dogs don't need more stimulation. They need more down time and an off switch. They need to have their mental stimulation needs met, their exercise needs met, their sleep needs met and they need to know how to relax. If they're always going from one activity to the next, they never learn to relax.
"Well, Cori, how do I know how much is too much?" That's a tough question to answer. Because it varies from dog to dog. I start out with one stimulating activity a day, lick mat, Kong with peanut butter, walk, etc. and see how their behavior is by the end of the day. If they're doing good, I'll add in another activity.
"But, my dog won't settle down and take a nap!" This is where crate training can really help. If your dog is properly crate trained and taught to enjoy their crate, the simple solution is to put them in their crate for an hour or two for a nap. If they're not crate trained it's still possible to get them to take some down time, it's just a little more work for you. What you do is, close all curtains/blinds in the room you're in, turn off all lights, turn off the radio/tv/sound on your phone (or use headphones/earbuds), pick up all toys, then sit down and stay seated. What this does is remove all external stimulation that is causing your dog to stay alert. A nice calming, quiet atmosphere can trigger your dog to take a nap.
If you need help developing a routine or teaching your dog an off switch, feel free to reach out and we can get you on the schedule!
Picture of Stone with his emotional support ball for tax

08/04/2026

Today I had 2 clients (and forgot to take pics lol). First was baby Maisie. She was a little less fearful today. We introduced the leave it command. She picked that up very quickly! Last week she was afraid of my puppy, Dakota. We tried again today to see if she would be any better. She definitely was! It didn't take long before the 2 puppies were playing. Last was Bean and Terry. Today we started leash work with the boys. Bean really isn't an issue on leash. Terry tends to start out the walk bringing out his inner Husky and pulling like a sled dog. He also likes to lunge at rabbits, squirrels and bikes. Today we tried a martingale collar on Terry. He did so much better! We also did the boys' nails today.

08/02/2026

Today I had 3 clients (and forgot to take pics lol). First was Goose. Today we worked on his resource guarding. We did a lot of work with the drop it and leave it commands. Next I had a new client, baby Otis. He's a sweet baby Golden Retriever. He's absolutely adorable! This little guy is going to be a lot of fun! Last today was Arlo. Arlo was having an off day today. He was tired and just didn't want to participate. At only 6 months, he's still a baby. So, we did some owner education today. Hopefully next week I'll remember to get pics lol.

07/31/2026

I have been seeing a lot of conversations online lately about service dogs, non service dogs and non pet friendly stores. So, let's break it down. There are 4 groups of dogs.
1: household pet
2: Emotional Support Animal
3: Therapy Animal
4: Service Dog
I think everyone understands what number 1 is. The dog that lives in your home and is the family pet.
The second one is the Emotional Support Animal or ESA. They provide mental and emotional support at home. They do not need any specific training. They are not protected by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). With a letter from a mental health professional they are allowed housing in non pet friendly rental homes/apartments.
Next is the Therapy Animal. These animals do need to have very good obedience and manners. They are allowed into nursing homes, hospitals, etc. by invitation only. These are the dogs that cheer up the elderly in residential homes and other healthcare facilities. You will sometimes even find them in courtrooms.
The last category is the Service Dog. These dogs help someone with a disability to make it easier for the handler to function. There are a lot of different types of service dogs. There are l, of course, seeing eye dogs, dogs for the deaf, diabetic alert dogs, mobility dogs, psychiatric service dogs, and many more. These dogs not only have to have excellent obedience and manners, they also have to be trained to do a specific task that helps with a specific disability. By ADA laws they do not have to have a service dog vest on or any type of specific gear. These are the only animal that is allowed in non pet friendly stores. But, if they cause a disturbance, they can be kicked out of that establishment.
It takes, on average, 2 years to fully train a service dog from 8 weeks, less time if they already have some basic training. Any breed of dog can be a service dog, depending on what they're being used for. For example, a Pomeranian can alert to changes in insulin levels even if they're being carried. Service dogs are not to be in grocery carts, though. That's a health violation. They can be in carts in some non food stores. A rescue dog can be a service dog just as easily as a breeder bred dog. There is no state or federal registration for service dogs. There is no state or federal over sight or testing. Yes, you can have a health professional give you a letter stating you need the dog. But, it's not required. All the websites online that advertise "official service dog registration " are scams. You can print the same thing on your own computer and it would be worth just as much.
What makes a good service dog? First, there's the obvious, it needs to have a stable temperament. Dogs who are anxious, fearful or reactive generally should not be service dogs. They need to be able to do the job they are being trained for. A Pomeranian can not be a mobility dog. They also need to be bonded to their handler. If they're not emotionally bonded, they won't be as willing to pay close attention to their handler. They also have to enjoy working. Your lazy, couch potato dog will probably not enjoy being a service dog.
What's the big deal with non service dogs being in non pet friendly places? Well, first, if a business has had a bad experience with non service/fake service dogs before, they may make things difficult for actual service dogs. Also, if a non service dog attacks a service dog it can cause a lot of PTSD type problems with the service dog. They may end up needing months of retraining or even needing to be pulled from service dog work completely. People that get a service dog from an agency often pay thousands of dollars for their well trained service dog. Owner trained service dogs have months and years of work put into them. It's like breaking someone's power wheelchair and then the person with the disability needing to replace it. According to the ADA, service dogs are classified as medical equipment.
I hope this was educational and that people think twice about taking their non service dog into places that they don't belong.