The Better Companion

06/24/2026

06/23/2026

🐾 Board & Train Adventures with Teddy & Daisy! 🐾

We’ve had a busy house lately with Daisy continuing her 21-day Board & Train and Teddy, an adorable 4-month-old German Shorthaired Pointer, joining us for his own training adventures!

Teddy has been hard at work building the foundations every young puppy needs for success, including:

House training
Crate training
Recall and name response
Learning quiet behavior and appropriate ways to settle

Stay tuned—video updates of Teddy’s progress are coming soon! 🎥🐶

One of the many benefits of utilizing our Board & Train programs for manners and life skills (outside of behavior modification cases) is that our trainers are able to safely incorporate training dogs into everyday life alongside their own well-socialized dogs. This provides valuable real-world exposure and opportunities to practice skills in a variety of environments.

Both Teddy and Daisy have been enjoying:
🐾 Structured Day Training sessions
🐾 Demonstrations during lessons and classes when appropriate
🐾 Supervised Open Play Time opportunities
🐾 Real-life practice and social experiences

Our goal is always to help dogs build practical skills they can take home and use in everyday life—not just in a training facility, but out in the real world too. We can’t wait to continue sharing Teddy and Daisy’s journeys with you! 💙

Interested in learning more about our 7, 14, or 21-day Board & Train programs? Reach out to see if your dog would be a good fit!

https://www.bettercompanion.com/board

06/23/2026

💙 Help Us Find Dave His Perfect Home 💙

This is never an easy post to make, but we are committed to helping one of our longtime BETCO friends find the right home.

Dave is an approximately 1-year-old, 90 lb intact male Husky who has been part of the BETCO family since he was around 8 weeks old, attending classes and Open Play Time with us over the past year.

Due to circumstances beyond his family’s control, they have made the incredibly difficult and thoughtful decision to rehome Dave. They have explored many options, and at this time, they believe finding him a new home is what is best for both Dave and their family.

A little about Dave:
🐾 Approximately 1 year old
🐾 90 lb intact male Husky
🐾 Great on leash and enjoys adventures on the trails
🐾 Lives successfully with a toddler and does well with children in his home
🐾 Currently lives with a senior female dog
🐾 Has done well with small, medium, and large female dogs during boarding stays with us
🐾 Lives with a cat, though he does chase the cat and a cat-free home may be the best fit
🐾 Has been working on building positive associations with his crate

Like many Huskies, Dave does exhibit some resource guarding behaviors. Because of this, his future home should be prepared to continue his training and management in this area. We are happy to discuss this behavior in more detail with interested adopters.

Dave is a fun, active boy who thrives with structure, enrichment, and people who enjoy getting out and exploring. We know the right home is out there for him.

As always, BETCO is committed to supporting both Dave and his future family. We will offer free or discounted private lessons to his adopter to help ensure a successful transition and set everyone up for success.

If you think you may be a good fit for Dave, please send us a DM or call the facility, 997 357 2521, and we will put you in contact with his family.

06/22/2026

✂️🐾 New Class Alert: Cooperative Care – Building Trust Through Choice! 🐾💙

Does your dog hide when the nail clippers come out? Turn into an octopus at grooming appointments? Struggle with vet visits, ear cleanings, or handling at home?

You’re not alone—and we’re here to help!

Join us for our brand new 4-week Cooperative Care class, designed to help dogs learn that husbandry and handling don’t have to be scary. Using positive reinforcement and choice-based training, we’ll teach you and your dog the skills needed to make everyday care routines less stressful and more successful.

In this class, you’ll learn:
🐾 How to build positive associations with handling
🐾 Consent and start button behaviors
🐾 Foundations for nail trims, grooming, ear cleaning, and body handling
🐾 How to better read your dog’s body language and stress signals
🐾 Ways to prepare your dog for veterinary and grooming visits
🐾 Confidence-building skills that last a lifetime

Cooperative care isn’t just about making nail trims easier—it’s about building trust, communication, and partnership with your dog.

Whether you have a young puppy you’d like to set up for success, or an older dog who has learned that handling is something to avoid, this class is a wonderful investment in your dog’s lifelong wellbeing.

Class Length: 4 Weeks
Suitable for puppies and adult dogs

Registration and more info can be found here: https://bettercompanion.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=67

Because every dog deserves to have a voice in their care.

06/22/2026

🇺🇸🐾 Reliable Recall Redux is Back! 🐾🇺🇸

Looking to brush up on your dog’s recall skills or take your training to the next level? Reliable Recall Redux is now open for registration!

While this class was designed as a follow-up to our original Reliable Recall course, any dog and handler team is welcome to join—whether you’re revisiting foundations, troubleshooting real-life challenges, or simply looking for more practice and accountability.

A reliable recall is one of the most important cues your dog will ever learn, but it’s also a lifelong skill that requires ongoing practice, maintenance, and reinforcement. Just like us, dogs don’t stay fluent in skills they never use!

With the Fourth of July just around the corner—a time when more pets go missing than any other holiday—there’s no better time to invest in your dog’s recall skills. While no recall is ever 100% foolproof, building a strong history of reinforcement and practicing in a variety of environments can make a world of difference if your dog ever slips a leash, darts through a door, or becomes startled.

In this class, teams will continue to build:
🐾 Faster, more enthusiastic recalls
🐾 Reliability around distractions
🐾 Emergency recall skills
🐾 Real-world applications and troubleshooting
🐾 Stronger handler-dog communication

Whether your goal is off-leash adventures, hiking, sports, or simply having peace of mind, this class is for you!

Questions? Reach out to us at 907-357-2521 or send us a message.

You can register, or learn more, here: https://bettercompanion.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx?cls=74

Because when it comes to recall, practice doesn’t end when class does—it lasts a lifetime. 🐶💙

06/21/2026

👃🐾 July Nose Work Classes Are Starting Soon at The Better Companion! 🐾👃

Ready to put your dog’s incredible nose to work? Our July Nose Work classes are now open for registration!

Nose Work is a fantastic activity for dogs of all ages, breeds, and personalities. Whether you have a busy puppy, a senior dog, a reactive dog, or simply a dog that loves to sniff, Nose Work provides an enriching outlet that builds confidence, strengthens your relationship, and gives your dog a job they love.

Benefits of Nose Work include:
🐶 Mental enrichment and problem solving
🐶 Confidence building for shy or nervous dogs
🐶 A fun activity for reactive dogs that doesn’t require direct dog-to-dog interaction
🐶 Strengthening teamwork and communication
🐶 Providing a healthy, rewarding outlet for natural instincts

We will be offering:
👃 Nose Work Level 1
👃 Nose Work Level 2
👃 Nose Work Level 3
👃 Nose Work Level 4
👃 Nose Work Level 5

Nose Work is also an excellent foundation for those interested in exploring sports like Barn Hunt down the road. Whether your goals include earning titles and competing, or simply having fun and enriching your dog’s life, this sport truly offers something for everyone.

And if you’ve ever taken a class with Nose work Instructor Jean, you already know she’s one of the biggest cheerleaders around! Jean is an incredible resource for teams looking to reach their goals—whether that’s stepping into the trial ring, building confidence, or just enjoying the journey with your dog.

Questions? Give us a call at 907-357-2521 or send us a message!

Come discover why we say a tired nose is a happy nose! 🐾💙

Register for nosework and other classes here:

https://bettercompanion.dogbizpro.com/public/registration/index.aspx

06/21/2026

🐾💦 Open Play Time is BACK! 💦🐾

After a two week hiatus, we’re excited to welcome everyone back for Friday Open Play Time! With summer in full swing, we’ve got the splash pads and pools set up so your pups can cool off, play, and enjoy some safe social time with friends. ☀️🐶

Whether your dog loves to zoom, splash, sniff, or simply hang out with their favorite buddies, we’ve missed seeing all of those wagging tails and can’t wait to see everyone back!

Friday Open Play Schedule:
🐾 5:30–6:30 PM – Small Dogs (under 25 lbs)
🐾 6:30–7:30 PM – Puppies, shy, and lower energy dogs
🐾 7:30–8:30 PM – Rough & Rowdy crew

$12 per dog, per hour

Reservations are required to help us keep groups safe and appropriately matched.

Grab a towel, bring your pup, and join us for an evening of fun, friends, and plenty of splashing!

https://www.bettercompanion.com/open-play

06/19/2026

*WARNING* GRAPHIC PICTURES IN COMMENTS. This is being investigated by Anchorage Animal Control. The pictures and comments are on the Alaska Beagle Ranch main page in their comments. 

Sweet tea with Faya. She came to the ranch last night after being rescued by a young man. She was found in a room full of f***s, with no food and no water. It was obvious she hadn’t eaten in sometime. She is about 4 years old. He took her to an emergency clinic in Anchorage. They ran some test on her and helped stabilize her. A friend of his recommended him reaching out to us at the raBorealis Veterinary Clinic Anchorage to turn her over to us.

Today I reached out to Borealis Veterinary Clinic and they saw us right away. She weighed in at 15.5 lbs. She was there for a couple hours while they examined her, drew blood, captured urine, ear swab, etc. Most we’ll be waiting for results on, but in the meantime, nothing was found to have caused this condition, except for a poor example of a humanInterceptor Plus (milbemycin oxime/praziquantel)g treated for an ear infection and on Interceptor Plus (milbemycin oxime/praziquantel) for parasites. There is no sign of Parvo or heart worms. She’ll be getting extra loving and attention here at the ranch and followups at Borealis. She is a very sweet pup, but still unsure about what’s going on.

If you would like to help with her veterinary and caretaking expenses, our website will give you several options. www.alaskabeagleranch.org To be blunt, what is needed right now is finances. Thank you for your support, keep Faya in your thoughts and prayers