Category: Dog Stories & Testimonials

The road ahead…

I recently sold the dog training company I founded in May of 1998. That’s My Dog, Inc was a great run for nearly 24 years. Now, there is a new owner, with new visions for the future. I’m happy to see my baby in good hands and thrilled with the transition. Since the announcement of the sale, many people have reached out to either congratulate me on my retirement or ask what’s up next? Because I believe that for every person that […]

Farewell To Another Good Dog

A friend and colleague of mine lost his beloved Malinois last week. I asked permission to write about him because his passing hit closer to home than many of the other dogs that have crossed my path in this career. It was personal because at one time, this dog had belonged to me. I honestly don’t remember what his name was when he first came to me. I only recall that I’d been through a string of Malinoises over the […]

Are the Stars aligned for you and your dog?

I’d like you to answer the following question with the FIRST response that comes to mind. Do you have a stubborn dog? Over the years, it has been my experience that many people respond with an affirmative, yes. Many times, the yes is accompanied by either a sigh of frustration or a defeated sense of acceptance. I celebrated my birthday recently and it got me contemplating the mindset we have about personalities that are “stubborn”. A friend of mine wished […]

E-Collars for Dog Training: In the Spirit of Valentines Day

E-Collars for Dog Training   Using e-collars for dog training is often a common debate among dog owners and trainers. I have seen a few petitions in the past about banning e-collars and prong collars, a shop owner being targeted at Crofts in a campaign to slander and harass his company for even selling such tools. I saw a petition to not allow dogs wearing certain tools such as e-collars, be allowed at a dog event in a public park […]

Professional E-Collar Dog Training Classes

Professional E-Collar Dog Training Classes: Education and Implementation Angie Scharpf is a fellow trainer who attended our That’s My Dog! E-cademy Professional E- Collar Training Classes created specifically for dog trainers. Angie signed up for our professional E-collar training several years ago and has been successfully implementing e-collar training into her dog obedience programs ever since. We chatted recently and she was telling me of a compliment she received from a client so I asked her if we could share […]

Otis: The highly intelligent Airedale Terrier

An Airedale Terrier can be a handful and Otis is no exception. But his owner is the one who really causes me to smile. Charlie is a retiree taking his young charge through my current class to learn a few manners. He’s doing the work and making good progress, but he’s also a guy who’s got enough years under his belt to understand not to sweat the small stuff. His wry sense of humor keeps me guessing what he might […]

Dog Aggression rehab? Commitment is the keyword.

Dog aggression is not a fun topic. I know some dog trainers probably see it as sort of sexy and seem to take a lot of pride in repeating the phrase “I work with aggressive dogs” There has been a good deal of television culture and drama built around the buzz concepts of dog aggression, dogs that bite, and rehabilitation. There is nothing sexy or exciting about it, IMO. It is sad. It breaks my heart a little bit each […]

Dog Obedience Matters

Dog Obedience : High Expectations Needed Dog obedience is important for both the dog and owner to fully understand. I wanted to share video from a recent training class at That’s My Dog!. Well, truth be told, it is more like a fun outing we do with our clients a few times a month rather than an actual class. We invite our clients to participate in our traveling classes once they have completed the basic introductory course of dog obedience. […]

A Hero’s story

We lost a friend today. His name was Hero. A Belgian Malinois of 13 years and 5 weeks. It doesn’t seem like he got to stay with us long enough, but it was enough to turn me into a different person and enough to help two kids grow up. He came to us on a flight from California in July of 2001. A young pup who’s future I envisioned would be full of all sorts of ‘greatness’, thus his name. […]