Novice Level: Sit for greetings with family Sit for leashing by family Sit for food bowl from family member Sit to go through doorways when on leash Stay at doorways until released Wait on a mat Relax on a mat Level 1: Offered eye contact Visual/verbal Cue to go into kennel “touch”, or hand target nose to palm of hand/fist Loose Leash Walk foundational skills for puppies or remedial skills for teenagers and adults Loose Leash Walk with Halt/Sits Loose Leash Walk with Halt/Sits & Offered Eye Contact Level 2: Raise a paw Touch a paw to a surface/object Potty on Cue Down Down with hips rela ..read more

As we brace for real winter here in Northeast Texas (that comes in February for anyone who is not a native), keeping our dogs warm and happy is top of mind. Between the wind and then lower temperatures, it can be a mental and physical challenge to get out to walk the dogs. We take this time to bundle up, embrace the cold and be grateful for warm coffee and warmer jackets. While the dogs don’t seem to mind shorter romps outside, they really appreciate that extra blanket when they return to their indoor, heated kennels.  While the dogs enjoy some ambient noise and warming up in their comfy ..read more

Reecie is a frequent boarder at the ranch Hey Y’all! The end of 2022 was a wild one here at the ranch. We have dealt with more rain than our dog yards know what to do with. If you have ever seen black clay dirt, you will know what a sticky headache it is. Despite the rain and the sticky mud, we are still making great effort to have a positive impact on the dogs in our care. This year our goals include bringing you the same great boarding and training at the ranch and ALSO Virtual Training for your aggressive and fearful dogs from the comfort of your own home! Our focus of care is for dogs wi ..read more

Hello, Friends!  I have been reading a great book by Kim Brophey and couldn’t wait to share it with you. If you are trying to understand your dog’s behavior, I highly recommend that you read this. Scroll down for an overview.  Meet Your Dog by Kim Brophy Meet Your Dog:  The Game-Changing Guide to understanding your dog’s behavior.  Kim Brophey, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is an applied ethologist and owner of The Dog Door Behavior Center in downtown Asheville, NC. Kim’s 20-year commitment to Family Dog Mediation® has been recognized both nationally and locally, awarded the Associati ..read more

Are you ready for a new way to see your dog?   Growling, chasing, lunging, and biting get our attention. Because these behaviors are so risky, they sometimes overshadow the good stuff. There IS good stuff in your dog’s behavior, or you wouldn’t be able to live with them, right?   It may sound counter-intuitive, but the best way to help dogs with aggression to live successfully around people is not to punish them for being aggressive. It is for us to learn when and where they behave aggressively, when and where they behave safely, so that we can help them replace the aggressive ..read more

  Hello, Everybody!  October is all about Zeroing in on Our Mission  There are lots of good places for boarding dogs in Texas. But for dogs that are not comfortable around new people or dogs, it can be impossible to find dog boarding that can take them in and give them the kind of care they need. From my background working with dogs in animal shelters, as a trainer, and as a pet owner, I know that being unable to find someone to board dogs with behavior challenges is a real hardship. What happens if there is a family emergency or a business trip? And seriously, you deserve a v ..read more

Hello, Y’all! Welcome to our new blog, Doing Dog Stuff!  We didn’t always know we were going to be ranchers. We had a house we loved in the Dallas suburbs, and we were comfortable there. Sure, we loved animals. We have 4 dogs, 2 ferrets, and 3 kids, after all.    What’s more, I had a job I loved. I had worked in animal sheltering since 2008 when I started volunteering at the SPCA of Texas and took a handling class with the then-Behavior Manager, Kellie Snider. After getting deeply interested in the behavior side of animal work, I had the fortune to get to know a few important p ..read more