20/11/2025
Working with Tommy over the last year and a half has been both a challenging yet rewarding chapter.
I've had to shift.
I had to become a better teacher, a better listener, a better teammate.
I had to lean into some real growth — this dog needed a bigger upfront investment from me.
We’ve poured so much time into building relationship, motivation, spark, and confidence. And slowly but surely, it’s finally starting to feel like we’re getting somewhere. Playing the long game takes deep breaths...
At the start of the video you’ll see some clips from when Tommy was a puppy — the very first recordings from when I introduced these skills. The contrast now honestly makes me laugh 😅
Everything back then was clumsy, over-emphasised, and messy. Luring quickly became aversive for him, and I struggled to keep him motivated or find anything that truly worked. At times I felt a bit lost and frustrated..
But seeing those moments next to where we are today makes me genuinely proud. Proud of the work, the patience, the tiny steps forward, and the dog he’s becoming. We are miles from where we started.
Here’s a little progress in our focused heeling (especially those left turns), some fronts, and a few position changes. Nothing flashy — just honest reps, small wins, and a dog learning to enjoy the work.
This snippet is from a quick 10-minute session I squeezed in while watering my training yard, dodging sprinklers the whole time. I had a 15-minute gap between my kids’ martial arts drop-off and daycare pickup, I lead a life where I have to make the best with what I got.
If you’re sharing life with a dog who doesn’t fit the typical working-breed mould, I hope this speaks to you. Not every dog comes into training with the pieces already in place. No path is perfectly linear — and that’s okay. Be brave. Keep learning. Be a bit better today than yesterday and you'll be right on track.
Thanks, Tommy. ❤️🐾
