Canine Companion, LLC- Abbie Volpone

07/01/2025

Yooper was a little puppy with big feelings when she was adopted, but in a short time she has become such a confident maturing girl.

She and her awesome and committed parents have worked hard on her feeling calm and safe in the world, while also learning to understand and love what a sensitive and goofy dog she can be.

Today she tackled a new downtown area that was busy with people, kids, dogs, traffic, smells…and she did it all beautifully, and most importantly, happily.

06/21/2025

This week’s goes to my sweet friend Ryia, who has spent the past few months going on field trips with me to help her feel more relaxed and confident in the world, and be a bit more manageable on leash when excited, in preparation for a family road trip this summer. I met Ryia first when she was just a little pup, but I’ve so enjoyed spending time with her again and building on her skills. Plus I just love when families think ahead about how best to prepare their dog!

06/07/2025

This week’s feature is therapy dog in training Acey! She works for Hulsing Elementary and has spent this whole year learning how to be a therapy dog for an awesome group of kids. We’ve ended the school year on a great note, with so much growth and new experiences under her belt. She’s got a little more to do to become the perfect school therapy dog, she’s still young and learning about the world herself after all! But we’re so excited to see what she’ll accomplish next year.

05/31/2025

This week’s feature is little miss Luna, who confidently tackled one of the busiest parks in our area, choosing to check-in with her human for a treat rather than barking and lunging at all the moving things. In this photo alone there’s kids, dogs, and cars! She’s a nervous little lady whose Sheltie instincts take over when she sees exciting moving objects, so her homework involves getting out in the world more, taking lots of space, and learning to sniff and enjoy her environment rather than try to control it.

05/17/2025

If you’re at Rolling Hills park today, come check out HSHV’s Walk n Wag! I’ll be here doing dog caricature drawings!

05/16/2025

This week for our I’d like to feature Finn and Bo, two dogs who lived together for 3.5 years, and then began having intense fights. Their incredibly loving and dedicated owners couldn’t bear to lose either of them, and have committed fully to the huge lifestyle change of owning two dogs that need to be kept separate.

But we’ve also began the delicate process of rebuilding some of their relationship. The theme of our training lately has been “putting a deposit in the bank.” We are just adding to their relationship in little, structured, low-pressure, positive interactions. So even if they do accidentally get access to each other, we won’t be as likely to “overdraw the account.”

Here’s a photo from their fun little longline walk together, if you look closely you’ll notice they’re both muzzled as a safety precaution, though we watch carefully for any signs of stress and prevent any stressful interactions before they happen. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it when you see them feel so relaxed in each other’s presence!

04/30/2025

I’ve decided it would be fun to feature a student dog each week and celebrate some !
This week’s student is 14 wk old Havanese puppy Tango, and his awesome family who have been working hard to set him up for success. We spent some time practicing leash walking skills in the house. Then we spent some time practicing it just outside the house. He got his worldly socialization from the comfort of his little doggy stroller while we worked on these skills. But this week he took his first trip to Lowe’s and walked nicely on the leash, happily exploring and greeting people. Just look at that engagement with his person!! This is puppy raising done right!

04/22/2025

Today I met a new student, a 5y/o puppy mill rescue momma named Dexi, who, in the 7 months since she’d been adopted, was unable to walk more than a few steps when on leash even in her own yard without completely freezing and shutting down.
When I got there, her person told me she hoped I was a magician, because they’d worked with two other trainers and were out of ideas to get her to walk.
Long story short, an hour later, we were enjoying a walk at a park down the road with Dexi for the first time. No magic required 😁🪄

Meet a dog where they’re at. No fancy obedience or strict rules. Focus on confidence, joy, and relationship. And I promise, their behavior will surprise you.

03/07/2025

Register now to reserve your spot for my spring group classes, hosted with Dexter Community Education! Click the link below for more info
https://dexterschools.ce.eleyo.com/course/1225/spring-2025/canine-companion-dog-training

02/15/2025

I’ve got a lot of client pups in adolescence right now, and it’s hard on everyone. Here’s some great info on why your adolescent dog seems to be struggling so much, and a reminder that this is just a phase.

02/14/2025

❤️🐾Happy Valentine’s Day from a few of the lovely Canine Companion Students!🐾❤️
Last weekend I hosted a drop-in photoshoot for our student community and we got some AWESOME photos, here are some of my favorites!
Who’s your furry valentine this year? 💕

01/23/2025

New article up on the blog! This one is a little more complicated subject, dog appeasement behaviors! It's a little longer read, but important information, so be sure to check it out when you get a chance!

What are appeasement behaviors, what do they mean, and what function do they serve? To appease verb. appeased; appeasing 1: pacify, conciliate to make concessions to (someone, such as an aggressor …