Dog Dynamix

11/10/2025

Take action! Change requires effort.

11/07/2025

Your dog might be having an UNCONSCIOUS REACTION….

10/26/2025

How cool! 😎

10/24/2025

This!!

PLEASE, crate train your dogs.

The number of puppies and adult dogs we see who are absolutely manic in a crate breaks our hearts. More and more, it seems like people are giving up on teaching this skill to their dogs because they feel their dog is happier free in the house, sleeping in bed, or gated off in an area. But here’s the problem —

You are setting your dog up for huge amounts of stress later on if you don’t teach your dog to settle in a crate.

Dog need surgery? Now they’re stressed about medical treatment, AND being confined.

Need to go out of town? You’ll either need to find a facility that doesn’t care about barking (which means, little to no sleep for your dog and a lot more anxiety from the constant noise), or hire an in-home pet sitter.

Want to do a board and train where your dog lives with a trainer *inside their home*? They’ll need to be crated, and the barking will need to be controlled. They may even get turned away if the barking is excessive, or refused for future stays.

Traveling? Staying in a hotel or Airbnb? Crating your dog should go without saying.. it’s not your home, and unless your dog is absolutely bomb proof about staying off furniture, not having potty accidents, and is not at all destructive, leaving them loose and “seeing how it goes” is how all of us lose the privilege of dog-friendly accommodations if it goes wrong.

I have other peoples dogs in my home almost every day of the year. It’s a 24/7 life, and the *most* draining part is when dogs arrive here unprepared for the crate. I feel bad for the dogs who are in a new place, stressed about being away from home, and now expected to be crated when it’s never utilized at home. But also, selfishly, I also feel a little bad for myself.. as I also deserve to be able to relax and get a full nights sleep in my own home.

So, please, crate train your dog. Help them be happier when away from home, whether that be at a vet, a groomer, during boarding, or on a vacation.

Quick tips: Feed your dog in their crate to build a positive association. Practice different types of crates (plastic, wire). Practice when you’re home during the day. Daily reps will get results, fast.

10/22/2025

Here’s the thing….
1. Please use a kennel in your car, or, at the very least, harness and seat belt. This is not just for your dog’s safety. A loose dog in the car is a projectile in an accident. They can kill you in a fenderbender.

2. If your dog comes when you call them, even around distraction, you don’t have to go through this! And neither does the dog…

A Denver couple was losing hope after their 2-year-old dog, Kaiya, ran off into the woods near Crested Butte — that is, until they got a call nearly a month after she went missing.

https://kdvr.com/news/local/community-helps-find-missing-dog-lost-in-colorado-woods-for-27-days/

10/20/2025

We are inundated with information. It’s coming from every direction — emails, texts, social media, podcasts, YouTube, TikTok… it never ends. Somewhere along the line, attention spans shrank to the size of a gnat’s.

Several years ago, I started noticing it in dog training. People stopped reading. They didn’t read their instructions, their homework files, their emails, or their contracts. (Sometimes, I’m convinced they didn’t even read the dog’s name on the paperwork.)

And here’s the thing — the clients who didn’t read were always the ones who struggled most in their dog training journey.

So, I adapted. I thought, Okay, people are visual learners! I started making videos — clear, easy-to-follow demonstrations that broke things down step-by-step. At first, everyone loved them! Success!

…Until attention spans shrank again.

Now, if a video is longer than 15 seconds, people scroll right past it like it’s a tax document. It’s hard to explain the subtleties of leash pressure, body language, and reward timing in less time than it takes to microwave popcorn.

So, what’s a dog trainer to do?

We pour our hearts into helping people succeed with their dogs. We write guides, film tutorials, demonstrate in person — we try. But no matter how many tools we provide, nothing replaces real engagement. You can’t learn timing, consistency, or communication by osmosis.

Training isn’t magic. It’s a partnership — and both ends of the leash have to do the work.

So here’s my gentle plea:
Read the materials. Watch the videos (yes, the whole video). Ask questions. Practice daily.

Because while we can make the process as fun and clear as possible… your dog can’t read the homework either. 😉

10/20/2025

Heads Up!

As we move into winter, please keep in mind that we may need to make quick judgment calls regarding driving safety for Big Dog Ranch and our Adventure Pup Programs. If schedule changes are necessary, you’ll be notified by text and/or email.

Due to I-70 driving conditions and ski season traffic, we may not always be able to accommodate drop-offs or pick-ups on Sundays.

As always, our top priority is the dogs’ safety and comfort. Thank you for being a part of our family and for your understanding!

10/15/2025