South Austin Dog Center

06/14/2025

We're looking for a few good people to help us finish building the shade cover!

We know it's Father's Day, but if anyone could come help us out tomorrow morning, please shoot us a DM.

Tacos and coffee provided.

Thank you!!!

05/05/2025

When it’s pouring and thundering outside...

so the Lady invites you into her home to learn manners from the legend:

Knox.

05/02/2025

Greyhound Rescue Austin rescheduled their garage sale to tomorrow morning. Go check it out!

04/21/2025

Training isn't all action. It also happens in the quiet. Learning to just be with other dogs and people present. Relaxation is just as much a skill as sitting, walking on a leash, and coming when called.

04/12/2025

Some days, you’ll nail the training session.

Other days, “we went outside and nobody cried” is the high score—and that still counts.

Life with dogs isn’t built on perfection. It’s built on presence. Connection. Tiny wins that compound over time.

Whether you’re working long shifts, raising kids, battling chronic illness, or just trying to keep your head above water—this one’s for you.

You’re not failing. You’re adapting.

Your dog doesn’t need perfect. They just need you.

This is Post 2 in our series on living and training through real-life challenges.
The next one gets more personal. We hope you’ll stick around.

04/09/2025

You don’t need to dominate your dog to have a well-behaved companion. Real teamwork comes from trust, understanding, and meeting your dog where they are—not from forcing obedience or controlling every move.

We train smarter, not harder. That means we use science-backed, humane methods that focus on your dog’s emotional well-being and help them build real-life skills. This is what ethical training looks like. No fear, no force—just thoughtful, effective strategies that help dogs learn to regulate, not shut down.

Whether you're raising a pup or helping a dog recover from a tough past, our goal is the same: to build connection and confidence on both ends of the leash.

Your dog deserves to feel safe. You deserve a training plan that works without compromising your values.

If that sounds like your vibe, you’re in the right place.

04/08/2025

We need to talk.

To the new parents.
To the overworked, the overtired, the burnt out.
To the people whose “free time” is never really free.
To those quietly battling mental health or chronic illness.

You are not lazy.
You are not failing your dog.
You’re adapting. Living. Trying.
And we see you.

There’s a lot of guilt floating around in the dog world—
Guilt for missing a walk.
Guilt for skipping training.
Guilt for just not having it in you today.

But training isn’t about doing it all perfectly.
It’s about showing up in the way you can—and helping your dog learn to do the same.

And the good news?
Your dog doesn’t care if the walk was 5 minutes shorter.
Or if today was a “snuffle mat and chill” kind of day.
They care about you.

This is the first in a small series.
Stay tuned for the next post.

04/02/2025

To understand how phenomenal this photo is, you have to know Cheddar. The anxious boy who couldn’t stop moving is now starting to chill even with a host of distractions... including the arrival of a delivery guy! While we were there for his Grad School from Home session, Cheddar chilled in the front yard, saw a ton of people pass by, and even called off chasing a squirrel! All of these things can be such BIG triggers, but today, he handled them like a champ.

Really proud of you and your dad, buddy. Keep up the good work!

03/25/2025

One second, your dog is chilling. The next? You got paw prints on the ceiling! 🐾💨 🐾 💨

We call it zoomies (aka FRAPs), but why do they happen? Sometimes it’s pure joy, sometimes it’s an energy dump, and other times… your dog is just out here speed-running their stress response. Even adrenaline plays a role!

But are all zoomies good zoomies? 🤔
👀 Swipe to find out! 👀

Let us know:
Why does your dog zoom?
Are they happy zoomies, stress zoomies, or mystery zoomies?
Drop a 🏃‍♂️ if your dog has ever hit Mach 10 out of nowhere!
And if you want the deep dive, comment ZOOM!

03/19/2025

Thank you for trusting us with your pups Final Frontier Rescue Project! These are the best types of stories and happy endings. We are grateful that we are able to give back to the community and offer discounts to rescues.This part of our job is so rewarding and fulfilling! Thank you to Mandi's adopters. Have a great life sweet girl. We are always here if you need us!

Mandi's back with me (Eileen) while her fosters are on a trip to celebrate their anniversary. It's been about a year since Mandi was returned to us by her adopter, who used a shock collar on her and then declared with absolute confidence that she was untrainable and not suited to live in a home.

Her experience left Mandi anxious and insecure. She's been fortunate to be in foster for almost all of her time with us (plus a little time at The Furry B&B when she first came back), but a loving home couldn't erase the past. What really helped Mandi on a path toward healing was her three weeks of training at South Austin Dog Center and the communication and individualized training session with her fosters.

Mandi's fosters have traveled a few times since taking her in, and she stays with me or her previous foster Robin, and this time I can see the difference that training and follow up by her fosters have made.

Mandi was a newborn when we rescued her family, and when she needed us again, we had to figure out how to be there for her. It takes a village: fosters, donors, boarding businesses, veterinarians, volunteers, trainers, and rescue directors trying to keep up with it all. We always need more help.

https://linktr.ee/ffrptx

03/16/2025

We don’t normally comment on other trainers, but after seeing a recent video circulating in our area, we feel the need to speak up—for the dogs and owners affected by these methods.

Too often, we meet dogs who have been through "training" that relies on punishment and corrections. Many come to us shut down, terrified, or labeled as “hopelessly aggressive” by trainers who only suppressed their behavior instead of addressing the root cause. Some were even recommended for euthanasia. But time and time again, with humane, science-backed training, and sometimes veterinary intervention, many of these dogs heal.

Corrections might seem effective in the moment, but they come with risks most owners aren’t warned about. In this post, we’re breaking down five hidden dangers of using punishment-based training—and offering some safer solutions for real behavior change.

Let’s train with understanding, not fear.

01/10/2025

We know life can be a balancing act—between work, family, and everything else, adding trips to the training facility or daycare can feel like a lot. We also know that not every dog enjoys a daycare environment or needs a full day with us to continue their education. Some pups benefit more from focused training right in their own neighborhood or home. That’s why we’re excited to introduce a new, convenient option for continuing your pup’s education:

Grad School from Home!

Contact us for the deets. All SADC alumni are eligible.