Mindful Canine Dog Training & Behavior

02/23/2025

Bear was biting my gloved hand just minutes before this photo was taken!

When we started teaching him this stationing behavior on his bed, his whole attitude changed. He went from aggressing and expressing his a**l glands to joyfully offering known behaviors for treats and wagging his tail. I've heard statements from other trainers such as "We change how the dog feels instead of just teaching obedience." Often, teaching obedience is a main part of aggression rehab because it gives the dog a constructive focal point and gives you something you can hold them accountable for. It's impossible to treat a serious behavior problem without a foundation of obedience and accountability. You MUST be able to communicate and direct a dog if you want to teach them new constructive ways to cope with their emotions. Successfully treating serious behavior problems is a cocktail of strategies that will vary for each dog depending on the emotion driving the behavior. For Bear, our strategy is based around fear driven aggression. We're so proud of his huge progress and can't wait to see him living his best life in the long term.

If your dog is struggling with behavior problems, we can help! Give us a call at 385-220-5403

02/22/2025

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!

Last weekend Boo and I headed up to to compete for the first time ever at a GRC trial. I knew from the onset that Boo was not quite ready since we only recently introduced a front command, needed various fine tuning, and he tends to have difficulty in new environments- but our main goal was just to get the experience and view a trial so our team in Southern Utah can prepare for SR testing this year. Although I knew it was more than likely that we would NQ, it was still really disappointing that we didn't earn our SR this time around. I'm used to succeeding on the first try, so I had to keep my ego in check. One of my biggest takeaways was my friends sharing their stories of their own NQ experiences. It was inspiring to know that people in the 2s and 3s overcame various "failures" to get where they are at now, and it was also inspiring to watch others NQ or pull from the trial with winning attitudes. Once I was able to get some distance from that moment of failure and disappointment, I remembered various examples of people I look up to overcoming failure at other dog sport trials, plus the fact that even the founder of GRC has failed SR tests with his own dogs. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is view failure from a different angle and see it as success. Boo did excellent at the hotel, being crated during travel for long periods of time, was neutral to the dog who was our hotel roommate and was respectful to all other dogs he saw, and was overall functional in a trial environment which a year ago I would have thought impossible. I gained valuable experience that I can share with my home GRC team, and got to share in the pride of the success of my teammate Asia and her dog Finely as they competed for the first time in slat mill. I gained confidence in dog friendly travel. I was an example to my team to get out there and take risks. One of the most important aspects of this trip was the friendships and connections made with the GRC community in Utah- I always feel so supported!

Never let the possibility of failure stop you- it's just an inevitable and valuable step on the road to success!

02/20/2025

Meet Jasper!
Breed: Border Collie x Poodle
Age: 4 Years Old
Gender: Male
Size: Medium (55 lbs)
Energy Level: Active, Playful

About Jasper:
Jasper is a lovable, energetic dog who’s ready to bring joy to his forever home! He loves to run, play, and get lots of attention from his humans. Whether it’s fetching a ball, hiking, walking through ace hardware or just hanging out on the couch, Jasper is always up for fun and affection. Jasper is an absolute cuddle bug.

Jasper is friendly with cats and people. Jasper has a history of reactivity and will probably never be a “dog park dog” but he is friendly with other dogs after a proper introduction. Jasper has completed a board and train with Mindful Canine and has advanced obedience and off leash reliability. Jasper knows:

-Sit (at a distance, in motion, and with an implied stay)
-Down (at a distance, in motion, and with an implied stay)
-Go to your bed
-Heel
-Eye Contact
-Off
-Jump up
-Come
-Get it
-No
-Loose leash walking
-Leave it
-Out
-This way (for hiking off leash if you don’t need a full recall but a change of direction)
-Kennel (He knows how to go to his kennel on command and is well crate trained)
-House broken

Jasper has also been introduced to agility, GRC dog sports, and Disc. He would excel at any of these sports and has a trainer offering his new owners a couple of free agility sessions. Jasper would also most likely enjoy dock diving or fly ball, but has not been introduced to it.

He does best with regular exercise, training and mental stimulation to keep him happy.

Jasper’s Ideal Home:
Jasper would do well in an active household where he can get plenty of playtime and outdoor adventures. He would love a family who’s experienced with dogs or willing to give him the guidance and structure he needs. A home with a yard would be perfect for him to run around in, and he’d enjoy having the right dog as a dog sibling to play with. Jasper would thrive with a family that has time to devote to his energetic personality and would be a great companion for an active person or family.

Reach out to if you are interested in adopting or fostering Jasper.

02/18/2025

Congratulations to Asia and Finley from our GRC Dog Sports club, who got 3rd place in the mock slat mill trial at Wasatch Canine Camp this past weekend!!

Before I talk about my own experience at the trial, I wanted to give this young lady and her dog a well-deserved and hard-earned congratulations and shout out. Asia has grown as a handler and human significantly since joining GRC a year and a half ago. I am so proud of her and impressed with what she has accomplished with Finley, who has been a challenging (and amazing) dog.

One of the best parts about being a GRC club member is getting to watch other people and their dogs learn, grow, and achieve success. It has been a great honor to be a part of this team's journey. 🙌😍🥳

We can't wait to see that these guys do next! Thanks to all of our friends, old and new, who made this an amazing first trial experience!

02/12/2025

Welcome new homeschool student Dixie! Dixie is working with me to overcome leash reactivity and learn basic commands.

02/11/2025

We've gotten a lot of new followers lately, so we thought it was about time for some more "get to know us" stuff!

My name is Brandi, and I'm the co-creator of Mindful Canine. I train full time at our Cedar City branch and produce most of the content you see on our social media channels. My business partner Emmah and I both wear many hats as small business owners, but some of my specific duties include systems development, tech work, equipment orders, networking, marketing, and more! My favorite part of dog training is helping dogs and owners live their happiest lives together. I love making it possible for people to enjoy their dog as much as I enjoy mine. I'm passionate about community involvement, and my dream is that someday, having a dog trainer for every dog will become as commonplace as having a vet for every dog. I started my dog journey in pet nutrition while I managed a team at a pet retail store where my love for training was also born. Before training, I got a BA in English from SUU. I currently have a CPDT-KA certification in dog training as well as work with a mentor with over 30 years of experience. I'm in the process of pursuing other credentials, titles, and education. My favorite areas of study in dog training are dog sports and play based methods. When I'm not training, I love hiking, reading, and writing poetry!

If I haven't met you already, I'd love to get in touch and meet you and your dog! Reach out to schedule a FREE consultation with me 🐕

02/10/2025

Are your pets prepared for a disaster like the Pallisades Fire?

Now is the time to make preparations for your animals in the event of an emergency! Make this process easy by joining us for this one-time community seminar in Cedar City.

Current and past Mindful Canine clients get 50% OFF a full priced ticket! Text or call us at 385-220-5403 to register, space is limited!

This event is for humans only! 🐕

02/03/2025

Caption this photo in the comments! What is Boo thinking? 👇

02/02/2025

Persimmon and I had a blast at the Fast CAT event put on by Red Canyons Kennel Club and Harmony Dog Sports this weekend! It was our first experience, and her time was 8.01 seconds 😍 I'm so grateful that we have access to these awesome bonding opportunities!

02/01/2025

Anyone else relieved that January is finally over?! Happy February from Denali!

Cute backdrop courtesy of .by.tsc in Cedar City, created by Stephanie.

01/25/2025

Take 15 Day 25: Only a few days left!! We're SO proud of everyone who has taken on this challenge. It has been fun to watch your dogs grow and thrive. If you've fallen off the wagon, we challenge you to hop back on for the final stretch to play with, train, or exercise your dog for just 15 minutes a day for the remainder of January 😍

📸 Featuring Molly enjoying a homeachool field trip 😎

01/24/2025

TAKE 15 DAY 24: Today we went for a pack hike. Doing activities like hiking can be helpful to build your dog’s relationships with each other. Hiking can help dissipate any tension between dogs as well as give them positive experiences with each other.

01/23/2025

TAKE 15 DAY 23: Today we worked on contacts which is where the dog gets its 2 back feet on a piece of agility equipment and their 2 front feet off. Oscar really struggles to stay connected with me in agility because he would much rather just go run through all of the obstacles. Because of this contacts are super difficult for him. Remember to keep sessions that are more difficult relatively short so you and your dog don’t get frustrated.

01/21/2025

Losing steam and need inspiration for the Take 15 Challenge? If you're struggling to get your 15 minutes in each day with your dog, take a look at this quick read and jot down your ideas. Enjoy our latest deep dive!

The last time one of my pets died was quite a while ago, but the pain of that event never seems to really fade. The death of a pet does not only involve the pain of never seeing them again, but invariably also involves a wave of "could haves" and "should haves" even for great pet owners. Ultimately,...

01/20/2025

Take 15 Day 20: What can you do if you're not feeling up to training, exercise, or play with your dog?

This weekend I was not feeling well, so I took Boo on a special date to and let him pick out a couple treats. I only asked him for obedience when absolutely necessary (such as when another dog was present) and let him just explore! He got to meet and get some love from Claire the manager, who was very knowledgeable and helpful!! I wish I had felt up to doing more, but in the end Boo doesn't really care about my Take 15 agenda and is happy just to tag along with me. Sometimes getting to go for a ride with you is more than enough.

01/18/2025

Take 15 Day 18: "Wow, training gets easier the more we do it!" -Afina's Owner

At the end of yesterday's session, I was chatting with her parents about how once we lay the foundation of how new things are taught and understood, applying new concepts feels like a breeze. It can take some time for you and the dog to get into a good communication groove- but once you do, adding in something new won't be nearly as challenging as the day you started training. Dogs are really capable of filling in the gaps. Afina has never needed a stationing command until now, and she learned this in just minutes after all the work her parents have already done together. All of those training moments add up and compound over time- which is why we started the Take 15 Challenge!

01/17/2025

TAKE 15 DAY17: For Manny’s 15 minutes today we took him out to meet my horse Dan. Providing your dog with new and novel experiences can be a great way to build their confidence and their trust in you!