Mischief & Manners Dog Training

07/04/2025

Happy 4th! We hope everyone stays cool and safe from the sky booms today 🎆

07/01/2025

Hero got to go on a little hike today to work on nice leash skills and checking in! We also found some wineberry treats along the way 😋

06/28/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined .dogs and I’s first Snack Walk! It was a humid morning but a great group of dogs and we had a lovely stroll through the park!

There’s still space in the next one on July 14th @ 6:30pm in Baker Park!

06/25/2025

What’s your favorite hot weather snack?

We do a lot of frozen peanut butter/yogurt over here but I don’t want to do too many high calorie treats when we’re not doing much activity outside. One of my favorite summer snacks is watermelon, feta and mint. Ripley seemed very curious so she got to taste (she loves watermelon) and it was a huge hit! Fresh mint is safe for dogs in moderation and can be great for their digestion and breath 🍉☀️💚

06/12/2025

As temperatures and humidity increase, it gets a little less fun to spend all day outside!

I generally do not cancel for hot weather unless 1) the humidity is making it feel like an absolute swamp or 2) the “feels like” temp is 95+ but I am super flexible on these terms depending on other conditions.

If you have a breed who does not tolerate heat well and it’s a genuine safety concern, I will *always* reschedule or find an alternative. I can try to fit lessons in outside my usual hours if necessary so we can meet early/later to avoid the worst of it. This is case-by-case of course, but I will do my best.

Can we find things to work on indoors? Sure! Can we take a field trip to a pet friendly store? Absolutely, if your dog can handle it! It’s no fun trying to learn when you and your dog are melting.

And outside of the weather - I know schedules get very busy this time of year with summer break and vacations. Please give me a heads up if you’ll be out of town so we can try and plan ahead, as my schedule is filling up quickly and I also have a lot going on the next few months.

Stay cool, everyone ☀️😎🍦

06/08/2025

We had a great day supporting yesterday at K9 in the Vines! Mulder & Amelia (representing .dogs) were quick best friends and the perfect little demo dogs.

This was Mulder’s first event like this and he really impressed me! I’ve said it before, but not every dog is suited for things like this and that’s okay! Events are hard for my trainer brain because I have to watch dogs being dragged around, forced to interact, corrected for being uncomfortable, or improperly managed (causing safety concerns) and it can be A LOT! I think it’s so important to meet our dog’s where they’re at and not force them into unnecessary situations for our benefit. I planned to send Mulder home after an hour or two but I was so happy with how he was able to show off some skills, greet dogs happily, and settle quietly. He is shy of strangers but in a way that shows me he is okay existing in these spaces if we listen to his boundaries. Not every dog can do that (or wants to do) and I think we all need to be more accepting of that.

06/03/2025

“From Mischief to Adventure” Presents: Snack Walks!

Thank you for all the feedback on yesterday’s post - Lela and I are excited to come together to offer these group walk sessions! We are hoping to do this once a month at different parks around the Frederick area.

These sessions are available for current and past students who are looking to get some extra real world practice. Does your dog need a little extra space? That’s okay! We will make sure everyone is comfortable and can enjoy this outing. If you are unsure your dog can handle this, just let me know and we can see if it’s a good fit - not recommended for my students who are still mastering redirection skills and handling busier park settings.

During these hour sessions, we’ll do some casual walking followed by some structured training time to put your skills to the test.

Limited spots to keep it less stressful for our reactive dogs - $20, must pre-register!

First walk is schedule for June 28th @ 9:30am at Othello Park

More dates to drop soon so stay tuned!

Follow the link in the comments to sign up (will take you through Fitnacity’s website)

06/02/2025

⚠️ NEW SERVICE IN THE WORKS ⚠️

Lela (.dogs) and I have been talking about this for a while but we’re finally getting the details worked out to start offering Snack Walks!

This would be open to current/past clients who want an opportunity to practice skills out in the world but in a (semi) controlled environment.

We are hoping to host these once a month and are trying to gauge interest! If you’d like to participate at some point, send one of us a message so we can add you to the list and share all the details when we’ve got a schedule together!

06/01/2025

Upcoming Schedule Changes!!

I want to note that these may end up being somewhat flexible depending on the day/week, but it’s easier for me to have general hours and build off that 😂 I will always try to adjust things to fit in lessons, especially when it’s a weather issue.

I have a busy summer ahead with some traveling/family time *and* I’ll be helping with babysitting my nephew, so my availability will be changing a bit.

With summer vacations and travel coming up for everyone, please remember to let me know your availability so we can get lessons on the books! I am booking two weeks out at some points so the sooner you let me know your availability, the more likely I can reserve a spot for you. I will always try my best to get you on my schedule but this time of year can get tricky, especially as the weather gets really hot.

05/25/2025

Come see me and Fitnacity Dog Training next weekend! If you have a friend who has been on the fence about training, I also donated a free new client consultation to their raffle!

K9’s in the Vines is a little more than a week away, and we want to take the opportunity to thank our generous donors & vendors 💕
Make sure to get your tickets, and check out the Silent Auction when you arrive! We’ve received some pretty amazing items & we are so thankful🌈

See you there, and thank you for supporting your local animal rescue 🐾

(Winners will be announced at 330p!)

05/25/2025

If anyone is interested in adopting a lovely adult Greyhound, please send me a message for more info! He is so sweet and I would take him home in an instant if I had space 😂 Working on some manners with his foster but he’s already shown that he’s quite a smart boy, although a little bit of that hound independent streak shows through!

05/24/2025

Roxy had a lovely training outing to Baker Park - what a beautiful day!

We hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend and the break in the rain ☀️