12/03/2025
We All Make Mistakes.
The honest truth is that we all make mistakes; human and animal! I have worked with dogs and dog behavior for over 18 years, and I specialize in behavior modification & high risk dogs. My personal dogs can be challenging/difficult, but they are trained beyond belief. That being said, myself and my dogs still make mistakes! Often I hear people say “You must not have any problems at home, because you train dogs for a living.” Or they see me out with my personal dogs and remark “I wish my dog could act like that, you are so lucky!” Well, the honest truth? I tend to bring home some of the more difficult personality of dogs out there. 😆 All my dogs are working breeds, they all resource guard, and they are just flat out sassy, opinionated, stubborn, like to test their boundaries.
Now you are probably wondering why I am writing this, so here goes nothing. I believe in transparency with all my clients! I share not only my achievements with them, but also those not so great moments. Last night I experienced one of those not so great moments, but it can be also be a great learning experience/reminder for others! 😅
Outside of being a dog trainer, I am a full time mom to 4 wonderful kiddos at home (ranging between 1 years old to 8 years old). We also have Harley (5 year old, Female, Blue Heeler), Storm (15 years old, Male, Mini Aussie), & Cedar (12 years old, Male, DSH). With having 2 dogs who resource guard, and a zoo of children who are young, we have strict rules that dogs are in crates when there is food out…. But mistakes happen. Things were a bit chaotic last night, food was left out unattended, somehow dogs were roaming, and a dog fight broke out. Definitely wasn’t the first disagreement between these two, but this one did a number on Storm. I rushed him into Summit Veterinary Referral Center to be seen. This time we were able to bring Storm back home, but please let me emphasize THIS TIME.
I’m not perfect. My dogs aren’t perfect. Do I blame my dogs? Absolutely not! They are known to resource guard, and my kids walked away from their plates of fried chicken, and I forgot to put them in their crates. That was a situation for them to fail.
I am thankful Storm was able to come home today. But please know mistakes happen, even to those who do this for a living! Also, please know that resource guarding can be serious!
Thank you everyone who has reached out and checked on him! Storm is home, unimpressed with his haircut I gave him, and on several good pain medications.
