Maine Trail Dogs

06/22/2024

We are out of office June 22 - July 8! I will respond to emails and phone calls starting July 8th. We’re looking forward to some down time, birthday celebrations, camping, and family time!

06/13/2024

I’m happy to recommend Firefly Kennel in Dixmont - Rooster loves boarding there! Julie does a wonderful job with daycare and boarding, the dogs are happy, safe, and fulfilled. She pairs dogs for daycare very thoughtfully - this is the only daycare that I recommend! They’re hosting an open house June 29th so you can get a chance to tour their beautiful facility and grounds and meet Julie!

06/10/2024

This weekend, I visited my parents and helped them start to introduce their dogs, Chester and Pocket, to our cousin’s new dog who has some big feelings about other dogs. Chester (pictured here) brought the most relaxed energy to their greeting, spending the majority of the interaction rolling around in the grass. They’ve since been able to enjoy a walk together without the new dog barking and growling at him. Everyone needs Chester in their life, but there is only one Chester.

06/04/2024

Meet Maya, a 1 year old bully mix rescue - she is very sweet and adores people. She has big feelings about seeing dogs, but was very happy to make friends with my pack during her evaluation. She’s been battling some health issues and required quarantine from other dogs, but thankfully she is finally at a place where we can start to build a foundation for her training. We started with possession games and teaching her the out today - she rocked it 💪

05/24/2024

MTD album dropping this summer

05/18/2024

Rooster and I will be there!

Only a few spots left!! OTAC’s Beginners and Beyond Beginners Tracking Workshop on June 15 in Augusta, ME is filling fast. If you want to learn to track with your dog, this workshop is the best – taught by AKC Tracking Judge, Carolyn Fuhrer, it will give you the very best start .
Don’t miss it – call Kathy at 207-691-2332 or e-mail [email protected] to reserve your spot!

05/17/2024

Zeke is coming to the end of his program - he’s come so far from the nervy, growly dog that he was back in February when I met him for his evaluation. He is happy, he has a purpose, he is settled and chill in the house, he is thriving! He and Graham are getting along swimmingly and their family is enjoying regular offleash hikes with the dogs together! We have a few more pieces to put together as we wrap up his program. I’m going to miss hanging with this guy!

05/09/2024

Zeke befriended the mail person today! He was so happy to realize the person walking up to the door that he’d been barking at for 2 years is actually a friend. He had this big goofy grin on his face after, I zoomed in on it 😂
We have about two weeks left in Zeke & Graham’s program. They’re both doing so well and integrating them back together inside is going very smoothly. Today, a neighbor’s dog showed up in their driveway when we had the boys loose together inside. Their owner brought the dog into the mud room to leash him and bring him home - both Zeke and Graham had some grumbling feelings about that, understandably, but Zeke had no issue when Graham walked up to him while that was going on. To note, they’ve been neutral together on walks and outside, it’s only been inside the house that Zeke attacked Graham in the past. I’ve been focusing on that inside work since their owner can safely walk them together outside. We’ve got some more work to do to fully integrate them, but they are well on their way!

05/03/2024

Check out this opportunity to learn about tracking!

Saturday, May 11, 9:00 until 11:00 am at North Star in Somerville - "I want to try tracking with my dog but don’t know what it’s all about!!"
Special 2-hour introduction to tracking – see if your dog likes it! Fun tracking exercises and instruction from an AKC Tracking Judge.
Come and see what it’s all about – it may open up a whole new world for you and your dog.
$50 dog/handler team (OTAC members $35)
Questions? Want to register? Call Kathy at 207-619-2332 or e-mail [email protected]. This is a perfect time of year to start tracking - don't miss this!

04/29/2024

The look of a happy, confident 1 year old Tulip enjoying lots of freedom! Tulip’s owners sent me this photo today - they’re traveling with her right now and she is doing so well with every aspect of their trip. She just turned 1 last week and it’s been fun to reflect on the last 9 months of working together. She’s a very energetic dog with a big personality. She went through some challenging periods with a lot of fear about both dogs and people and separation issues when she was younger. It’s wonderful to see her thriving, enjoying meeting new people, making dog friends, being offleash, and living a great life with her family. This is what I think about when I start puppy lessons with my clients - their puppy grown up and enjoying a beautiful life - this is what we are working towards.

04/19/2024

Happy Friday from this ray of sunshine ☀️

04/16/2024

✨10 months of Rooster✨

04/15/2024

Meet Zero, a 6 month old Vizsla - Zero is starting his homeschool program this week. Zero is a bold, confident puppy at home with his mom and Vizsla older brother, but away from them, he is on the shy, timid side. We’re going to work on building him up to be able to handle separation better, as well as teach recall, leash walking, and better house manners (he’s a jumper). Zero and I have done a few private sessions prior to the start of his homeschool program so we can jump straight in. He started our private sessions in flight mode - we’ve has made steady progress and he was brave enough to even try swimming today! I’m excited to get to work with this fun little pup!

04/09/2024

Carra finished up her training program this afternoon with a wonderful offleash hike in the woods. Carra’s owner reached out because she was jumping and mouthing people like wild and destroying their clothes and belonging. She is now able to happily and easily greet guests, she is not destructive anymore, she has a wonderful game she plays with her owner, walks politely on leash, and now, her owner’s dream, she’s offleash reliable! She’s been dreaming of being able to take her dog offleash for years and now she can do it with Carra 💪. This team put in a ton of work outside our lessons and it really payed off for them, they crushed their goals quickly and they’ve made wonderful progress! Now to enjoy all their hard work with some well earned offleash time!

03/18/2024

Dreamy new patch from
Their patches are very well made and beautifully designed. Rooster has worn this one on our daily woods walks and really put it to the test - swimming, thrashing through the woods, rolling in the mud, you name it - and the patch looks exactly like the day it arrived 🤯

03/17/2024

Let’s talk about ✨boundaries✨

Many dog owners struggle with things like counter surfing, stealing food, and inappropriate chewing/destructive behaviors. Rather than relying on commands (ex: place) or distractions, establishing clear boundaries is key. For example, by teaching your dogs that certain items are off-limits, you can prevent unwanted behaviors like counter surfing.

Tonight I sat down on my couch with a bowl of ice cream with my three highly food driven dogs. They know this boundary - it’s not their food, so they just settled down around me. As I write this, my mostly empty ice cream bowl is sitting on our coffee table at nose height and no one has paid it any mind.

By setting clear boundaries with your dogs, you are helping them know how to behave in these situations. This is a crucial part of raising a well mannered companion.

03/14/2024

It looks like spring is here to stay! And that means that mud season is in full swing now. I thought I’d share some tips for being a respectful trail use this time of year. Please be respectful of the roads and trails that you use during this mud season - if you leave tracks, turn back! 👣🐾 There are trails in the Bangor area that are dry enough to walk on. Roads and trails can easily become deeply rutted during mud season, causing significant and lasting damage.
With the warmer weather, wildlife is becoming more active so make sure your dogs don’t have any unfortunate encounters with emerging baby porcupines or hungry bears! Ticks are active as well so check yourself and your pets after time spent outdoors.

03/14/2024

Keep an eye out when you let your dogs out!
Bear bells are a great way to avoid wildlife encounters on the trail.

🐻 Bears are most active in Maine from April 1 to November 1, but with Maine waking up from its winter slumber early this year, black bears might too.

Male bears and solitary females will be up and moving first and our bear biologists have already seen sows with yearlings out and about. Sows with cubs will be soon to follow. It's time to remove, store, secure, and clean common bear attractants in your yard. Taking the following steps will help keep you, your property, and the bears safe.

🐦 Take bird feeders down for the season. Store feeders and seed indoors. Rake up spilled seed.
🗑 Store garbage cans indoors and/or make sure lids are closed and securely latched.
🍔 Keep grills clean and store inside when not in use.
🐶 Secure pets and livestock in buildings at night and store their food indoors. Feed them inside when possible or clean dishes daily and remove leftover food.

Learn more about living with black bears at mefishwildlife.com/livingwithblackbears

03/06/2024

Chevy is one of the sweetest, most enthusiastic dogs - a classic lab (no breed bias here 😉). Life has thrown his family a curveball when he was recently diagnosed with hip and elbow dysplasia. He’ll need serious medical intervention in the form of multiple surgeries and rehab. His owners are doing everything under the sun to give Chevy the best possible life. When I say Chevy hit the jackpot with his family, I really mean it. When he started limping, they got him to the vet right away for X-rays to get the hip dysplasia diagnosis. After observing his gait and some other symptoms, they got him into a specialist who diagnosed the elbow dysplasia and formed a treatment plan. We are continuing to adjust his training program to fit his physical limitations and preparing for a long series of recovery periods following his surgeries. We started some nosework today to give him a low impact activity to do during his recovery. I so badly wish that Chevy wasn’t suffering from these joint issues, it is extremely hard to watch a young dog want so badly to be active and struggle. I can’t wait to see him flourish after his treatments. An unlucky hand dealt to this pup, but wow, isn’t he lucky to be in his family 🧡

03/05/2024

Meet Zeke! Zeke is a young goldendoodle joining the homeschool program. He is loving learning to play - he very proudly carried his toy on our walk today for 20 minutes. He struggles with alert barking excessively in the house and reactivity to other dogs on leash. Zeke has gotten into two fights with his family’s other dog, Graham, a sweet German Shepherd with the biggest head ever (I’ll post a picture at some point!). His family wants to be able to integrate the dogs safely. Graham will also be joining for some sessions as well to teach him a solid recall.

02/19/2024

Check out this cool opportunity to learn about tracking!

Saturday, March 2, 2024
LET’S TALK TRACKING! With AKC Tracking Judge Carolyn Fuhrer
We don’t have to wait until spring! Get ready for a new tracking season by discussing and learning some great foundation work with your dog. For anyone interested in tracking – this workshop is for you! Beginners can get a head start on understanding the sport and have a good foundation for their first outdoor workshop. More experienced trackers will learn to problem solve and build your confidence on the track. Dog and handler teams will work on article indication, start line routines, and effective lead handling. Also: learn the importance of article placement and how it can help you at a test – very important!! This is an indoor workshop, but you should bring your dog.
$75 (OTAC MEMBERS $65) Call Kathy (207) 691-2332 or e-mail [email protected] FMI and to register!!

02/18/2024

✨Rooster, 8 months old✨

The happiest, sweetest, and goofiest dog who loves everything and everyone 💛🐓

02/16/2024

Meet Chevy! Chevy is a 6 month old lab and he is doing the homeschool program this month. Chevy’s owner started private lessons with him as soon as they brought him home, they’ve been working hard on building good foundations for this sweet boy. Over the next month, Chevy is going to be learning leash manners, recall, as well as working on some house manners and appropriate greetings. Chevy has some orthopedic stuff going on so his program is being tailored to make sure he is not overexerting himself and causing soreness or pain. Chevy landed himself a fantastic family that is going above and beyond to make sure he is living his best life 🧡

02/13/2024

A fun local event for dogs and owners! Check it out!

Don’t miss the Annual Winter Olympics on February 24 at North Star! 10:00 to 1:00 - fundraiser for our club events!
The gold, silver and bronze medals just arrived and are ready to be awarded to the top three dogs. Come and compete and have a blast with your best friend! All levels of skill can compete – and everyone is a winner! A day of just fun and laughter - chase away the winter blues. Call Kathy at 207-691-2332 or e-mail [email protected] to register.
Photo: Julie with her Border Collie, Lily. A fabulous Olympic team!

01/11/2024

NEW PROGRAM! Introducing the Hybrid Programs:
Do you want to be able to have your dog safely offleash? Does your dog pull hard on the leash? Hybrid Programs might be the right fit for you and your dog!
Blending our private lesson and homeschool programs, Hybrid Programs are designed for owners to meet two specific goals with their dogs: offleash reliability and loose leash walking. Your dog will learn the skills they need with individual training sessions before you learn the skills you need during the handover lessons. These programs require initial evaluations to determine if the program is the right fit for you and your dog. These programs are designed for dogs with a solid foundation in obedience and with no behavioral issues like reactivity, aggression, extreme fear, anxiety. Contact us for more details: https://www.mainetraildogs.com/contact-4

01/08/2024

NEW PROGRAM! Introducing Puppy Programs:
The first 6 months of your puppy's life are critical for helping them become a happy, confident member of your family. There are so many things you and your puppy need to learn and experience together - let us help guide you!
In our Puppy Socialization program, I will take your puppy on 3 outings to different places like walking trails, parks, busy neighborhoods, and stores. Your puppy will get safe and intentional exposure to different sights, sounds, people, and dogs to help them grow into a well-rounded, confident young dog. Your puppy will get experience with leash walking, play, and general manners as they navigate the world with me.
In our Puppy Lessons package, we will work together over the course of 6 lessons that will take place every 2 to 3 weeks as your puppy grows up. Puppy lessons focus on household manners, crate/potty training, proper socialization, and play development. We will also address setting boundaries, biological fulfillment, puppy biting, chewing, and more.
Contact us for details using this link: https://www.mainetraildogs.com/contact-4 OR book your program now here: https://mainetraildogs.as.me/schedule.php

01/03/2024

Meet Ghost and Arya! These sisters (yes, they’re littermates!) started their Homeschool Program this week to address jumping and leash pulling. They’re very sweet and playful - we’ve been having a blast getting to know each other this week. Ghost loves chase & catch while Arya is a big fan of possession games. I’m excited to get to work with these two!

01/01/2024

Meet Zeke! Zeke is looking for a new home as his owner is moving into assisted living. Zeke is a 7 year beagle, 35-40 lbs, and up to date on his vaccinations. He is incredibly sweet and a wonderful companion. He is a typical sniffy beagle who enjoys long walks and longer naps on the couch. I did a training program with Zeke this fall to work on his leash walking skills and I will be donating a free lesson for his new family when he finds a new home. Please share this post and help find Zeke a wonderful home!

12/21/2023

Coop’s Christmas present to me was this game of chase & catch today, completely unexpected because the cheeky boy stole a ball from my car while I was cleaning 😂🧡

12/04/2023

This morning, I sent Rooster’s breeder a video of Rooster sleeping with his eyes open and snoring loudly on my pillow last night. She promptly sent me a video back of Alaska, Rooster’s mom, doing the same thing. It is such a cool thing, to know Rooster’s parents, to hear what little quirks he inherited from them. Genetics are so cool. Labs are so cool.