Trust Your Mutt

08/16/2024

Kiwi showed up to see her bestie today and we couldn’t help but take a picture when we saw which shirt he had on.

Opal’s resilience and drive have taught me just as much as a trainer as Kiwi’s stability and ease have. I’m so thankful to have a dog that pushes and humbles me, while simultaneously having one who slows me down to enjoy the small moments.

Demo dog, emotional support animal, wild child, therapy dog, rotten fruit, bestie, the list could go on and on of unofficial titles this little girl carries. We love her for them all. 🩵

06/26/2024

We’ve been rather quiet on this page, making more time for life changes and opportunities that we are very grateful for.

We’re all three still living our best lives, and still more than happy to help you live yours with your dog(s) as well.

Please let us know if there are ways we can assist you through any stage of your dog’s growth, from puppies to seniors. It’s never too early or too late for dogs or their humans to be learning. 🩵

-Taylor, Opal, & Kiwi. 🥝

03/17/2024

Pluto is a unique dog with unique needs when it comes to training (and when it comes to getting him to smile for a picture - see video 😆).

Life would be easier and people like me honestly wouldn’t be necessary if all dogs fit into a cookie cutter mold of what it took to make them happy and well-trained.

I applaud Pluto’s owners for seeing that his obedience wasn’t the whole picture. He can do his skills, and he can do them well. However, there’s something that didn’t click mentally for him even though they did exactly what they were taught to do with their other dog. This connection not being made for Pluto ultimately led to a nervous and uncertain dog who they knew needed and deserved better.

I’m proud of them, and I’m proud of Pluto for the progress seen after just two weeks of small changes. Happy to be a part of unlocking a whole new world of happiness for this sweet boy in the weeks and months to come! 🩵

01/05/2024

I shared these pictures with a trainer friend so she could enjoy some of my pain, and the response I got from her was I should reach out to someone who could fix this problem for me. We laughed as this is a very normal question we both get asked.

“Can you train my dog to stop destructing my house?”

Simply put? No we cannot. Why? Because you are raising a dog, not a human. You cannot explain to them in words that household items are not actually meant to be destroyed. So what can you do? You can realize you gave too much trust too soon, and put your trust back into your dog’s kennel to help manage their love of destruction.

Kiwi is 1 and was unsupervised for 40 minutes. She has been left in bedrooms many times for extended periods of time while I left the house. Why did she choose violence this one time? My best guess is boredom, and as soon as she realized the sound of fabric ripping was SO FUN it was game over for my bedding. 😂

So what have I done about it? First of all, I didn’t get mad at her. Was I mad? You saw the pictures, of course I was. But at her? Not a chance. I did not catch her doing this, the damage was done by the time the door was opened. I grabbed some evidence for laughs, cleaned up the mess, accepted that she’s over the Christmas sheets, and we moved on. Most importantly she is also back to being kenneled anytime I leave the house for two reasons:

1. I want to keep her safe. Luckily I don’t think she ingested any of the fabric, but she very easily could in the future or she could choose something else to chew that could be very dangerous (peep electrical cords right next to the bed).

2. I like my house, and I like it better when it doesn’t have ripped furniture, chewed trim, scratched doors, etc. which are all more likely now that she found a more fun hobby than napping while I leave her.

Long story short: we love kennels for keeping our dogs safe and our houses intact. Having problems teaching your dog to tolerate or even enjoy their kennel? Let us know how we can help. But for now, enjoy knowing that trainers dogs aren’t perfect dogs either. 🩵

01/01/2024

Reflecting back on some of the happy faces we were able to work with in 2023.

Here’s to many more tongue out adventures in 2024! 🩵

12/30/2023

Did you wake up to a puppy under the tree on Christmas morning?

If so, we’re so excited for you! You’re in for such a special relationship with your furry new pal. Let us help you start it off on the right paw!

We offer Puppy Consultations for you and your new family members where we cover topics such as play biting, potty training, simple obedience, socialization, and many more. It’s also a great time for you to ask any questions you may have and set some realistic goals for your puppy’s future!

If your puppy is between 8 weeks - 5 months old, let us know how we can assist you!

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas from these two happy faces. ❤️💚

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15

11/23/2023

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3

Not your typical training post, I know. But we heard these words last night and couldn’t help but relate them to you.

Whether you’re here as a friend, a family member, a client, or just a dog lover. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support and following along with our journey.

We’re so grateful to be able to share what we know and love with our community.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, and of course your beloved pups. 🩵

11/11/2023

Shout out to our little demo dog on her 1st Birthday! 🥝 Proud of her ability to be thrown into her new role with minimal experience and succeed at it beautifully.

📸 : CC Photography, LLC

10/31/2023

To any who may be interested in switching up or adding to their dog's diet:

This is where Opal and Kiwi's food is ordered from and they couldn't make the process any easier. If you know you want to make some changes but aren't sure where to start, feel free to send a message and we can chat about what we have learned over the years and try to guide you towards some healthier options for your dog! They carry some great products in addition to their food options!

We are experts at shipping frozen products! We ship on Monday and Tuesday each week. Our box holds 45 # of products, and we ship via UPS. Rest assured, knowing

10/29/2023

Raise your hand if your dog has a case of selective hearing! 🙋🏼‍♀️

This sweet girl is among many who suffer from this impairment. 😆 Her owners have begun the work of turning her ears on all the time, not just when it’s convenient for Bronya! She is, in return, learning that life can be even more fun when she keeps those big ears tuned in to her Mom and Dad! 🩵

10/07/2023

Mazie might look innocent, but don’t let her fool you… she will absolutely make you want a Lab puppy. 😅

Sweet as can be and so quick to learn, working with her and her parents is a blast! We’re looking forward to seeing her growth both physically and mentally throughout the rest of her lessons. 🩵

10/01/2023

Five.

Time being able to pass so quickly amazes me. I will forever be grateful to her for keeping me humble and getting us through everything in this crazy life of ours.

She was blessed with beautiful weather today, so we got to celebrate with some water retrieves. Please join us in wishing Opal a very Happy Birthday! 🎉🩵

09/26/2023

Owners who know how great of a dog they have but are still willing to put in the work to make them even more wonderful? Our kind of people.

Oakley is a lovely dog, and anyone who’s met him would agree. His owners see the potential in him and have begun the process to unlock even more fun and freedom with him!

He also gets bonus points for taking a shot at recreating our logo! 😍

Let us see your dog’s best “derp” face below! 🩵

09/15/2023

We’re hoping you have as much fun this weekend as Nami does with her repurposed pool! 😆

Nami’s owners have taken every step possible to ensure she has a great life ahead of her. Between group classes, clubs, a puppy consultation with us and now private lessons this young lady is off to a wonderful start in life.
🩵

09/11/2023

These pictures don’t even do Pickles justice. He is CUTE. What happens when you own this cute of a dog with this cute of a name? Mischief. Mischief happens. 😂

Since starting with us his parents have been so committed to reminding him that although he is always going to be the star of the show, he still needs to mind his manners!
🩵

08/23/2023

The world could never have enough Golden’s like Echo! 🫶🏽

This sweet boy has a habit of making friends with everyone on the block, which would be great if it didn’t involve him not listening to his Mom to do so! His owners are off to a great start turning his loving ears back on when it comes to walking and recalls.

Interested in learning more about building your dogs ability to be off-leash? Send us a message! 🩵

08/16/2023

When a sassy little hound brings old friends back into your life, you owe her a shoutout.

Finley is a perfect example of an old dog who CAN learn new tricks. At 7, her owners knew it wouldn’t be easy to work through her reactivity on walks, but they were up for the challenge and have done a tremendous job teaching her new skills. They will be able to put these to practice even more as they welcome a new baby to their family very soon!

We’re grateful for their trust, and excited for all they have to come! 🩵

08/08/2023

It’s easy to talk about dogs but it’s not always easy to talk about yourself which is why I saved this introduction for last.

To all reading, thank you for being here. My name is Taylor Emrath and I had lived in the Johnson Creek community for 19 years before making southwest Wisconsin my temporary home.

What I thought would be a fun weekend job to play with dogs and get me through college turned into the most incredible career. I spent the last seven years of my life dedicated to helping dogs and their owner’s sanity. I owe everything I know to the trainers, clients, and dogs I came in contact with while working for That's My Dog! down in Dubuque, Iowa. I left some incredible life long friends over there, but my heart was aching to come home.

Trust Your Mutt came into existence with the goal of helping owners do exactly that, trusting their beloved dogs. I’ve been gifted with so much knowledge and experience that I want to share with this community. I look forward to all of the wagging tails I will get to encounter while helping your dogs live their best lives. 🩵

08/06/2023

Look familiar? The picture that made her the face of TYM, thanks to the graphic ability of Ciera Christine Keller.

Opal will be 5 in October, and reflecting on the past 4.5 years of owning her brings a lot of emotions. She has tested me, taught me, humbled me, loved me, made me laugh, and most of all made me so dang proud over the years.

By the time she turns 5 we’ll have lived in 6 different houses together. She’s embraced so many changes and helped me get through them as well. I owe her so much for trusting me through it all.

She’s known as a wild child by all, but she’s SO deeply loved. Here’s to Opal! 🖤

08/01/2023

Happy National Mutt Day from our very own, Kiwi! 🥝

Kiwi was found with siblings in a kennel on the side of the road and was later taken in and fostered by our incredible friends at Secondhand Soulmates. After seeing her personality grow week by week (and her ears 😆) she became irresistible and quickly joined her forever home with Opal.

Give us your best guess of what breeds you think are in this little mutt! We’d also love to see YOUR mutt (mixed breed or not - share below)! 🩵

07/29/2023

These girls are my biggest “why”, but helping clients achieve a life with less stress and happier memories with their dogs is a very close second. 🩵