Legend Retrievers & Working Dogs

11/03/2025

10/31/2025

10/22/2025

🐾 Did you know we specialize in training Practitioner Dogs?

Most people have heard of therapy dogs, but here’s the difference:
A traditional therapy dog is typically a well-mannered pet volunteering alongside their owner. These dogs provide comfort, but they aren’t specifically trained for the therapeutic environment they visit.

A Practitioner Dog, on the other hand, works as part of a professional team. These dogs receive specialized training to understand their work environment and intentionally engage with clients. For example, a physical therapist’s dog might retrieve a ball to help a client practice motor skills — truly becoming a partner in the healing process.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Rio, a chiropractor’s dog who works alongside his dad in sessions with both humans and dogs. Rio had been showing some barking and posturing when new (canine) clients arrived, so I brought my dog Molly, who’s very calm and neutral, to help him practice.

Using a gentle titration and communication method, we helped Rio realize that the new dog wasn’t scary — and that tuning in with his dad earned him treats. Within just ten minutes, both dogs were lying calmly side by side, relaxed and focused.

With a few more practice sessions and positive experiences, Rio is well on his way to becoming a fantastic, balanced, and confident practitioner dog! 🐶✨

10/17/2025

Sweet Stagg was very unsure when he started training, he was afraid to get in and out of the car, afraid to get on the boat, afraid of loud noises.
Because my program is focused on communication and relationship, I only start teaching training command when a dog shows me that they feel comfortable and safe in the world. Stagg was definitely not there yet, so this week we focused a lot on reframing the world as a safe place. We focused a lot on body awareness and confidence. He started the week too afraid to put his front paws on anything and is finishing off the week climbing into the chair, turning around to sit and jumping out confidently!

It’s not all about what I can train a dog to do, it’s how he feels while he’s doing it that’s key. If he feels confident, powerful, connected to me and believes that even when he struggles I will be there to support and teach him, he will e willing to do just about snuthibg with and for me! Way to go Stagg!! 💪💪💗💗💗🐾🐾

10/16/2025

K and Pops have been training with me for a little over a year and a half, pops works on the Texas A&M Campus which is a pretty high intensity environment, and K has a pretty complex task list. This week when she had a break from classes we met up at the Domain to practice around squirrels, the excitement of seeing a friend and maintaining heel. We had breakfast in a restaurant, then Pops maintained a down stay while I and a couple kiddos had a great time climbing an outdoor structure and rolling around on the ground in front of him. Pops knew the assignment and maintained a nice down stay.

This is the proofing stage of his training, he knows where he should be and what he should be doing most of the time. In the proofing stage we test him in more extreme or extra ordinary circumstances. Great work pops!

10/16/2025

Are you or someone you know need of a service dog? Dacus is one of the best professional service dog breeders around.

10/07/2025

Some new kids on the block in obedience training- meet Stag the fox red Labrador and Coper the Golden doodle 💗
Dacus Doodles
Taking advantage of my happy plants on the front porch as a beautiful backdrop for pictures of these cuties. Place stay is the first thing our pups learn as it’s a gross motor skills command. Starting here helps the pups build self confidence and relationship with me. Great work boys! 💪🐾

10/02/2025

Pearce is a medical response/ psychiatric service dog in training. He is starting to practice orbit in public but he gets easily distracted so his handler needs to bend rather low to lure, causing her to become faint. So in the teaching phase of our training tasks I often take the leash to establish the behavior so that we don’t stress her health conditions. It is a bit of a challenge to manage the leash, and the lure but we got it done and Percie was successful on his first round of Orbit in public. Great work Percie!

09/25/2025

Pops is one of our service dogs in training, he and his handler have been working with me for about 18 months. He initially started as a mobility dog but a few months ago his handler developed a new health concern that necessitated teaching Pops a heart rate alert and to do deep pressure therapy to help force blood back up to her chest and head. Pops has taken to this training beautifully and has begun alerting anytime her heart rate goes above 115. The interesting thing about heart rate alert is that dogs consistently alert several seconds BEFORE the handler even feels the spike. This is just another incredible example of how man’s best friend is designed to pick up on our subtle ques, our heart math field as well as the endorphins released in tiny amounts through our skin.
Theyre travelling today and here he is in the airport, doing his important work 💪💪💗💗Way to go Pops!! Dacus Doodles VIP

09/16/2025

Hey Punkin!! 🎃
Sapper was a pro today at Hobby lobby! I rarely bring a dog here because it’s a pretty advanced outing and there’s lots of breakable stuff! Sapper was demonstrating his perfect heel, his controlled slow step and only made friends when told he was free! He was really showing off his skills today!💪💪💪

09/12/2025

Big thanks to Ashlyn and Rio for being my neutral dog today at a coffee shop. Georgie barks in excitement but also anxiety when she sees another dog and I needed her first in public intro to be with a truly neutral dog. Ashlyn also got certified as a CGC evaluator so that she could perform public access tests on my service dogs in training. This lovely lady is always willing to help! She’s a great asset to us and a wonderful friend, super thankful for her! 🫶🏻🫶🏻💗🐾

09/11/2025

This will be a great even for all of my breeder friends!

How do you know if a therapy animal is in the right setting (and what happens when they aren’t)?

Join Dr. Lindsey Wallace, PA-C and experienced evaluator, as she shares practical strategies from years of therapy animal work, including a retrospective study in behavioral health. You’ll learn how to assess environments, honor animal preferences, and measure program success.

📅 September 16, 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. PT
Finding the Right Fit: Matching Therapy Animals with Environment
AAAIP members: Free | Non-members: $19

➡️ Register today and strengthen your practice: https://utm.guru/ui3q2