Finding Balance Dog Training

12/23/2023

Meet Rhubarb. I absolutely adore this sensitive floof of a baby dog!

12/06/2023

I’m absolutely heartbroken to share that I said good bye to Leroy today.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put into words just how wildly devastating it was to watch Leroy’s cognitive function deteriorate within days of finally recovering from his knee surgeries. So much of my life this last year was spent scheduling work around checking on him, driving all over to different specialty clinics, canceling vacations, missing close friends weddings, and really just holding onto that glimmer of hope that Leroy will get better.

Today our neurologist at UC Davis told us that Leroy’s sudden decline is most likely the result of a brain tumor…quality of life was no longer an unanswered question. Hearing those words was the closure that I needed. Finding the strength and courage to relieve him of his pain and suffering was undoubtedly the most difficult and loving decision that I could’ve made to honor the incredible dog that he is and how much he means to me.

We went to one last park together, he had a double double from In n Out, and when the neurologist walked back into the room he excitedly presented Leroy with a chocolate truffle. Leroy shriveled his face with disgust. I found myself laughing and apologizing to the veterinarians that my dog was so rude through the tears streaming down my face. To have such a beautiful and peaceful goodbye to the bestest boy filled with love, laughter, and maybe some ugly crying is something that I will never forget.

I have so much sympathy and love for those of you who are struggling with caring for your senior or health compromised pets. When our dogs are young and healthy: going on hikes, training together, playing at the park…we are so blissfully unaware to what we might endure or how quickly things can change. We tell ourselves that we would never let them suffer, but how blind we become when we are in the thick of it searching for answers and trying to make them better. Sometimes, they can get better…and other times they can not. My takeaway from this gutting experience is how important it is to cherish the time we have with them, as this might be the better we will once wish we had.

Love you, Leroy.
1/7/2012-12/5/2023 💔

11/01/2023

Tove did a board and train with me a few months ago. When we began training together she struggled immensely with arousal and impulse control. She could not be trusted off leash due to her social exuberance and prey drive but also wasn’t able walk calmly on leash without darting every which way. Tove was so wildly over stimulated around toys that even the sight of a tennis ball across the field would immediately send her into over arousal. She would then have trouble settling the rest of the day and as a result, playing fetch at the park was not an enjoyable experience for her owner.

While Tove may look like a Chesapeake, she has the intensity and motivation of a working line Malinois in bird dog form…which makes for a very fun sport dog but a far cry from the easygoing labrador retrievers that she lives with. We worked hard to teach this drivey lady how to *find chill* in the house and on leashed walks, but also how to remain level headed when working for toys so that we could give her more freedom through fun and fulfilling outlets. Tove’s family has done an amazing job at keeping up with training in the months that have passed since her board and train. Now that she has a solid recall she has the privilege of hiking off leash, playing retrieve games at the local field, or swimming each day.

We are continuing private lessons to focus on the fun stuff like advanced obedience, dock diving and detection sport so that she can live an even more fulfilled life! I’m so happy for Tove and her family…I hope to see them a nosework trial some day!

10/11/2023

Meet Boo 👻

Boo’s family put a lot of thought and research into what breed would best fit their lifestyle and environment…and reached out to me long before they landed on a breeder! We discussed what they were looking for in their future family dog, and what to look for in a reputable breeder. It was amazing to finally meet Boo today…who shows all of the qualities that I would want to see in a puppy!

I’m really excited to help Boo’s family set her up for success. She’s off to a great start ✨

10/08/2023

Meet Aya! I’m not sure she could get any cuter.

This australian shepherd puppy lives with an active family who would love for her to be reliable off leash when hiking together…while also being calm and polite in the home and neighborhood. She is well on her way, but the world is a very exciting place for a baby herder so we have our work cut out for us. I’m looking forward to helping her family meet their training goals…and am doing my best to avoid catching a debilitating case of puppy fever along the way 🥲

10/06/2023

The last couple months have been a whole lot of cuddling on the couch and spending quality time with Leroy. I’m not sure exactly what is wrong with him, if he will get better or how much time we have left together.

My life has been on a bit of a stand still since the day Leroy suddenly lost cognitive function in July. It was quite heartbreaking to see him unexpectedly fall apart after such a long recovery this last year from two TPLO surgeries - I wanted nothing more than for him to be comfortable in his final years only to watch him deteriorate two weeks after healing. We didn’t know if he had a stroke, vestibular disease, a brain tumor, dementia…the onset was so sudden and his lab work came back normal. There were days he couldn’t walk or get up on his own, others where he was constantly circling and pacing. Some days he needed appetite stimulants to eat, and others he couldn’t hold down his food if he did eat. He lost 10% of his body weight in 6 weeks.

In one of Leroy’s countless recent veterinary visits, I was told that “if he doesn’t have an inner ear infection, he has a brain tumor”. I held my breath during his ear exam - and felt a huge wave of relief in discovering that he does in fact have a ruptured ear drum and an inner ear infection. I’ve been cautiously optimistic ever since, and at this point we are waiting to see if this long round of antibiotics helps him get back to his normal self. Deep inner ear infections can put a lot of pressure on the cranial nerve and cause all of the vestibular symptoms that he is experiencing.

Needless to say, it’s been a difficult time waiting this out to see if he can make a recovery, and I’ve been a bit quiet on here as a result. Navigating that fine line between doing all you can and more for your best friend while trying your best to always selflessly prioritize their quality of life amidst the guilt of it all is my least favorite place to be.

All that I can really do at this time is reflect on the 11 incredible years we’ve had together and cherish each day we share. I’ve been so lucky to have this unicorn by my side all this time, and I’m hoping to be lucky enough to see him feel better. Love you, Leroy 💔

07/25/2023

It’s hard to believe it has been a year since crossing paths with this magical little creature. Watching Edie go from being a feral nervous wreck to my adventurous shadow and bouncy sport dog has been such a rewarding experience.

Throughout my time training Edie and getting to know her…it always felt like for every one thing I taught her, she taught me two. She wasn’t the dog I planned on getting but was definitely the one I needed…and that’s just how it works out sometimes 🤍

Thank you to .co for capturing these ✨

06/03/2023

Theres a lot of new faces around here, and Tucker is one of them! I’ve been enjoying exploring a variety of hiking trails and parks in Mill Valley for our day training sessions.

05/25/2023

Today is my birthday! I spent it doing nosework with Edie, playing with all the dogs, taking this scruffle puff that I sprung out of the shelter last weekend to his forever family, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

I will be out of the office from Friday - Monday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Can’t believe it’s been a whole year! Here’s to another trip around the sun full of all the adventures and all the puppies and always surprising my husband with more 4 legged creatures when he leaves town 🤍

04/10/2023

Due to no fault of his own, Jackson is looking for a new home. He is a 5 1/2 month old Bernese Mountain Dog and Poodle mix puppy, also known as a bernedoodle. His previous family has had lifestyle changes and have come to terms with the fact that they are not in a place to raise / manage a puppy.

Jackson is fully vaccinated, intact, about 45lbs and expected to be pretty large! He is exuberantly social and confident, comfortable and quiet in a crate, potty trained, has a basic obedience foundation, great recall, and a ton of exposure to different environments, dogs and kids. He loves to fetch, is extremely food motivated, and full of excitable puppy energy. Jackson has never met a person or dog he does not love.

His ideal home would be an active one that can provide him the exercise, structure, ongoing training and GROOMING MAINTENANCE that any doodle type puppy requires. My preference would be for him to stay locally within Marin County or San Francisco Bay Area, but I would be open for him to be placed out of area if it were the perfect fit and potential adopters are willing to travel to Marin for meet and greets.

There will be an adoption process including an application, reference check, home check, meet and greets, return contract, and a rehome fee that will go towards training sessions to help set him up for success with his new family, as well as neutering him at an appropriate age for his size.

Please share this post with anyone who would be a stellar fit for this fun guy! Message me if interested.

Adoption application for Jackson: https://form.jotform.com/91337245214149

04/07/2023

Meet Boozer! Boozer is a sensitive pup who has been thriving in his structured pack walks with , weekly group training classes with his rescue as well as private sessions with his owner to help him build confidence. It’s wonderful to have the support of local dog pro’s and rescue organizations who can work together to help set his family up for success. It certainly takes a village!

04/06/2023

Welcome to ✨the Edie show✨
Don’t mind the Malinois.

04/04/2023

Meet Slater! He is just about everything you would want and expect in an Australian Shepherd puppy. Mischievous, playful, bouncy and highly intelligent. We are doing a hybrid training program with day training and private sessions to focus on loose leash walking, environmental exposure, and manners in the home.

The ultimate goal is for Slater to be a great family dog and to have the ability to go to work with his owner who is a business owner here in Marin County. This pup is well on his way ✨

Slater came as a referral from a follower of mine. I’m not sure who…but I appreciate you 🤍

04/01/2023

As many of you know, Leroy had his TPLO surgery 6 months ago to repair a ruptured CCL. Pretty early on in his recovery, I knew something wasn’t right. I took him in for several follow up visits expressing concerns that his gait was worsening, that he was clinically declining. I was repeatedly assured that he was fine - just a slow healer.

After several oversights and miscommunications, I decided to take Leroy to a different orthopedic surgeon to get a second opinion. I learned that his surgery miserably failed. There is no bone bridging whatsoever and there never will be due to the size of the increasing gap and the angle that his leg was reconstructed causing instability in the knee. What started out as a ligament tear has since turned into a broken leg held together by screws. The specialty clinic referred me to UC Davis, where Leroy will be undergoing a repeat TPLO to replace existing hardware, receive a bone graft and/or a bone morphogenetic protein implant.

It’s been a long, difficult, and emotionally exhausting 6 months of never ending x rays, diagnostics and consults with multiple veterinary clinics and surgeons. At times I’ve questioned whether I made the right decision to do Leroy’s TPLO surgery in the first place - and if it’s fair to put him through another. What I do know is that Leroy will be in the best hands at UC Davis, and I am optimistic that this upcoming surgery will be successful.

I am especially grateful for my husband, friends and clients who have been supportive and understanding throughout all of this and the resulting schedule changes. Leroy is a very special dog who I love dearly and I want nothing more than to help him be as comfortable as possible.

This experience reminded me the importance of always advocating for your dog. If something doesn’t seem right, get a second opinion.

03/30/2023

Meet Zeke! He is a happy go lucky and enthusiastic doodle who lives an adventurous life when he isn’t working at a doctors office to comfort patients. We are doing private sessions together to instill off leash trail manners (sorry buddy, mountain bikers do not want to say hi to you 🥲) and also to work through some specific behaviors in the home, such as his tendency to join in on playing the piano with his owner 🎹🎵✨

03/26/2023

We did it! Edie and Isaac both passed their NACSW ORT today. Onto the NW1’s!

Thank you for all the help along the way

03/23/2023

Meet Cali! Living in a busy city can be quite the adjustment for a sensitive puppy. We decided to take her to a wide open space today where she can get positive experiences with new sights and sounds…and Edie came along for the adventure!

03/17/2023

Meet Cairo! He is an exceptionally easygoing and balanced Malinois, and I am here for it ✨ We will be doing private sessions to focus on building engagement, giving him fun outlets, and teaching his owner how to best set him up for success with his new life in the Bay Area.

A big thank you to Edler’s family for the referral 🐕

03/14/2023

The Shiba Inu is a neat breed! While they gained popularity in recent years due to memes and cryptocurrency…they are actually one of Japan’s oldest breeds and were originally used for hunting small prey. Like many primitive breeds, Shibas *may* have a heavier streak of independence and be more challenging to train than your average dog. They tend to have higher prey drive, can be fairly aloof with strangers and possess a wide range of vocals that I endearingly call “the shibe scream”. While they are fun, adorable, and can be fantastic companions…they aren’t for everyone.

This charming little guy is named Yoshi. He ended up with a local rescue organization when his original owners realized that they were in over their heads. While there is a lot of shame and judgment surrounding rehoming a dog - in this puppy’s case it was the best possible outcome for him to be surrendered to a reputable rescue who could then adopt him to someone with breed experience and a more suitable lifestyle. I got to hang with him this last week until he starts his new life in LA in a couple days with my past Shiba Inu foster, Juno! ✨

02/17/2023

Uno the Bernedoodle is well into his board and train! He had a lot of training and socialization since puppyhood…but continued to struggle with anxiety in the car, high arousal, reactivity, and while he isn’t dog aggressive; he has mixed feelings about new dogs approaching. We’ve been working hard on making the crate a calm and positive place both in home + in car, having a lot of healthy structured interactions around balanced dogs who will respect his space, and building confidence out in the world. It’s been awesome to watch him come out of his shell and find a friend in Edie.

We went to an off leash hiking trail today, and it’s great to have a neutral / social dog like Edie intercept any off leash dogs coming our way, but also to influence Uno’s interaction with them in passing. We ended up running into regulars at the local trail and walked with them and their dogs. Uno even had polite sniffs with an off leash dog who charged at us. Proud of you, Uno!

02/16/2023

Meet Jojo! He is an adolescent border collie who, like many herders, struggles with fomo watching the world go by. Jojo is a fast learner and fun to train, I am looking forward to getting know him + working with his owners to find appropriate outlets for him.

Thanks to our friends for the referral! Thank you for making the long drive.

02/12/2023

I’m going to be honest with you: it took so many takes to get these three energetic 3-5 month old berne-puppies to sit still for a photo that I may not have the storage space to ever update my phone again. BUT LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE! Worth it.

02/12/2023

If any of my clients are interested in participating, please reach out and let me know.

This time I am reaching out to owners who have worked with positive reinforcement trainer(s) or/and veterinarians with their dogs but were not successful and found success with a different trainer.
I would like to interview these owners to get their full stories.
I will also need written consent from the owners before using their stories, and other information that ensure that everything is credible and trustworthy.

02/12/2023

Meet Bear! He is a boxer bully breed mix who is adjusting to his new life with a baby. This means a bit more boundaries, management and supervision than the years he was an only child. His family is incorporating structure into his walks and routine as well enrichment activities for more mental stimulation to help ease the transition.

He is a favorite with our friends over at , and we appreciate the referral!

02/12/2023

I got to know and love Bodhi as he has been boarding with me a lot lately. We recently found out that he has a very aggressive form of cancer, with an unknown amount of time left. The last few weeks he had good days where he would feel frisky and follow Edie around or try to play with the doodle puppies (by play with I mean hump … when you’re an old dog in your final days you get to do old dog things) but he also had bad days where he would soil himself and couldn’t get up without help. Overall he was in good spirits, could get around most of the time, inhaled his food, always wanted to lay his head in your lap and was just the sweetest boy. I was in close contact with his veterinarian and owners throughout to keep tabs on his health and quality of life.

Yesterday, Bodhi wanted to rest on this concrete landing watching our driveway for the first time. It was almost as though he knew he was finally going home, though I hadn’t yet began gathering his belongings. I said my goodbyes and took this picture of him, unsure if it would be the last. When his car pulled up, he excitedly marched down the stairs.

Within hours of returning home, Bodhi passed peacefully and naturally surrounded by his family. It may have been his time…but I think he was hanging on and waiting to be with his owner. This kind of thing always puts a lump in my throat, we truly don’t deserve dogs.

Thanks for hanging out with me the last few months, Bodhi. You were the best boy 🤍

02/04/2023

Meet Leo! He is an 8 week old doodle puppy who is cute and cuddly as can be 🧸

I have some catching up to do on introducing all the new faces! Thank you .kear for the referral 🤍

01/11/2023

I am excited to announce that I am now an AKC CGC/Trick Evaluator! If anyone (including past and current clients) would like to prepare or test for their canine good citizenship titles, let me know! Tricks can be evaluated in person or by video 🫶

01/07/2023

Meet Elton! Though he appears puggle like, he is actually a cocker spaniel, jindo and japanese chin mix.

Elton is a friendly, stable and easy going guy who understandably doesn’t love strange dogs or people abruptly lunging for him…which is fair! When advocating for his space, he is socially neutral to people and dogs, even when passing closely. Many rescues struggle adjusting to a new life in San Francisco but with Elton being as mellow as he is, will be just fine. I’m excited to do some basic obedience + engagement work with him, and help teach his new owner how to best set him up for success ✨

12/19/2022

It’s been a while since I posted anything other than the adorable dogs I work with, so I thought I would introduce myself for those who are new here!

My name is Frances, I own Finding Balance Dog Training. I live just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco in Marin County with my wonderful husband and 3 dogs: Leroy, Isaac and Edie. I offer private training and in home board & train programs at our 2 acre property. I am also a legislative committee member of IACP and am passionate about advocating for canine professionals.

My love for dog training began 21 years ago when I got my first dog as a child; a pomeranian mix named Mickey. I took puppy through advanced group dog training classes with him here in the Bay Area. I loved it so much that our trainer offered to have me assist in her classes and use Mickey as a demo dog. I’m forever grateful for that learning experience.

As a teenager I went on to work at pet stores and dog daycares. At 18 I taught basic dog obedience classes with a local company, worked at more dog boarding facilities managing large playgroups of dogs as well as grooming, volunteered at local shelters and eventually started an off leash dog walking business in San Francisco for a decade while continuing training on the side. After I took in my first foster, Leroy…I got heavily into rescue and pit bull advocacy and would find myself catching stray dogs and taking in owner surrenders, fostering them myself and networking on social media and with rescue organizations.

Over the years I’ve taken many training classes with my personal dogs, shadowed several local trainers, studied at the Michael Ellis school for dog trainers, done courses + seminars, and taken interest in a variety of dog sports that I have enjoyed dabbling in and learning about. I currently do dock diving, trick training, agility, and detection sport with my Malinois and Mini American Shepherd.

I’m one of those people whose life has always revolved around dogs…I don’t think anyone is surprised that I ended up having a career working with them! I truly love what I do and I’m grateful to be part of such an amazing community to network and learn from one another 🤍