Do Better Training

11/27/2025

🦃✨ Happy Thanksgiving from Do Better Training! ✨🦃

Today our pups celebrated the holiday the Do Better way — with enrichment, yummy (dog-safe!) treats, and lots of fall-themed fun! 🍂🐶💛

Our four-legged friends enjoyed:
🍎 Bobbing for apples & baby carrots — splashy, silly enrichment at its finest!
🍁 Sniffing a cranberry-scented Thanksgiving tablecloth — seasonal sniffs = big happy snoots!
📸 Photos in their stylish fall bandanas — because enrichment and fashion can coexist.
🥕🧡 A festive tasting plate featuring dehydrated sweet potato, fresh carrots & green beans, freeze-dried turkey, and — for those with strong tummies — a tiny slice of dog-safe pumpkin pie with a splash of whipped cream. 🥧✨

We are so thankful for our community, our pups, and the joy they bring us every single day. 💛🐾
Wishing you a safe, cozy, and wag-filled Thanksgiving!

11/27/2025

🦃🍂 Happy Thanksgiving from Do Better Training! 🍁🐶
We’re extra grateful for our incredible dogs, their amazing guardians, and our wonderful partners at Loyal Companions! 💛

Before the feasting begins, make sure your pup’s plate stays safe + tummy-happy — check out this handy guide from our friends at Loyal Companions on what’s okay to share…and what’s a definite nope 🙅‍♂️🐾

Keep those tails wagging, keep the treats wise, and give your pup an extra holiday snuggle from us! 🤎🧡🤍

🦃🐾 Thanksgiving is full of delicious smells — and plenty of temptation for our pets!
Before the holiday chaos begins, here’s your friendly reminder that not every table treat is safe for curious noses (or opportunistic counter-surfers).

A few simple choices can make the day both festive and safe for your dog: stick to the pet-friendly goodies, keep unsafe foods out of reach, and remind guests not to sneak snacks under the table. Your pup may disagree, but their tummy will thank you. 😉

From all of us at Loyal Companions, we’re wishing your family — furry ones included — a cozy, happy, and safe Thanksgiving! 🧡🐶

11/21/2025

🐾 Honey & Groot: From Unsure to Unstoppable 💛

Honey has been hanging out with us at Do Better for a bit, and when she first arrived she was feeling pretty unsure around other dogs. So naturally… Groot stepped up as her resident mentor 🧡✨

📸 Where they started: Honey watching Groot from the safety of a gate, taking it all in at her own pace.
📸 Where they are now: Play bows, silly faces, and a brand-new friendship in full bloom!

Confidence grows when dogs feel safe, supported, and given time — and Honey is a beautiful reminder of what gentle introductions and thoughtful socialization can do. We’re so proud of her progress! 🥹🐶💛

11/21/2025

✨ Fear Free Glow-Up Alert! ✨

Groot got *extra* handsome today thanks to his favorite Miss April over at Loyal Companions’ Fear Free Grooming team! 💛✂️🐶

From the gentle handling to the slow introductions (and of course the snacks 🍖😌), every visit with Miss April helps Groot feel safe, confident, and so dapper. He strutted out of there like the fluffy gentleman he knows he is. 💁‍♂️✨

Huge appreciation to the whole Loyal Companions crew for always treating our pups with kindness, patience, and fear-free magic. We’re so grateful for partners who share our commitment to compassion and care. 💛🐾

11/20/2025

🐶✨ The “Head In” Game — Fun and Functional! ✨🐶

One of our favorite silly-looking games at Do Better Training is the “Head In” game — encouraging dogs to gently place their heads into cardboard boxes, mugs, buckets, pots, and other safe objects.
It might look completely nonsensical… and that’s part of the fun 😄💛

But behind the silliness is something really important:
This game helps dogs learn to feel comfortable and confident putting their heads into new spaces — a skill that makes real-life equipment so much easier, including:
🧣 E-collars
🦺 Clothing
🪢 Harnesses
😷 Muzzles
🩺 Vet-care gear

By letting dogs try it voluntarily, at their own pace, with lots of treats and zero pressure, we’re building positive associations long before they ever see the “real thing.”

It’s enrichment, cooperative care, confidence building, and a whole lot of adorable all rolled into one 🥰🐾

11/19/2025

🍁🐾 Fall Leaf Enrichment Fun! 🍁🐾

Why bag up your fall leaves when your dog thinks they’re the BEST enrichment ever? 😁🍂

A pile of leaves brings all those amazing tree scents down to the ground, creating a supercharged sniffing opportunity! 🌳👃✨ Sniffing isn’t just fun — it supports emotional regulation, lowers stress, and gives your dog a chance to explore their world in a natural, species-appropriate way.

Hide a few treats or a favorite toy in the pile and suddenly you’ve got…
🎉 A DIY scent adventure
🎉 A surprise treasure hunt
🎉 A confidence-building activity
🎉 And GREAT enrichment for dogs of all ages!

Plus, it makes chilly fall days feel way more fun 🍁🐶💛

11/18/2025

Scoop did the thing! 🎓💙 Our guy officially graduated Feisty Fido and we could not be prouder of him and all his big, beautiful feelings.

This class was SUCH a win for Scoop, and honestly? 10/10 recommend the Feisty Fido program with ADOPT Training for A Sound Beginning to anyone looking for a supportive, positive, science-based space to help their pups learn and grow.

💛 Check them out here: ADOPT Training for A Sound Beginning

11/18/2025

Winter can make outdoor exercise a bit of a bummer… but that doesn’t mean our dogs stop needing enrichment, movement, and confidence-building fun! That’s where movement puzzles come in 🧡

By navigating obstacles like cones, poles, step stools, and varied surfaces, dogs build:
🐾 Confidence — mastering new challenges helps nervous pups feel more capable
🐾 Body Awareness — learning where their feet are is huge for coordination and injury prevention
🐾 Reduced Anxiety — slow, thoughtful movement activates the thinking brain and calms the nervous system
🐾 Problem-Solving Skills — puzzles encourage dogs to make choices and try new strategies
🐾 Low-Impact Exercise — perfect for cold days when walks aren’t ideal

And of course, we have to give a shoutout to our Movement Model, Siegfried, who believes every puzzle is a runway and every pole is an opportunity to strut 💁‍♂️✨🐶

These activities are an amazing way to support your dog’s physical and emotional wellness—especially when winter hits!

11/17/2025

Willow’s emotional range?
1️⃣ Joy 😁
2️⃣ More joy 🤩
3️⃣ Extra joy 🥰
4️⃣ Uncontrollable joy 🐾💛✨

11/17/2025

We finally posted a new blog, and it might just be our most personal one yet. 💛
It’s about dogs, chronic illness, guilt, grace… and how our pups remind us that love is measured in presence, not perfection.

👉 Read it here: https://bit.ly/DogsAreMyLifeBlog

11/16/2025

Sparrow came to Dr. Andy carrying a bit more weight than is ideal for a pony her size — nothing she did wrong, just needing some support to get back to a healthier place. And we’re helping her do exactly that, gently and thoughtfully 💛

Free lunging has become one of her favorite ways to move. It gives her much-needed exercise without pressure, and lets her choose the movement that feels good in her body. With winter encouraging lots of standing around, this autonomy helps her stay active in a way that’s empowering, not overwhelming.

And of course, she has her buddy Rio by her side. Social learning makes new skills feel safer, and Rio is always happy to show her how it’s done.

We’re so proud of this sweet girl — growing stronger, building confidence, and taking healthy steps forward… one fluffy trot at a time 🥰

11/15/2025

Robin is thriving at Do Better Training 💙
We’ve been gearing up for his upcoming vet visit with lots of Happy Visits and practice sessions to build the skills he’ll need for a confident, Fear Free experience. From chin rest work to cooperative handling, this boy is showing us every day just how hard he’s trying — and we’re so proud of him! 🐾✨

Robin is available for adoption through A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter in Naperville — and he’s going to make an amazing companion for a very lucky family 💛