I'm Mel! I train dogs, walk dogs, and I'd love to meet your pup!
(3)
Isn't she adorable?!? This is Roo Roo and she's available for adoption! She's the sweetest girl and I love her ears! Sometimes I fill my own bucket -- and get the pups out of the shelter for a sniffari. I join the great folks at Lucky Dog Training and walk a shelter dog, I was lucky enough to hang with Roo Roo yesterday.
Love our small town and the events they have! It's Flag day, and what a beautiful tribute at the Field of Honor.
When we trained service dogs, the dogs were named in memory of service members who sacrificed their lives for our country. I found their names and prayed for their souls and their families.
We took 3rd and 6th places (out of 20'ish dogs in his "novice A" category)!!!
We've been out of the habit of doing nose work consistently since we moved, and no formal classes for 10 months now. But I found a trial that wasn't too far away so I decided to put us to the test! I had low expectations but it ends up that Chase kicked butt! And I was able to read his cues! He found both of the hidden odors on the two trials he did, and quickly at that!
Being a reactive dog, it is hard for him to be near a lot of other dogs. It wasn't perfect but it was pretty darn good and much better than I expected.
I am always grateful to Anke King for her instruction and encouragement! It was a good day in Harrisonburg at the American Belgian Malinois Club.
He earned a nap, probably for the rest of the night!
I haven't posted in forever! Chase and I took a hike today at the Powhatan Wildlife Management Area. It was beautiful and peaceful! I recently bought a new book about hikes in the Richmond area so I am going to check out lots of them! Chase is happy to be my partner!
Let your dog SNIFF!!!!!
Y'all know I'm a huge fan of walking your dog daily! But there's another important aspect to walking your dog other than a robotic heel. In the middle of the walk, just give your dog time to sniff! On their terms. No rules (well, don't let them totally drag you around).
Dogs navigate their world through their noses. You'd be amazed how much mental stimulation they get from just sniffing!
So don't focus on "I walked my dog 3 miles today", but rather a good quality walk with plenty of sniffing opportunities!
Make part of your feast dog-friendly! Set aside some green beans or sweet potatoes before you add all the butter, sugar, seasoning, and yumminess. Your dog's digestive system (and your clean up efforts) will appreciate keeping it bland and simple, and they'll love it just the same! Use leftover turkey for training treats! Happy Thanksgiving!
Guess who turned TWO this week? Yes, our sometimes crazy, sometimes lazy, always makes us laugh CHASE!!! He hasn't outgrown his mouthiness (and probably never will) or those creepy/possessed eyes, especially as he keeps watch for squirrels and deer! Thankfully we're past his goat-seeking days!. Happy birthday skinny boy!
I'M BACK!!!!!
This is the first dog I've walked (other than my own) since late July!
And although I won't be waking dogs on a regular basis, I was happy to be able to help a neighbor in a pickle.
Aren't my new neighborhood streets beautiful??
It's National Dog Day! Chase is walking around the pond in our new/future neighborhood!
My heart!!! Winston was less than a year old when I started with him. He has since added a 4-legged playmate, Ellie, to the pack, plus 2 small 2-legged family members. Ironically, he was both my first regular dog walking client and also the last dog client I walked before I move. Everyone knows this boy has a special place in my heart and I don't hide that he's my favorite dog client! His people have been so good to me over the years and my heart is full of gratitude!!! ❤️
Happy belated graduation to Finn! He made great improvements in not barking at everything he sees! His house manners have gotten much better, too! This handsome boy packs a punch of personality and it was a joy to train him!
It's graduation season for high school kids, why not more dog graduates, too?!? This is Maggie and her family, they graduated in the fall. Congrats!!! I think I've had more Frenchie customers now than any other breed! Did you know they were the most popular dog breed in the US in 2022 according to The American Kennel Club???
It's National Rescue Dog Day?!? Well I always look for an excuse to celebrate Chasey Boy!!! Thank you for our spicy boy!!!
My other graduate from last week was this "little" guy - he's less than a year old! His big brother has taught him a lot, but he needed to learn a few other things and gain some confidence. He had some fun experiences during our training sessions and is well on his way to being a great dog! Go Team Kaikoa!!!
This is one of last week's graduates, Cookie! Her family has learned some strategies to minimize her food stealing, and her walking manners are greatly improved! She's gaining confidence and this spunky girl has so much personality! Go Team Cookie!
Embarassingly long overdue graduates! Having litter mates is nothing new to this family! This is their second set of Irish Setter littermates and they are absolutely beautiful! And wild! They learned a lot during our time and have the most loving family! Keep up the great work young ones!
Tongue out Tuesday! (edited because I'm a flake and need new glasses!!!)
We're at the middle school practicing for our Career Day presentation! What do middle schoolers know (or care, lol) about being a dog walker & dog trainer? We'll see!!!
Congratulations to this energetic and sweet Golden, Jax!!! During our last class we had some fun and played with agility equipment, he loved it! (Videos in comments) This was an amazing couple to work with, great job Team Jax!
Training Tip for today... Let your dog SNIFF!!! Sniffing is a natural and soothing action for your dog to understand their surroundings.
In my neighborhood, the landscape crew just delivered a huge pile of fresh (read: stinky!) mulch for the common areas.
This must smell amazing to my dog because he was obsessed with it and wanted to climb and sniff the top of the pile, too!
I like nice mannered leashed walking, of course, but I don't want to deprive my dog the opportunity to sniff!
Every day I count my blessings! This week the weather has been so amazing, I can't help but to be incredibly grateful for hikes with my dog. Sunshine, nature, and a slow work morning to get out there, it just works wonders for the body, mind, and soul! I am so thankful! ☀️🌳
Thursdays are my busy walking days, here are today's clients (plus Chase, who is my toughest client!)! I have all sizes, ages, and breeds!, And I love the variety of pups I get to work with!!!
Another "overdue" graduate!! This sweet pup is part of a very large family and an active household! He made great progress in his house and leash manners! Great job team Gambit!!! 🐾🐕
Training Tip this Tuesday:
Take your dog to a place that he doesn't normally go. Let him sniff around, take in the scenery and smells, and just get comfortable in a new or unfamiliar environment.
Our dogs normally hang out at our homes, yards, and we walk the same streets. Go explore!
Today's outing was to a soccer complex where he watched the grounds keepers work and was encouraged to jump on a metal slotted bench (odd surfaces help build confidence).
Congrats to my smallest client ever! This little boy is tipping the scale around 3.5 lbs but makes up for his size in personality! During our time together he built his confidence, learned how to deal with being alone, learned some commands, improved his house manners, met a new 4-legged friend/neighbor, and wore a collar/leash for the first time ever! Great job, Team Ziggy!
(and funny now that his class is over, my next client that just started is the biggest one I've had! Two extremes!)
It's Chase's GOTCHA DAY!!! He's grown a bit in the past year!!
A year ago today, We picked one of the "spicy" pups from the litter. We knew that we would be in for a big challenge and this boy certainly has given us that! He is adorable, loving, active, agile, a total goofball, and definitely CRAZY!!! He keeps us on our toes and always keeps us laughing! We love this monster so much! 💙
Meet Fiona! This graduate is the perfect reminder why I customize all my training plans for each client! This sweet girl was a shy adoptee who didn't have any confidence, had no previous training (that they know of), was scared of her teenage human, and needed to learn how to live in a house. She has the perfect pet parents for her, meeting her where she is and showing so much patience! She's come so far, she had some health issues that have been resolved, and she's an amazing addition to her loving household! Great job, team Fiona!!!
Long overdue graduation pic (several more to come!). This family took on littermates, which comes with lots of joy but lots of challenges, too! These sweet pups made great progress during their training, going from pulling on leashes like crazy to be together, to being able to be walked nicely at the same time! Great job team Loki & Remy!
So... 2022 wasn't my strongest year for posting on IG. I'm stepping up my game and you'll start seeing more of me! I realized I haven't posted any graduation photos of my clients since July (embarrassing) so that's where I'll start! I'll also make some reels so you can see what training I do with my own dog. And when I say I'll make reels, I really mean my teenager will make them, lol. Happy New Year!
We spent some time today frosting the Christmas (doggie) cookies and made a few deliveries.. Chase was happy to be the taste tester!
VA
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Nose work on a rainy, windy day! Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise, esp. when you have an active breed! #melsmuttsva #nosework #rainyday #chaseyboythemalmix #thankgodmy14yearoldknoshowtodothis
The fence is complete!!! @hurricanefencecompany did a great job! We've been working on his recall command but we're definitely more comfortable with him being enclosed! Don't worry, I'll still walk him daily! 😉 #melsmuttsva #furmissile #hurricanefencecompany #freedom #recall #powhatan #welovehavingspace #peaceandquiet
Let your dog SNIFF!!!!! Y'all know I'm a huge fan of walking your dog daily! But there's another important aspect to walking your dog other than a robotic heel. In the middle of the walk, just give your dog time to sniff! On their terms. No rules (well, don't let them totally drag you around). Dogs navigate their world through their noses. You'd be amazed how much mental stimulation they get from just sniffing! So don't focus on "I walked my dog 3 miles today", but rather a good quality walk with plenty of sniffing opportunities! #melsmuttsva #dogtraining #dogwalking #sniff #sniffari #mentalstimulation
Belle was #determined to get that root out of the ground!!! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #dogtrainingva #dogwalkingva #potomacshores #determined #goldenretriever #sticksarelife
National Puppy Day! #melsmuttsva
National Puppy Day! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #nationalpuppyday #chaseyboythemalmix
I'm so proud of this boy! We have been working very hard on his reactivity. He barks at these (squealing) kids every morning when they run to the bus stop. To watch him acknowledge the kids and then get back to sniffing for treats on the ground made my momma heart (and my trainer heart) happy!!! Good job Chasey boy! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #reactivedog #consistencypaysoff #dogtraining #chaseyboythemalmix #workwithyourdog #sniff #southbridgeva
The nose knows!!! Welcome to another SNIFF-ari, where we do things "Outback" style - no rules, just right! Just let your dog sniff and be stimulated by the environment. Let him/her lead the way. Dogs navigate the world through their noses and sometimes we just need to let them SNIFF! #melsmuttsva
Our morning "sniffari" was great! It's good to let your dog use his nose and enjoy no rules (ok, maybe a few, I'm scared of snakes in the drain tube!). Grab a long leash and let your dog do his thing! For my Southbridge/Potomac Shores people, this is the path around the playground near the roller hockey rink, and it's nicely shaded in the morning! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #chaseyboythemalmix #nosework #potomacshores #canineenrichment
#chaseyboythemalmix is showing you guys morning routine @theholdernessfamily style!!!
The wobble board builds confidence. I will be doing agility with Chase when he gets a little older, this is good practice. #melsmuttsva
This is the first Mel's Mutts review! Today we are reviewing the Super Chewer Bark Box! This is a great product for dogs who love to chew! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Recommend! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #chaseyboythemalmix #barkbox #superchewerbarkbox
Transformation Tuesday!!! Look at the improvements this team made in just a few short weeks! The appropriate harness/collar, walking consistently, and focusing on a good quality walk, not distance, was the key to their success! Keep up the good work Team Argos!!! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #walkyourdogdaily #pitbull #transformationtuesday
I can't stress the importance and benefits of walking your dog daily! If you're not currently in the habit, I challenge you to walk daily for the next month. It doesn't have to be a long distance or take half of your day, just aim for a good quality walk, consistently! #melsmuttsva
Scatter feed Saturday!!! Eating from a bowl can be boring, make mealtime more exciting and interactive! So maybe you have to sweep up crumbs, but if your house is anything like mine, it can afford a little sweeping!!! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #scatterfeeding #ditchthebowl #chaseyboythemalmix #malinoismix #dogenrichment
It's Thirsty Thursday and here's a way to let your dog play with their food. This is an easy DIY brain game with a Gatorade bottle and your pup's kibble. #melsmuttsva
Cold weather tips for waking your dog! Get elastic strings to attach your gloves/mittens so you won't lose one when you take them on and off. Secondly, use hand warmers inside your gloves so when you put your hand back inside, they're toasty! Cold weather is not an excuse to not walk your dog! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #coldweathertips #hothands #noexcuses
The snow has provided serious fun for some of my pup clients! For a dog @my.sweet.vizsla who loves balls, snowballs are great entertainment! And to watch in slow motion cracks me up! #melsmuttsva #dumfriesdogwalker #dumfriesdogtrainer #snowfun #snowball #slowmotion #gsp
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