Ducey's Dogs

26/10/2025

bagel and i competed in our first WCERA Wildogs Canine Escape Room Association trial today with our friends sabrina & rou and allison & jace. we had so much fun!! we tried some new games and bagel really took me by surprise and qualified in all 7 trials that i signed him up for, got himself 2 titles in the nursery level for pirate ship and breakout, AND even got some placement ribbons for being a speedy guy . we’re excited to compete again!

22/10/2025

is your dog muzzle trained?

i will die on the hill that every dog should be conditioned to a muzzle - whether or not they have a bite record.

there are so many reasons to utilize a muzzle; low bite inhibition, p**p eaters, scavengers in general, being uncomfortable at the vet, the list really goes on and on. the fact is, a dog in pain is going to act like a dog in pain.

i had planned on muzzle training bagel since i got him, he is mostly cattle dog after all and they are known for their spice. when he got stung multiple times in one hike by a few yellow jackets this summer he was NOT happy. and then he was even angrier when i put a cone on to stop him from licking his wounds.

so i ordered a custom muzzle from mia’s muzzles and we’re working with this baskerville muzzle until that one arrives. we’ll use this in the meantime to help him get used to something being on and around his face for future vet visits and in case of emergency.

these pictures are from his 3rd session. i can clip the muzzle on and have it sit on his face for about 20 seconds. slow and steady is really the key while conditioning your dog to a muzzle. you want them to think of it like any other tool, their flat collar, a leash, etc. it should not be associated with bad experiences like the vet, pain, etc. so have fun with it!

so what’s holding you back from muzzle training your dog??

17/10/2025

how is your dog trainer tailoring your program to fit your needs and your lifestyle??

i see trainers say all the time that training is not “one size fits all”, and that’s the truth!! dogs are not cut from the same cloth. every dog and every owner that comes to me comes with different needs and from a different lifestyle. they all have different behaviors and learn in different ways.

yet many of these trainers who are saying that training is not one size fits all, are putting all of the dogs they train through the exact same programs. it’s easy to fall into the same routine with dogs. you find one method that works and you stick with it. if it works with 50 dogs, why not 51? why not 150?

i had a handful of dogs sign onto programs at the same time so they’re all sort of doing similar things at the same time. this week we all went for our first walks after laying some foundational skills. yet, each walk was completely different.

ryker was on a 15 foot long line because he was pretty sensitive to leash pressure and felt so much more confident when given more space to roam. the long line really helped his engagement and in the end, he chose to stay close to his mom and offered a ton of check ins.

albus lives downtown and normally spends his walks scraping the concrete trying to get to anything and everything. this week? he could engage with his dad, disengage from his triggers, and okay yeah, still let the neighborhood know he was still out for a walk.

scout’s mom want their walks to be structured since they spend a lot of time off leash, so i showed her how to do a heeled walk around the neighborhood. and he did fantastic!

safari’s walk looks more like what my typical program entails, a slip lead, helping her disengage from her triggers, some structure, some freedom. and she and her owners absolutely rocked it!!

all of these dogs and their owners are doing a fantastic job of helping their dogs and it all looks really different, because we’re meeting their dogs where they’re at.

dogs are individuals. expecting every dog to fit to one standard and then getting mad when it doesn’t work and blaming the owners is insane behavior. we can, and should be, doing better.

14/10/2025

if you’ve ever worked with me you’ve probably heard me say something along the lines of “i want you to have a dog who’s staring into the depths of your soul”… and i mean it. whether we’ve done a consult together, you’ve come to one of my community pack walks, or we’ve done a full fledged program together, building engagement is one of the first things i teach every dog i meet.

it’s essential no matter what you’re doing with your dog. are they reactive? are you doing sports? training your dog to walk nicely on a leash? building their confidence? natural engagement with you (aka please stop begging your dog to stare at you) is essential in every aspect of dog training.

i don’t need you to have a dog who’s actually staring at you at every second of the day. i want a dog who can make their own decisions and be their own creature, but it is invaluable to have a dog who can look back to you and engage with you rather than the millions of distractions in the environment.

if there’s one thing you can start working on with your dog today - it’s this.

11/10/2025

okay what do you mean i only get one month out of the year to host a group class with costumes involved??? feels like this should be a more regular occurrence actually

👻happy halloween!!👻

05/10/2025

i have been posting a ton lately about bagel’s accomplishments, his titles and his runs during fastCAT, so here’s a little how to guide on how to get your dog into dog sports and titled!

sports are a really great way to fulfill your dog. if they’re not quite ready for that environment, virtual titles are an option!

check it out here -

A how to guide on getting into AKC dog sports and getting virtual titles for your dog

04/10/2025

bagel got his BCAT today!!! this man loves to run and i will do anything to give him an outlet for it. he also got his two fastest run times today of 7.94 and 7.85!!! what a beast. good job buddy!!

02/10/2025

it’s not christmas yet but don’t tell these dogs that!!

group class was a hit tonight. we took the dogs into lowe’s to practice everything they’ve been working so hard on these last few weeks!

it was a lot of hard work but they all did a fantastic job and i’m so proud of them.

30/09/2025

🎉ANOTHER DOUBLE HEADER???!🎉
who does she think she is?? honestly

meet ryker and safari!!!!

ryker is in a program to work on his leash skills and help him overcome his car anxiety. he is a ton of fun and i don’t think his tail stopped wagging once! what a guy

safari is in a program to help her work on her reactivity. she has such a fun personality and had me cracking up the entire session. she’s incredibly intelligent and i know she’ll go a long way with how dedicated her owners are.

welcome to the crew guys!! i can’t wait to see how you do 🥰

26/09/2025

🔥 TWO NEW BOMBSHELLS HAVE ENTERED THE VILLA THIS WEEK 🔥

meet albus and scout!

albus is in a program for his reactivity. he’s already impressing me with his work ethic. even though he basically fell asleep during his consult, he proved that he wanted to work hard and impress me with his skills during our first session this week. i can’t wait to see what else he can accomplish!!

scout is in a program to sharpen his skills so he can show everyone what a good boy he truly can be! he has such an enthusiasm for life that not everyone can appreciate, so we’re gonna help him tone things down a bit so he can act a bit make appropriate around guests and learn when it’s okay to let his freak flag fly.

everyone say hi to our new friends!!

23/09/2025

hiking is better with friends

18/09/2025

i cannot beLEAF it’s almost fall and it’s 80 degrees out today