Darbs 'n Dogs

04/01/2024

Hi Facebook friends and family! My friend Rachel’s dog needs surgery to remove a foreign object from his stomach. Mickey’s surgery will cost about $2,000, but any amount that you can contribute will help. If you cannot contribute, please, please, share the link to help save Mickey’s life. The link to donate and read about Mickey is below. Please feel free to message me with questions. Thank you! 🙏🏼

Mickey is a 3 year old Pitbull Mix that I adopted from a rescue a year and a half ago. He loves toys, long walks, chasing squirrels, and anything food related. Sometime around Christmas, it’s looking like he got into something he shouldn’t have, which caused a blockage in his small intestine and...

08/04/2021

Thursday thoughts/thankful Thursday:

Darbs ‘n Dogs “officially” launched on February 14, 2020. As of today, April 8, 2021, 419 days since launch date, Darbs ‘n Dogs is on track to have its 2,000th training appointment by the end of the month.

Looking back over the many months since February 2020, I am very grateful for the privilege of helping dogs and humans have better lives together each and every day. I am very fortunate to have a loving and supporting family and hundreds of wonderful clients that have made Darbs ‘n Dogs so successful thus far. All of the 12+ hour days are beyond worth it because of you guys, and Darbs ‘n Dogs would not exist without you.

As my business continues to grow beyond what I could have ever imagined 14 months ago, I look forward to the many challenges and opportunities to grow and continue to serve the dogs of the triangle and their humans in the best way that I can.

For all of those that have been and continue to be a part of this beautiful journey, thank you. ❤️🦮

Love is a four-legged word, Darbs

15/07/2020

Rest In Peace, sweet girl. There are a lot of reasons I do what I do, and Hope (pictured here), is a big one. Hope was one of two dogs that I grew up with, and she went on to doggy heaven earlier today. Working with dogs full time, I’ve seen a lot of dogs pass on, and it surely never gets easier. Thank you, Hope, for everything you have given me. I will miss you, I love you, and I will never forget you ❤️🐶

03/06/2020

22/05/2020

Happy from and .copeland ❤️🐶

15/05/2020

Happy from Flo!

08/05/2020

Happy — swipe to see a BELOW average day in the life of a dog trainer @ Raleigh, North Carolina

06/05/2020

As a dog trainer, one of the most annoying things about the industry is breed stereotypes. While I do think it is useful to research breed tendencies when choosing the right dog for you, it is important to remember that there is WAY MORE variation within breeds from dog to dog than there is between breeds.
“Pit bulls are aggressive, so are Rottweilers and German Shepards.” “All Labradors and Golden Retrievers make great family pets.” “Chihuahuas are yappy.” “Dobermans aren’t cuddly or friendly.” The list goes on and on. While these can be true of individual dogs within these breeds, they are not the majority. In fact, research shows that these characteristics within these breeds are a small minority (less than 5%). All breeds have individual dogs that are docile, friendly, high energy, low energy, smart, not as intelligent, all breeds have individual dogs that sometimes exhibit aggressive behaviors... you get the point. Stereotypes are almost always NOT TRUE for an individual dog of a given breed.
Pictured here is Rose. She is part Rottweiler and part German Shepard, and maybe part Labrador, and she is sweet as can be.
What are some breed stereotypes you hear a lot?

01/05/2020

Happy from Yogi!

25/04/2020

Rose and I have been training together for 5 sessions now, and she knows all of her basic commands— leave it, watch me, sit, down, stay, and come/recall. In this video we do a quick run through of sit, sit w/ stay, down, down w/ stay, and come/recall. We are beginning work on her commands in various settings to begin the generalization process, which is when she knows all of her commands, in all environments, at all times.
Please feel free to message any training questions to me or post in the comments below! ❤️🐶

24/04/2020

Happy from my baby, Yogi! Yogi loves her sleep, and she almost always sleeps with her little tongue peeking out through her teeth, as she is in this photo. Credit to my wifey for capturing this precious moment ❤️🐶

23/04/2020

This is Corey, a French Briard that lives in Bel Air. Many of you know that I spent multiple summers working in Los Angeles. While I was there, I got to work closely with a private dog trainer (whom shall not be named for privacy reasons) that works with high profile clients in LA. I don’t say that to brag, but I say that to communicate that he is VERY GOOD at what he does, that I was fortunate to be able to learn from him, and that he played a major role in my evolution as a dog trainer. Looking back on my journey working with dogs thus far, it’s really cool to see how everything brought me to where I am, right where I want to and am meant to be!❤️🐶

21/04/2020

Meet Kiwi. Kiwi is a Great Dane puppy that is ~21 weeks old and she is potentially the GREATEST DANE there ever was or will be. We had our first training session today, and Kiwi and I established 7 COMMANDS in 60 minutes, AND we worked on leash training. Kiwi was nailing behavior after behavior. If you know anything about dog training, teaching 7 commands and a major concept in one session is unheard of. Granted, Kiwi and I still have a lot of work to do to get her solid on all of her commands, in all environments and situations, it is safe to say that she is a prodigy. I am so fortunate to work with her. Man, I love what I get to do! ❤️🐶

19/04/2020

Romey’s training is really coming along. When Romey and I began training three weeks ago he would only hold a sit for a couple seconds. After working together three times per week over the last three weeks, Romey knows his sit, down, heel, watch me, leave it, recall, and his stay commands. This is a video of one of his recent training sessions, holding a stay for about 45 seconds, with distance AND distractions. That is HUGE progress.
In general, a dog should know three types of “stays”— stay for time, stay with distance, and stay with distractions. Romey is doing exceptionally with all three.
If your dog could learn any one behavior he/she doesn’t already know, what would you want it to be?

17/04/2020

Happy from .copeland — on mornings I don’t have early training appointments, my baby Yogi and I sleep (sometimes I’m working) together on the couch. When I get up to use the restroom, refill my coffee, get the kids breakfast, or another interrupting activity, Yogi will do this or another behavior to let me know she isn’t happy that I left. She is funny, sweet, cuddly, polite, super smart, and very playful. She really is the perfect doggo. Her training is coming along well too and I love her so much ❤️🐶

14/04/2020

Happy Tuesday from Mojo! There’s nothing like a reliable game of fetch to keep high-energy dogs happy and satisfied. Most chronic behavioral issues, especially for higher energy dogs, are a result of inadequate mental stimulation and physical exercise. If your dog is having behavioral issues, start by getting him/her more exercise, and see how it helps their behavior❤️🐶

13/04/2020

Cole is newest training client, and he is a gentle giant in the truest sense. Cole is a Great Dane (A.K.A. Clydesdale). He is gentle, loving, friendly, and confident. He is 7 months olds and he weighs 150+ lbs.; his dad tipped the scales at 215, so Cole probably still has a lot of growing to do!
Follow for a look into Cole’s training journey over the coming weeks ❤️🐶

11/04/2020

Happy Saturday from Wynnie! Wynnie is a mix of a bunch of different breeds, the two most predominant being American Labrador and Norfolk Terrier. Wynnie is super sweet and has a ton of energy. One time we played fetch for a solid 45 minutes with only 4 water breaks. She loved it and would have played for hours. Fetch is an excellent outlet for high energy dogs, and a reliable game of fetch is a skill I teach many of the dogs I train. It gives them the physical and mental exercise they crave and does wonders for chronic behavioral problems ❤️🐶

10/04/2020

Happy from Flo (in my arms) and Ben (the Labrador). Despite Flo’s expression, she generally loves being held this way. While dogs should never be forced onto their backs (doing so usually makes them feel vulnerable and threatened), many dogs voluntarily lay on their backs as a sign of friendliness and comfort with people and dogs they interact with. Flo, like many brachycephalic dogs I know, seems to love being held like this because it opens her airway more so than when she is on “all fours.”
I hope the is treating you and your doggos well ❤️🐶

08/04/2020

I love what I do. I get to spend my days with dogs, training them, walking them, dog sitting— generally just things that bring them and me so much joy. It is truly a blessing to be able to work with dogs full time, and I am so grateful that I get to. Here is a picture of one of my best buddies, Bart. Bart and I have been on countless adventures, this trip to the being just one of them ❤️🐶

08/04/2020

Happy Tuesday from baby Piper. Piper is a Vizsla puppy that is ~14 weeks old and she’s getting bigger by the day! She’s sweet, energetic, and loyal. She loves tug of war and treats, but loves humans most of all ❤️🐶

06/04/2020

Happy Monday from Ezra! Ezra is an English Labrador Retriever. English Labs are aesthetically distinctive from their American counterparts because of their broader bodies. Like American Labs, English labs are a popular choice of companion animal. Also like American Labs, English Labs are commonly very intelligent and tolerant with a very even-keeled temperament. They are also typically moderate energy level dogs. All of these qualities along with multiple others make them great family dogs ❤️🐶

05/04/2020

season. Doggos around the globe are living their best lives, spending all day with their humans, playing all the fetch, getting all the tummy rubs, eating all the treats ❤️🐶

03/04/2020

It’s that day of week again! Happy from — here is a picture of my baby Yogi, doing yoga with her mama this morning. In our home, this phenomenon is referred to as “Yogz doing the Yogz”
In other Yogi news, her training is going really well. She is quickly picking up on all of her basic commands and she is crushing potty training too. She is cuddly, playful, and super sweet. She loves people, dogs, and everything else in the world. To top it all off, she is curious and intelligent and potentially the cutest thing to ever live. I am a lucky

02/04/2020

with Luke. Luke is a Certified Therapy Dog and works regularly with patients in the hospital system. Of course he is taking a break right now with the current situation, but he nonetheless is thrilled to get out and get some fresh air! I hope you and your dog are enjoying lots of time together despite the madness! ❤️🐶

02/04/2020

This is Romey! Romey is newest training client. Romey is a high energy dog, which makes him very curious and highly trainable. However, it also means that he requires a lot of physical exercise and mental stimulation as an outlet for all of his energy. Our sessions begin with 30 minutes of fast walking, fetch, and playtime because doing so allows Romey to release his energy and focus on training. In three 60 minute sessions, Romey has already learned “watch me,” “leave it,” and “sit,” all of which are necessary foundations for ALL dogs. I will continue to post about Romney’s progress in the coming weeks.
I hope you all are enjoying the ❤️🐶

30/03/2020

Happy Monday from — while we are in and spending all of our time at home, there are abundant opportunities to feed our four-legged best friends lots of extra snacks. Here is a list of 10 things your dog CANNOT and should not have under any circumstances. I hope you are enjoying your time with your family, especially the furry members❤️🐶
Credit to for sending and credit to VetriMark for creating

28/03/2020

Happy from Mojo. Mojo is an Australian Shepherd. She is very intelligent, affectionate, and athletic. She is very friendly and high-energy, which makes her eager to learn and super fun to teach. Mojo is fast and agile and often times will chase down and catch a ball or frisbee during fetch before it even hits the ground ❤️🐶

27/03/2020

Happy from Flo! I hope you’re all taking advantage of this beautiful weather and spending lots of time outside with your pups! Be sure to take pictures of your adventures and tag — I’ll repost them to my story❤️🐶

27/03/2020