Sunshine Dog Care

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Sunshine Dog Care

I am a dog care professional with over 7 years of experience. I began my business in 2013 as a full
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17/08/2024

Yesterday I had the privilege of taking Matzah on a 9 mile, 5000ft hike up Mount Lafayette along the Franconia Ridge!

This sweet puppy girl worked SO hard! It was a lot to ask of her but she had Sunny to show her how it’s done. I’m so proud of both girls! Sunny absolutely crushed this hike and was the best teacher & friend for sweet Matzah.

This is a HARD trail, it was very busy with other hikers but we only saw 3 other dogs all day because of how challenging it is. Dogs need to be on leash and when in the alpine zone they need to stay basically within your arm span to protect the fragile ecosystem. I’m SO proud of these girls for both the physical achievement, but also how well they behaved all day!

has amazing parents who work with and it shows!!!!

08/08/2024

Name: Baloo
Breed: Cattle Dog
DOB: March 3rd, 2019
Spayed Female

Baloo is looking for a new home! She is a super fun little cattle dog who loves to train and play. Her current owners are hoping to find a home that better suits her as a high drive cattle dog. Baloo would excel in a variety of dog sports and/or would be a great hiking/biking/running companion.

-No medical issues, does currently take a daily SSRI.
-Motivated by food, praise, affection, and play
-Crate trained
-Social with other dogs with proper greetings
-Knows a variety of basic obedience (sit, down, stay, place, heel, come.)
-Off leash trained with a remote collar
-Affectionate and loves to cuddle with her people
-No kids or cats
-Can be leash reactive to other dogs, but has come a long way with training.
-Has one bite on record, was put in an unfair situation which can be avoided in the future.

If you are interested in adopting Baloo or have any questions about her/the adoption process please feel free to email Micaela at [email protected]

18/01/2024

This is Sunny’s best friend in Boothbay 💕 We love our days with him!

He is 11 months old and still growing. We are working together on leash skills, e-collar and recall stuff. SO fun to see him learning! Excited to see the dog he becomes.

25/10/2023

We had so much fun getting to know Baloo and seeing all the work her family has done with ! I love when dogs are able to seamlessly come stay with me because of the continuity between us. We speak the same language and the dogs understand it.

We did a slow introduction to Sunny over 3 days and had the girls hiking off leash/ long leads by day 4. Baloo went on long leash hikes every day, worked on her leash skills & reactivity in town, did enrichment feeding for all meals, AND had unstructured play time in the house. BALANCE. I give my boarding dogs as much freedom as they can handle and treat them as I would if they were mine. I maintain the training plans they’ve established with while also prioritizing FUN and biological fulfillment. I want their time in Maine to be a little vacation for them too!

28/12/2022

TORN ACL & TPLO:

On November 9th my sweet Sunshine had TPLO surgery because she tore her ACL in July. This was a really intense process but absolutely worth it.

It took way longer than needed to get a proper diagnosis and surgery scheduled because it was a gradual tear after the initial injury. This process was a huge lesson in relentlessly advocating for your dog. and both helped me navigate this process when I was getting frustrated by the lack of progress and answers I was getting. If your primary care vet is not able to resolve your dogs problem, ASK FOR A REFERRAL. We ended up going to Portland Veterinary Specialty Care and they did an incredible job working with my dog who has a true phobia of vet handling.

In the weeks leading up to this, Sunny stopped letting me cut her nails and was increasingly reactive to other dogs. PAIN AFFECTS BEHAVIOR. Post surgery, Sunny has now reverted back to happily playing our nail trim game that we worked so hard to develop and is again at ease seeing dogs around our neighborhood.

I’m happy to discuss in great detail the surgery and recovery process with anyone who needs support! Just reach out. I was absolutely terrified of putting my baby through this process but held my hand every step of the way because she had gone through this with Olive. It takes a village and I’m so grateful we went through with this surgery. There were moments where my fear of the trauma it might cause Sunny planted doubts if I should go through with it.

Within weeks I could see her leg was already better than it was pre-TPLO. Slowly but surely she is recovering and I have high hopes for even further rehabilitation. Her leg was never going to heal on its own and it was causing her pain every day.

Finally- PET INSURANCE! Trupanion paid for 90% of the 5,000$ surgery after our deductible (which is now met for life). PLEASE get pet insurance before you need it. The 30$ a month I pay has more than paid for itself already.

We can now go on 25 minute walks and get some good play time in daily. I love this dog more than anything, she is so special.

15/07/2022

Grateful to share my life with these beings 🙏🏻✨ Surrounded by love always

17/05/2022

Today, on 4 separate occasions, Otto chose play and his relationship with me & Sunny over reacting at other dogs. Those moments when you feel the shifting between management, counter conditioning and actual learning are pure magic.

Go play with you dogs ❤️

05/05/2022

I feel so lucky to share my life with her

30/04/2022

This friendship makes me so happy

29/03/2022

Adoptable High drive dog located in Southern Maine!

Cypress is a 2 year old female, mostly Cattle dog with a pinch of (pitbull, GSD, Husky, and chow)

I have personally met this dog and can say she is an amazing creature who will thrive in the right home! Her personality is different than Sunny’s, but you could have that level of relationship with Cypress! She is both ready to work and in need of confidence building which with the right handler will give you the most dedicated companion.

Background from her current home: “She came to me from Texas from one of my rescue partners who pulled her from a field where a bunch of homeless dogs were. She had been attacked by other animals, she was caring for a litter of puppies, and when she left to get food she came back to them gone.
Our rescue partner took her in as she was wounded and her eye was clearly infected.

It’s cleared up a lot since then and she gets ointment in her eye twice a day to continue to clear it up. She had also been shot but the bullet was easily removed during surgery.

She’s a high drive dog, loves people and attention! She can be neutral with other dogs with continued training, but SHOULD BE THE ONLY DOG IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

She would be an excellent sports dog as she has the drive!

🚩Absolutely no cats or small animals. 🚩

I will only consider homes where she’s the only pet. She can be hyper aroused and because of her breed, drive, and past she can escalate into fights easily with other dogs.

I have another female heeler and two cats, which is too much for her, so she can not decompress. Which brought me to the hard decision that she needs to be adopted out into another home that can provide that for her.

She LOVES flirt pole, ball, sniffing for kibble, and has started to enjoy personal play.

She’s a fantastic dog and a great hiking partner, plus the most gorgeous girl.

She deserves a home where she can relax, turn offf fight or flight, have someone dedicated to only her, and work her.

If you are looking for a sports prospect and live in the New England area, or know of someone who is looking please feel free to send me a DM or email me at [email protected] “

12/03/2022

Best girl

19/02/2022

These good girls teach me so much, especially about fashion, snuggles, how to fall down and get back up, where the little animals are hiding, what the neighbors are up to, when it’s going to rain later, what time it is now, and how my soul is feeling. They hold up a mirror for me and then laugh at the absurdity.

I hope you have a good weekend and go play with your dogs!

30/01/2022

✨Snow day enrichment!✨

An opportunity to build impulse control and frustration tolerance while providing biological fulfillment.

3 minutes to set up, 15 minutes of fun destroying it.

18/01/2022

Above all, the best compliments I receive about my dog are in regards to the relationship I have with her.

Sure we spent months focusing on building a communication system, structure and boundaries… but now that we are well in to the Maintence phase of her training, a few things have become clear.

-I pay close attention to the layers of stress in her life and adjust my expectations accordingly.
-If I’m not feeling good, I don’t even try to “train” her.
-I don’t force affection, it’s on mutual terms.
-She NEEDS to play every day, so we do.
-Her mistakes are my mistakes.
-Her health, safety and happiness is my top priority, and at points in our relationship that has meant obedience and counter conditioning training.

I genuinely love my dog so much and appreciate her presence in my life, so I tell her every day. She is one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever met, and I respect that. She, like all dogs, has so many needs, but she is not a selfish creature. She appreciates the effort I put in to our relationship too.

Our understanding of canine cognition has increased SO much in the last 20 years, they understand so much more than we (used to) give them credit for. Peep and for some fun examples of this.

Sunny is not my “pet”, she’s my friend.

29/12/2021

Grateful ❤️
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18/12/2021

I recently moved and started a new job which has meant leaving Sunny home during the day. We quickly shifted from being together basically all the time to some days being alone for 8 hours. I have been pleasantly surprised by how this is actually beneficial to our relationship!

How I make this work:
-Get up early and let her run for 20 minutes before I leave either on the retractable leash or off leash at the park
-Go home on my lunch break for a 20 minute neighborhood walk
-After work 30 minute long leash walk
-Food enrichment games and personal play every day

What has improved:
-Engagement
-Play
-Enthusiasm for obedience training

Why this is happening:
-too much unstructured free time can increase anxiety
-I spent 8+ months diligently working on crate training everyday when I first adopted her and now she can be left out in my bedroom
-I am more focused on intentionally using our time together to the fullest
-She’s spending less time following me around wondering what we’re doing next
-She is truly resting and recharging while I’m gone
-On my days off I take her to a variety of different hiking locations to keep her mentally stimulated by the environment

This is a dog who came to me at 4 years old with separation and generalized anxiety. She has a lot of energy and is very smart. Yes I’m exhausted and some days I don’t want to do all those walks but I made a commitment to her when I brought her into my life. Her well-being is my top priority so if this wasn’t working for us, I’d make the changes necessary like adjusting my work schedule, hiring a dog walker or even finding a different job… She’s worth it!

What tricks have you found help your dog get through the work week?

01/12/2021

Perfect baby angel

16/10/2021

As many of you know, I am going to be traveling this winter and am planning to work remotely!
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Have you benefited from my services in the last couple of years? Please consider leaving a review on the Community K9 Yelp or pages. If you’re comfortable with me sharing your review on Instagram, send me a direct message or email!
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These reviews are critical in my ability to connect with new clients and offer our unique, holistic approach to dog training all across the country.
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If we’ve ever worked together, know that I will always care about your progress and be thrilled to hear updates. You can email me any time if you need help or just want someone to share your proud moments with.
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Current and past clients: if you need to schedule a training session or private socialization walk in the next 6 weeks before I move, please send me an email ASAP. After I move I will be available to support you through online consultations.
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Thank you all for supporting me! Training dogs is such a privilege and brings a huge amount joy to my life.
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08/10/2021

My favorite time of year in Maine ✨
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06/10/2021

This moment of bliss brought to you by countless hours of training and relationship building! And I’m not talking about the relationship between the dogs, this was Jelly Bean’s first hike with the pack.
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The way we relate to our dogs has a huge impact on the way they behave with other dogs. This goes way beyond your leash handling skills and reflective of the way you live with your dog.
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Do they trust you? Can they rely on you? Are you understanding what they are communicating? Do you respect their physical and emotional boundaries? Are you providing a species appropriate lifestyle that honors their level of intelligence, not just their exercise needs?
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It was so wonderful to finally meet and her dog Jelly Bean after years of communicating online! Olivia worked with virtually to improve her relationship with her dog so she could provided off leash enrichment and socialization.
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Off leash socialization is my happy place and I’m grateful as always for the opportunity to connect with these animals and their humans. Seeing all our work pay off is priceless!
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27/09/2021

Late summer ride with the most perfect dog. This creature has brought so much joy and love in to our life🙏🏻❤️
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13/09/2021

Join us on Sunday September 26th in Kennebunk, Maine for an on-leash pack walk!
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We are here to support you through a real world training experience that will strengthen your relationship with your dog and build their trust in you. This is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded dog training enthusiasts while proofing the behaviors you have been working so hard on.
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This walk is not a time for dogs to be playing together, but a chance to build engagement around new dogs and distractions. There will be time for you to play with your dog and work on long leash recall as well!
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To register for this event, email [email protected] . 20$ paid through Venmo.
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24/08/2021

Sunny has become my go anywhere demo dog because we trained for it. We use clear and consistent windows of opportunity to communicate every day, everywhere we go. We practice our skills in so many different scenarios that’s she’s begun to generalize and can self regulate. She can chill inside other peoples homes and she can run and play in new places, all because we trained for this. The months of micromanaging have more than paid off! She has surpassed all of my expectations and being able to have her helping me train other dogs now is a dream come true.
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Collar by • use code: Sunshine for a discount! This is the 1 inch martingale which works beautifully for Sunny.
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19/08/2021

Here is a break down of what’s on the menu at our house this month!
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I fully believe changing Sunny’s diet has played a big role in her training progress. Yes, I work with her every day, but her energy is so different now- physically and mentally.
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I was given a bag of Science Diet to feed her when I adopted her and she refused to eat it. I thought she was much older than they said for almost a month post adoption; I had bought her this back pack harness before she came home and three weeks in I returned it because I thought she didn’t have the strength to carry anything. Despite this perceived weakness, she was restless, difficult to connect with and so anxious. She had really intense responses to sounds and being in public spaces. Additionally, she had “environmental allergies” which causes bumps all over her legs.
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When I say I’m a holistic dog trainer, this is a key part of it. I encourage all my clients to dig deeper and keep asking questions.
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Listen to the podcast and schedule a consultation with a holistic vet or certified nutritionist if you need help deciding what is the best diet for your dog.
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If your vet isn’t giving you answers about your dogs underlying conditions, find another vet! I had a local vet tell me supplements are a conspiracy for corporations to make money and in the same breath admit he doesn’t know what anyone would use turmeric for!
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Sunny is so strong now, she can jump SO high, run for hours, but also settle in the house and take days off. Her “environmental allergies” are have not returned in the last year. She is now my go everywhere dog and my demo dog!
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Nutrition is a fundamental part of a healthy life, both for our dogs and ourselves.
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24/07/2021

When the progress feels slow, we have to remind ourselves over and over what is going right.
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Maybe that’s getting a few minutes of commitment to play, mutual affection, falling asleep in their bed with scary noises outside, or a good recovery after a stressful walk.
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Training is not all about teaching new behaviors to replace the old ones. We need to peel back all the layers of stress in their lives and prioritize health, biological fulfillment, and our relationship first before we can expect to see changes in their reactions to stressful stimuli. This takes time and so much patience.
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While stress is cumulative, so is activating the seeking system. The more time we spend under threshold while truly activating the system system in a way that brings them fulfillment, the easier it will become to insert incompatible behaviors in stressful situations.
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Examples of biologically fulfilling activity’s to access the seeking system:

•Play- tug, personal play with you, playing with trustworthy dog friends
•Hunting- foraging in the grass for kibbles, food chasing games, sniffing in the bushes, food bowl searches, flirt pole
•Digging- you can create a dig pit or area in your yard for your dog, allow them to dig while out in the woods, or let them destroy a recycled box to get to their food or high value treat
•Natural chew bones- I give high value chews from at least 3 times a week. They are more than just an opportunity to reinforce Place or Crate, try taking them outside or to a quiet spot at a park!
•Swimming and letting them get the zoomies out afterwards
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We cannot forget the amount of unnatural pressure we put on our dogs, and even ourselves, living in this modern world. Walking on a leash around cars, people, bikes, construction, loud noises and other dogs is a lot to ask of them and some dogs a better equipped to handle this than others because of their genetics and early life experiences with their mother and litter mates.
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What do you like to do with your dog to help them feel fulfilled?
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22/07/2021

8 years of experience and counting! I wouldn’t be the trainer and handler and I am today without my years in Boston spent with these dogs.
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Off leash training and socialization is at the foundation of my education as a trainer and since then I have dedicated so much time to continuing my education. My passion is helping dogs overcome their emotional struggles so they too can experience the healing power of nature while connecting deeper with their caretakers.
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I am so grateful to be able to do what I love every day- being outside and experiencing joy with these amazing animals. They have so much to teach us.
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If you want your dog to join my hiking group or to schedule a private training session, please email [email protected] - If you’ve benefited from my services, please consider leaving a review to help me reach others in need of our unique, holistic approach to training.
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16/07/2021

We have another exciting Pack Walk coming up! THEME: Long Leash Recall!
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Join us on Sunday August 8th in Dracut, MA for a chance to proof your recall training around other dogs and distractions! Long lines and retractable leashes ENCOURAGED!
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Recall training has always been my biggest passion in working with the dogs. I am so excited to offer this opportunity to our clients who work so hard to build these skills so they can safely provide biological fulfillment with confidence.
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Our team is so successful with recall training because of the meticulous step by step progression we follow. This walk is a great opportunity to receive feedback on how your communication, timing and handling skills are impacting your progress. You will also get tips on how to continue building motivation with your dog around distractions!
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This walk will be 100% on leash and is not a time for dogs to be playing together. This is a time for building engagement with YOU!
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20$, one dog per handler. Email Emma to sign up - [email protected] !
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14/07/2021

We had an awesome rainy day hike yesterday on a new-to-us trail in Kennebunk! So many miles of trails for us to go back and keep exploring.
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I have space in my group for dogs in training to join us! I am also open to having training clients meet up with us for structured socialization and off leash training support. Current clients can email me directly to set this up and new clients can email [email protected] to schedule your foundation training session. Thank you!
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10/07/2021

We are having so much fun with the intro to nosework class I’m taking! I am learning a ton while trying to keep up with this high speed, incredibly driven dog. He picks things up so quickly it feels like with every new exercise we add, he already knows what to do and was just waiting for the opportunity. With this training, it’s always about what I can do better, Stu takes his job very seriously and is always ready to work.
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Just for fun, Stu’s humans hid the odor from us so we could try a blind search and he literally sprinted to it while tracking the odor through the air. It was pretty amazing to see!
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This is still just the beginning for us and I have SO much room for improvement with my timing and handling, but most importantly we are having fun! I was drawn to this course because I wanted new ways to challenge and engage with Stu and this class has been perfect for us. This training is great for building his impulse control and frustration tolerance!
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08/07/2021

She’s incredible. Finding what makes this dog happy has been one of the great joys and privileges of my life. She is not an easy dog, but loving her is effortless. I never get mad at her, I turn my frustrations inward and ask what I can do better. This strong willed and anxious dog has taught me so much about patience and resilience. Seeing her confidence in herself, and me, is worth every minute of training.
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Keep going, you got this.
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Address

04073

Website

https://www.communityk9boston.com/trainers

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Videos

✨Snow day enrichment!✨ An opportunity to build impulse control and frustration tolerance while providing biological fulfillment. 3 minutes to set up, 15 minutes of fun destroying it. #enrichment #enrichmentfordogs #holisticdogtraining @communityk9boston

This moment of bliss brought to you by countless hours of training and relationship building! And I’m not talking about the relationship between the dogs, this was Jelly Bean’s first hike with the pack. • The way we relate to our dogs has a huge impact on the way they behave with other dogs. This goes way beyond your leash handling skills and reflective of the way you live with your dog. • Do they trust you? Can they rely on you? Are you understanding what they are communicating? Do you respect their physical and emotional boundaries? Are you providing a species appropriate lifestyle that honors their level of intelligence, not just their exercise needs? • It was so wonderful to finally meet @olivtrees and her dog Jelly Bean after years of communicating online! Olivia worked with @communityk9boston virtually to improve her relationship with her dog so she could provided off leash enrichment and socialization. • Off leash socialization is my happy place and I’m grateful as always for the opportunity to connect with these animals and their humans. Seeing all our work pay off is priceless! • #offleashtraining #dogsocialization #balanceddogtraining #holisticdogtraining #communityk9

We are having so much fun with the @fenzidogsportsacademy intro to nosework class I’m taking! I am learning a ton while trying to keep up with this high speed, incredibly driven dog. He picks things up so quickly it feels like with every new exercise we add, he already knows what to do and was just waiting for the opportunity. With this training, it’s always about what I can do better, Stu takes his job very seriously and is always ready to work. • Just for fun, Stu’s humans hid the odor from us so we could try a blind search and he literally sprinted to it while tracking the odor through the air. It was pretty amazing to see! • This is still just the beginning for us and I have SO much room for improvement with my timing and handling, but most importantly we are having fun! I was drawn to this course because I wanted new ways to challenge and engage with Stu and this class has been perfect for us. This training is great for building his impulse control and frustration tolerance! • @communityk9boston #dogtraining #nosework #fenzidogsportsacademy #mainedogtrainer #mainedogs #highdrive #minigoldenretriever #holisticdogtraining