Eleza Kerfoot, Paws In Progress

THIS is what we train for! Training is about being able to live a better life with your dog. Training is about having a dog who can go with you and be your adventure buddy. ... A dog who is a joy to bring along instead of a hassle and a headache. My client sent me this pic and mentioned in her message that when I was standing with Isaac on the back and rex on the front and an offleash dog on the shore was going berserk at us I was pretty damn proud that rex started to lift his elbows until I reminded him place and he laid back down. He even fell asleep a couple times. Messages like this make my day! I hope you have a really fun fulfilling weekend with your dog! #pawsinprogress #traineddogshavemorefun #traineddogsgomoreplaces

I value well behaved dogs in public. In fact it’s a privilege to have dog friendly trails, parks, stores and restaurants with outdoor patios. My goal is to set the example for how well dogs can behave, so we can continue to enjoy these spaces with our pets. ... I coach my clients on how to have dog’s who they can enjoy and take more places (dog friendly of course) I believe it’s imperative that your dog NEVER infringe on the rights of others no matter how friendly it may be. There are people who don’t like dogs. And they should be able to enjoy their day on a trail, in a store or at a restaurant without your dog approaching, licking, jumping or harassing them in any way. A dog is an animal and absolutely makes mistakes. Training doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Training means they listen the majority of the time and that you, the owner has put in the time and effort to have an education to help them be successful when they struggle. And that as the owner it’s your responsibility to have some safety net in place like a leash or ecollar in the event that they don’t listen. I offer field trips to my clients once the dogs have a solid foundation in their obedience to come practice in real world environments and I can coach them on trails, restaurants etc. And sometimes we set up special days like this one. If the 1st time your dog ever sees a horse is on a narrow trail it could potentially be really dangerous, your dog could spook and bark, the horse could spook. So to help avoid that potential mess.... Horse intro day. Setting up many different scenarios for the dogs to practice watching a horse walk, gallop and trot by. Good work everyone! And thank you Jessica!!

How nice it was to work with these 4 this morning. Miss Piper (far left) is in a current training plan and is still learning. The others are past client dogs hanging out while their people are away. ... How nice it is to reflect on when ALL of these dogs were explosively dog reactive at one time and that they can all chill, coexist and make great choices while dogs and people walk by.

Laika gives the elephant fountain pool 10/10! If you have a hose/sprinkler obsessed dog they will love this! We found this at Ace Hardware... #summerfun #funinthesun #dogdaysofsummer #wetdog #elephantfountainpool #dogapproved

Friday is one of my busier days so I have to get creative with my time to make sure my personal dogs get what they need out of the day. In theory getting up 2hrs early to appropriately exercise them sounds great. In practice it’s not always doable. ... Just because I have a busy day and little time for them is no excuse for them not to get exercise or mental stimulation. I choose to have 3 dogs. It’s my responsibility to make sure they are fulfilled each day. Exercise options for busy days - treadmill like Laika is doing here, this is the easiest because I can multi task at this point and don’t have to watch her. Using a treat ball for their breakfast is a great source of mental stimulation when you are crunched for time.

If you could ask your dog one question to gain insight to their brain what would it be? Why that toy? Will always be my biggest ponder. They have a toy box full of toys and will dig through and pull out a toy they haven’t touched in forever.... Sounds like a silly question when there is so much to learn about them. But, This question makes me ponder more than any other and fascinates me. I haven’t seen this toy in probably 6months and tonight it’s the favorite Love the #busybuddy toy