Essential Animal Training, Inc.

09/04/2026

"You shouldn't have a dog if...."

These conversations bother me. They often become classist, ableist, etc, and they're rarely helpful to dogs. Of course there are things every dog owner should know beforehand such as budgeting and time allotment, but in my entire career I have rarely seen a home that was perfect for a dog. I think that's a good thing, and here's why.

Let me tell you a little about the pet situation where I live. Fair warning, it is pretty alarming.

One of the most common ways to acquire a pet in my community is to just stumble upon one. Almost hitting them with your car, having them show up on your property, or generally just finding one somewhere. I can't tell you how many of my client dogs adopted their owners without the humans' consent! My own first dog was a puppy who followed me home.

If you call Animal Welfare about a stray dog, they will usually ask you two questions: Is it aggressive? Is it seriously hurt or sick? If not, they literally do not have time. It's not that they don't want to help that dog, it's just that they are so busy and so understaffed that they can't come for every call. They'll ask if you can take the dog home with you, or at least get them scanned for a chip. If you can't, they will probably advise you to let the dog go so that they can (hopefully) make their way back home. Even if you can transport the dog to the shelter, they're often stuffed to the gills already.

Just recently, our local SPCA assisted a woman on a rural property with over 100 dogs, many of them former strays. This was a situation where genuine human kindness got out of hand. She knew every dog by name, and adored them all, but couldn't afford spay and neuter for everybody. The team altered the dogs, took many in, and left some in the loving home they had always known.

I won't even try to cover our puppy mill/pet store problem. You would be astonished.

All across our state, several wonderful programs take adoptable dogs out of our shelters and transport them to places with more adopters and fewer dogs.

SO! When people say things like "You shouldn't have a dog if you work 8 hours a day," my brain does a spit take. I cannot imagine how many dogs would lose their lives if no one adopted them because an otherwise wonderful adopter.... had a job? I PRAY for the day that I can judge someone for crating their dog for an extended period of time, or for not having a yard, or for not being able to afford training or large, unexpected vet bills. But today is not that day. Not here.

*PLEASE NOTE* I am not promoting lower standards for dog stewardship. There is no such thing as perfect, but we owe our dogs progress. My whole job is to help humans make progress in order to improve their dogs' welfare. I sincerely long to go out of business due to lack of demand.

But there are faaaaaar more dogs here than "only the best" homes, and poverty is rampant. Always keep that in mind before you say "You shouldn't have a dog if...."

Besides, you'd be surprised at how perfect an imperfect home can be when real love is involved. I've seen so many dogs flourish in a less-than-we-would-have-it environment JUST because they are loved by someone whom they can love in return.

Is your dog safe? Healthy? Happy? Loved? Fed & watered? Sheltered? Fulfilled? If yes, your dog is better off than most by leaps and bounds. There is no shame in being less than perfect. It can always get better though, so never stop learning, and get professional help with behavior if you can. 💙

Please donate, volunteer, foster, adopt, and for heaven's sake....

SPAY AND NEUTER!
(Ask your vet about ovary-sparing spay/vasectomy!)

09/03/2026

Learn how to safely introduce food reinforcers to your equids in my new course, available in the Equine Groundwork Academy...

⭐️Join today and access the course for free!⭐️

Your complete groundwork guide with optional coaching for horses, donkeys, mules, zebras, and all mixes of the above!

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

New Cat Introductions

by Misty Hampton

08/31/2026

We’ve been made aware of four donkeys and a draft hinny located in northern Vermont, who are in need of our help due to their owner passing away. This herd has been together for 15 years and we’d like to bring them to SYA as a group to sort who is bonded to who.

Their owner passing away has left the family unable to care for them the way they believe the animals deserve. Their hooves have been trimmed by a farrier for the first time only recently and they will need regular trims to get their feet back into decent shape. They’ll also need their teeth done, vaccines, consistent training and handling. All of which we are at the ready to help them with once they arrive.

We are told that the Hinny, whose name is Worthless (from the show Dirty Sally) is very friendly toward people and loves to be groomed. However she has not been trained to be haltered, led, or tied. So that is something we will need to work on with her once she settles in here. We do not know the training status of the donkeys other than the white donkey named Daisy we are told is friendly.

They will all need coggins, and certificates of veterinary inspections to go out of the state of VT. We’ve reached out to H & N transport, and she’s agreed to bring them to us. This Sunday, (assuming they get onto the trailer) we will welcome 3 of the donkeys, Dixie, Peaches and Pecan. Sometime in the next few weeks we can welcome Worthless and her donkey friend, Daisy. This first trip will cost $700 for the first three donkeys.

We need to raise $3,000 minimum for their vet and farrier care, transport to SYA, and their feed/ care costs once they get here. This has been an expensive month, many animals who have come in the last few months have needed an abnormal amount of vet and farrier care. Any help financially toward this groups care is greatly, GREATLY appreciated! We are excited to meet them, and share photos of them once they arrive. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer, there’s no amount to small, every penny helps!

(One donkey missing from photo below)

08/24/2026

If you’re struggling with your equid’s behavior when you’re training with food, this post is for you!



by Michelle Martiya

08/19/2026

08/12/2026

Enrichment doesn’t have to be complicated!

If you’re in a rush or don’t feel like getting creative, just scattering food across the floor is enough to make meal time a little more interesting for your dog while also slowing them down.

Follow for more simple enrichment ideas!

08/03/2026

Are you making these mistakes in your training?

❌ Awkward positioning - trying to move your dog in ways that are difficult for their body to move or with confusing body language of your own makes it hard for them to understand and perform what you want.

❌ Repeating your cue multiple times - repeating your cue over and over again is not helpful and can actually be detrimental to your training efforts. When you keep repeating yourself, your dog either learns to just ignore what you’re saying because it doesn’t mean anything or they think the cue is “sit, sit, sit, sit, sit.”

❌ Cuing and luring at the same time - when you use a verbal cue and a visual cue or a lure at the same time, your dog will end up only learning the visual cue or to follow the lure, without ever learning the verbal cue.

Instead…

✅ Use clear movements and open a path in the direction your dog is already moving to position them how you want.

✅ Say your cue only once, then pause and give them a moment to think and respond to your cue.

✅ Only help your dog with a lure if they need it - after the pause. Lure them only as far as absolutely necessary as well, so they don’t become dependent on the lure to complete the behavior.

If you found this post helpful, follow me for more tips on the nuances of communicating with and training your dog.