Discovery Dog Training

09/22/2026

What a week (ish)!

When I attended my first course with in 2020, I had no idea where it would lead. And now, six and a half years later, five core courses and several supporting classes later, I am very honored to have earned the level of Certified Relationship Based Trainer.

Courses at the Canine-Human Relationship Institute are not your average continuing education classes or workshops. These classes are in depth studies of what makes a dog a dog AND how to reach the people who love them. You can study the specific techniques of how to teach a skill all you want - but if you don’t understand the mind and true motivations of the living being(s) you’re teaching - you’re going to miss things.

After feeling a bit out of sorts as a trainer - pulled in different directions by different “groups” - I realized a few years ago that THIS was the kind of trainer I wanted to be. I want to look at every dog through the lens of Relationship Based Behavior Modification. I want to become better at assessing the ‘why’ and then finding the right ‘how’ for each client.

If you’ve ever wanted a better understanding of who your dog is or why he does what he does is the place for you. This isn’t your typical dog training - this is the study of behavior and how it affects everything we do.

I feel blessed to have found these folks so many years ago. The value of the education I have received and the professional family I now have cannot be quantified.

06/19/2026

1. Squirrel 0.

This seems like a great time to remind all the dog owners out there that you live with a semi-domesticated predator.

That’s right. Watauga County has one less squirrel this afternoon because of this adorable, squishy face.

Now, is he the best hunter in the land? No. Did he get bit multiple times by the squirrel because, unlike his sister, he didn’t know you were supposed to shake it after you catch it? Yes. Did he care? Absolutely not.

Obviously, there are some dogs who don’t have an interest in squirrel hunting, but it’s important to remember that even those dogs still have a canine survival instinct, and we have to take that into account as we live with them and learn to communicate with them better. 🐾 🐿️

Want to learn more about how your dog sees the world? Give us a call!

05/26/2026

Last call!
Brain and Body class starts this Friday at 2:15!
Register here: www.discoverydogtraining.propetware.com

During certain seasons, it can be hard to get outside to give your dog the mental and physical stimulation that he needs in order to thrive. In this class, you will learn a variety of exercises that can be done in a relatively small area - perfect for indoor engagement when outside is not an option!

05/19/2026

A few of the cute faces that have graced the shop over the last several weeks! 🐾

These photos represent a wide variety of needs and services: temperament testing, puppy preschool, basic obedience, confidence building, leash manners, reactivity issues, and more!

05/09/2026

Group Classes are live on the website!

We have two classes open to the public - Scent Class and Brain & Body and several evening Basics Boost single classes open to previous clients!

*For those who received our email last week - the Brain & Body class start time has been moved to 2:15 on Friday afternoons.

We offer private lessons year round on a flexible schedule for your convenience. While some dogs and owners enjoy and thrive in a group setting, others find that private instruction best suites their needs. Private lessons allow flexibility, and when appropriate, we can add or subtract material fr

05/07/2026

Well, “they” were right. After doing one scent work trial, we signed up for another!

I was really proud of . Despite some challenges, she qualified on 5 of 8 runs, earned two novice element titles, and took a first and third place!

One of my favorite moments, however, was actually as we were walking back into the hotel from a potty break. We don’t often get to see ourselves and our dogs from an outside perspective in real time - but the reflection on the hotel door allowed just that. As we were entering one side, we spotted a few dogs exiting out the other. The dog who would have exploded at that proximity a few years ago immediately whipped her head up to check in with me to make sure I saw them - and I got to see it in the reflection. 🥰 We’re not perfect, but we’ve grown a lot.

And yes, if you’ve zoomed in you will notice that this was with the Dalmatian Club of America… 😂. She was one of only a handful of non-spotted dogs in attendance - and the only GSD so far as I saw. This also meant that we (the humans) found it a bit comical when a fire alarm at the hotel meant that the firefighters rolled up to a parking lot full of dozens and dozens of Dalmatians!

It was also really wonderful that the trial was close enough to our TN Search and Rescue friends that we could meet up for lunch! I consider Suzie my first dog mentor, which began 19 years ago when I was working on my senior exit project in high school. 🫣 They’ve spent decades volunteering their time, and dogs, to help others.

04/08/2026

Did you know…
A little bit of training is really exhausting when you’re a baby!

These two *giant* cuties are only 5 months old. Their humans have had many pairs of Great Pyrenees in the past, but when they realized that these two weren’t like the others, they reached out for help!

One of the things we often see with littermates (or just two pups of the same age) is that they can become over attached to each other and one usually is less self confident than the other. These owners did a great job at their lesson of helping these two begin to learn that they can do hard things - both with and without the other one. 🐾

(In general, we recommend one puppy at a time to avoid potential issues associated with littermate syndrome.)

03/24/2026

Part 2 to yesterday’s “silent conversation” between and 😂 See previous post for details.

I missed filming the part where Ellie shifted her body to say, “I’m done with the giraffe,” but please enjoy Jack’s very cautious testing to make sure she meant it. 😂 If you watch closely, you can see moments where she turns her head away, shows interest in other things, and generally acts unbothered. You’ll also notice there is no staring or totally still body language - her ears move, her head moves, and she only glances at him briefly. Silly dogs. 🥰

03/23/2026

Please enjoy this completely silent conversation between and about Ellie’s emotional support giraffe. 😂

Just this morning, I was chatting with a client about clarity in communication. Just because a dog asks the same question multiple times doesn’t mean that your communication necessarily has to change or escalate. This is also a great example of how proximity matters. If she were to get up and walk away, he would 100% take it. But right now, by body language and proximity, it is absolutely hers. (And he has continued to ask the same question, and receive the same answer, over the last several minutes.)

Want to learn how to think like and communicate better with your dog? Give us a call!

03/19/2026

Y’all know the drill! Just catching up on sharing the cute new faces of the last several weeks! 🐾❤️