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Follow My Lead Dog Training, Brooksville, FL (2026)

06/07/2026

For those of you who haven't been following Ziggy's journey, he suffered a spinal stroke at just 16 weeks of age.

A spinal stroke, also called a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE), occurs when a small piece of disc material blocks blood flow to part of the spinal cord. Unlike a traditional stroke that affects the brain, a spinal stroke affects the spinal cord and can cause sudden weakness, loss of coordination, or even paralysis in one or more limbs.

What makes Ziggy's case particularly unusual is both his age and how suddenly it happened. Spinal strokes are relatively rare, and they are even less common in puppies this young. There was no major trauma, accident, or injury involved. One moment he was taking a nap in his crate, and the next he stood up to come out and was unable to use his back end normally.

At the time, he was dragging his right rear foot and struggling with coordination and strength in his hind legs. It was heartbreaking to watch such a young puppy go through something so unexpected.

Today, Ziggy is 5 months old, and the progress he has made over the last month has been nothing short of amazing.

If you look back through my previous posts, you'll see where he started. What you're seeing now is the result of a lot of hard work, patience, and consistency. My dad has done a phenomenal job following through with his rehabilitation program, working closely with the physical therapist, and doing his exercises multiple times a day.

These clips show just a few of the exercises Ziggy is doing as part of his recovery. One of them involves walking with bungee cords that help him become more aware of his rear feet and encourage him to self-correct his stride when his foot starts to drag. Early on, he would frequently trip over that right rear foot. While it still happens occasionally, it's becoming less and less frequent as he gains strength and coordination.

He is also doing repetitions from a down position to a sit position and from a down position to a stand position. These exercises help strengthen the muscles of the hind end and improve his overall body awareness.

Another important part of his therapy is performing these exercises while standing on a board. The board helps keep his legs straight and positioned properly underneath his body. Just as proper form is important when people exercise, proper positioning is important for dogs as well. It helps build strength in the correct muscle groups and encourages better posture, balance, and stability.

Recovery isn't always a straight line, but every small improvement adds up. A stronger step. Better balance. More confidence. More independence.

Watching Ziggy regain function and continue to improve has been incredibly rewarding. His determination, combined with the dedication of the people helping him, is a reminder of just how resilient dogs can be.

I'm so proud of how far he's come, and we're excited to see what the next month brings.

06/07/2026

Every so often someone asks me why my puppies cost what they do, or suggests that breeders must be making a fortune selling puppies.

Let's do some math.

This litter consisted of 14 puppies. At $3,000 per puppy, that sounds like a lot of money on the surface. Gross revenue would be $42,000.

Now let's talk about expenses.

Before a puppy is ever born, there are years of investment into the parents. Health testing, showing, training, food, veterinary care, and proving that the dogs deserve to be bred in the first place.

For this litter alone, expenses included health testing, stud fees, whelping supplies, food, microchips, vaccinations, deworming, health certificates, AKC registration, puppy raising supplies, advertising, temperament testing, cleaning supplies, and hired help. Direct expenses for this litter exceeded $22,000 before labor was even considered.

Then there is the time.

For the first three weeks of life, puppies require around-the-clock care. I spent an estimated 18 hours a day with this litter during that period. As they got older, there were still countless hours spent cleaning, feeding, socializing, training, grooming, taking puppies on outings, answering buyer questions, conducting evaluations, maintaining records, and preparing them for their future homes.

By a conservative estimate, I invested over 900 hours into raising this litter. At Florida's minimum wage alone, that labor would be valued at nearly $13,000.

And that's before accounting for taxes, utilities, fuel, emergency veterinary care, property maintenance, wear and tear on equipment, credit card interest, or the income I give up while focusing on raising a litter.

Could I cut corners and make more money? Absolutely.

I could skip health testing. I could send puppies home at 8 weeks. I could provide less socialization, less training, less support, and less veterinary care.

But that's not the kind of breeder I want to be.

Ethical breeding is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Most of the time it's an expensive labor of love fueled by a desire to preserve and improve the breed while giving each puppy the best possible start in life.

The goal has never been to make the most money possible. The goal is to produce healthy, stable, well-adjusted dogs and support them for the rest of their lives.

06/06/2026

When I first came in for a consultation with Gemma, there was a very different picture unfolding.

Her family had recently adopted her and quickly realized something wasn't right. Gemma was terrified of just about everything and everyone. It started with the car ride home and continued once she arrived. She had bonded closely with Mom, but Dad was another story.

Even after a month in her new home, Gemma was still deeply uncomfortable around him. She would growl, snap, and do everything she could to avoid interacting with him. It was becoming increasingly difficult for Dad to connect with her, and understandably frustrating because all he really wanted was a buddy. The harder he tried to show her he was a good guy, the more she seemed determined to keep her distance.

With a little guidance, things began to change.

One of the first things we did was put a leash on Gemma and have her start walking with Dad. Her family trusted the process and committed fully, even when it meant Mom had to take a step back and allow Dad to become Gemma's primary source of guidance, structure, and support. She couldn't rush in to rescue Gemma every time she felt unsure. Instead, Gemma needed the opportunity to experience a little stress, work through it, and discover that she was capable of recovering on her own.

A little tough love went a long way.

After just five sessions, the transformation has been incredible. Gemma no longer resists being around Dad. She follows him willingly on the leash, engages with him, pays attention to him, and is beginning to trust him. The growling and moments of insecurity have dramatically decreased, even during a week that would have challenged most dogs. Their roof was being replaced, workers were constantly present, strangers were coming to the door, and there was nonstop banging overhead. Yet Gemma continued making progress.

Today we introduced a confidence-building exercise by asking Gemma to place her front paws on a variety of unfamiliar surfaces.

We started with something simple: a pillow.

At first, she wanted nothing to do with it. She tried going around it, beside it, and every direction except over it. But with the right guidance and a little encouragement from the leash, she discovered that leaning into the challenge led to good things.

Once she conquered the pillow, we moved on to an ottoman, a clay pot, the car, a metal trash can, and finally a small step stool. One by one, she worked through each obstacle. Every success built on the one before it.

By the end of the session, Gemma wasn't just putting two paws on the step stool—she proudly climbed all four paws onto the tiny perch.

Mom and Dad were incredibly proud of her, and honestly, so was I.

The goal was never really about a pillow, a trash can, or a step stool. It was about teaching Gemma that when life feels uncomfortable, she doesn't have to run away from it. She can pause, think, trust her people, and move forward anyway.

Those lessons will carry over into every part of her life, and I can't wait to see where she goes from here.

06/06/2026

Trying to get creative with service dog training, we took Willow to a bowling alley today. Attached to it was a restaurant/bar area with a light-up dance floor that had one of those infinity mirror effects, making it look like the floor dropped down into a bottomless abyss.

It looked pretty cool to me.

To Willow, however, it apparently looked like a direct portal to hell.

What actually impressed me was her level of confidence. Despite clearly having concerns about the floor, she was willing to get on it and work through the problem instead of refusing altogether.

The only issue was that she had decided the white squares were safe and the black squares were certain death. So she proceeded to play what looked like a live-action game show, hopping from white tile to white tile while carefully avoiding the "bottomless pits" in between.

I eventually picked up the pace, hoping she'd stop overthinking it and realize the floor wasn't actually trying to consume her soul.

Instead, she simply increased her speed and commitment to the mission.

I've never seen a dog move so confidently while being so completely convinced she was one wrong step away from certain death. 😂

06/03/2026

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This video contains puppies recovering from ear cropping. You will see healing ears, stitches, and post-surgical recovery, but there is no graphic content or active bleeding.

I took a few videos of the puppies that had their ears cropped on Saturday, and honestly I almost didn't post them.

Ear cropping is one of those topics that always brings strong opinions, and I know there will inevitably be people who disagree with it. At the same time, I think it's important to educate people about what the process actually looks like rather than what they imagine it looks like.

One of the biggest arguments against ear cropping is the belief that the puppies are suffering for an extended period of time. While the procedure certainly causes some mild discomfort initially, that's simply not what I see in practice. These puppies were back to their normal selves the very next day. Playing, wrestling, zooming around, and generally acting like the little hooligans they have always been.

In fact, our biggest challenge isn't convincing them to move around—it's keeping them from being too rough with each other while their ears heal.

Ear cropping has a long history within the Great Dane breed standard. Originally, Great Danes were used as boar hunters as well as estate guardians. The cropped ear was intended to reduce the risk of ear injuries while working. Today, many owners also appreciate the traditional look, increased expressiveness, and the improved airflow to the ear canal.

That said, plenty of people prefer natural ears, and that's perfectly okay too. A natural ear gives the dog a softer expression, and on certain puppies I think it looks incredibly cute. It really comes down to personal preference.

Regardless of whether a dog has cropped or natural ears, proper ear care is important. With any floppy-eared breed, moisture can become trapped inside the ear canal. One of my favorite products is the Vet's Best Ear Relief system. It includes a wash to clean the ears and a soothing drying formula containing tea tree oil and chamomile. I like that it helps remove debris, soothe irritated ears, and wick excess moisture away as it dries.

Whatever preference someone has, the love, care, training, and commitment to that puppy remain exactly the same. At the end of the day, what matters most is raising a healthy, happy, well-adjusted dog.

These puppies receive a tremendous amount of extra handling and individual attention during the healing process. Between cleaning, posting, bandage changes, and routine care, they become incredibly comfortable being touched and handled. I've had puppies literally fall asleep while having their ears cleaned and posted.

As you watch these videos, you'll see happy, playful puppies doing what puppies do best. That's the reality of what recovery has looked like for this litter.

If anybody has questions about the process, feel free to ask. I only ask that conversations remain respectful. It's perfectly okay to have different opinions, but productive discussion is always more valuable than personal attacks.

06/03/2026

I have the coolest clients ever. Suzanne (Blu's Mom) surprised me today with these- she hand painted them herself. ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much!!

06/01/2026

Weekly Product Recommendation 🐾🍯

Manuka honey has become one of my favorite things to keep on hand in my dog first aid kit. I’ve used it on wound care for years now and have personally seen a huge difference in healing, inflammation, and overall comfort during recovery.

One of the biggest ways I use it is on cropped puppy ears along the edges during healing. I’ve found it dramatically helps decrease irritation, inflammation, and infection risk while also maintaining a healthy moisture balance instead of allowing the tissue to dry out and crack.

For general wound care, this is usually my routine:

First I clean the area thoroughly using either antibacterial soap or chlorhexidine combined with a warm compress for about 5 minutes. Then I repeat again using just warm water to gently flush and soften any debris before applying a thin layer of Manuka honey directly to the wound.

From there I cover with:
• non-stick pads
• gauze wrap
• vet wrap

Bandages are usually changed every 24–48 hours depending on the wound and drainage level.

One thing I really like about Manuka honey is that it helps create a healthier healing environment while still being gentle on tissue. I’ve personally noticed less angry redness, less crusting, and smoother healing overall compared to many traditional ointments.

As always, severe wounds, punctures, rapidly spreading redness, fever, lethargy, foul odor, or significant swelling should absolutely be evaluated by a veterinarian. This is not a substitute for medical care, but it can be a really useful addition to basic wound management.

06/01/2026

🤪😅
Here's a few of our nicknames.
Cash- Mr. Moon (Stephen King's The Stand) "M-O-O-N, that spells ball!"
June- June Bug, Buggy
Ziggy- Zig, Ziggareno

What nicknames do you have for your pets?

05/31/2026

This week we explored Triple T Fields LLC together, and it turned into a really nice real-world exposure opportunity for the dogs.

Horses, donkeys, pigs, chickens, barking hunting dogs, and even a large tractor moving tree branches around were all part of the experience 😅

The goal of these walks is neutrality — not forcing dogs to ignore the world completely, but helping them learn how to observe, process, recover, and continue working through new environments without becoming overwhelmed.

There were definitely moments where some of the dogs got a little nervous, but I was so proud of how quickly they recovered and kept moving forward. Watching them work through all the new sights, smells, sounds, and activity while continuing to stay engaged with their handlers was really rewarding to see.

Experiences like this build confidence in a way that classroom settings and more controlled environments simply can’t replicate.

05/31/2026

The pictures are FINALLY done 😅

Maybe I’ll post some of the bloopers next because this was absolutely a two-person operation and somehow took two full days to complete.

There was lifting puppies, sweating, making weird turkey noises, crinkling treat bags, waving rawhide rolls around like lunatics, and using stinky dried tripe as bribery. At one point we almost lost the entire set because several of the puppies decided leaning dramatically backwards off the backdrop seemed like a solid life choice.

Meanwhile, all we were actually trying to accomplish was getting them to look at the camera for approximately three seconds 😂

People see the final polished pictures, but not the absolute chaos that goes into creating them.

✨ Reserved ✨
Follow My Lead’s Aurora Borealis “Aurora”
Follow My Lead’s Stairway to Heaven “Zeppelin”
Follow My Lead’s Oh Ophelia “Ophelia”
Follow My Lead’s Moonlight Sonata “Moon”

⏳ Pending ⏳
Follow My Lead’s Delilah — harlequin female
Follow My Lead’s Nova — mantle female
Follow My Lead’s Ticket to Anywhere “Racy” — mantle merle female

🐾 Available — Lady x Inferno litter 🐾
Follow My Lead’s Karma Chameleon “Karma” — harlequin female
Follow My Lead’s Calypso Queen “Calypso” — mantle female
Follow My Lead’s Come On Home “Cecilia” — mantle female
Follow My Lead’s Light My Fire “Ember” — mantle female
Follow My Lead’s Drop It Like It’s Hot “Moxie” — harlequin female

🐾 Available — Jolene x Freeway litter born December 31st, 2025 🐾
Follow My Lead’s Auld Lang Syne “Eve” — black female
Follow My Lead’s Red Hot “Chili” — black female
Follow My Lead’s Sound of Silence “Echo” — black female

Follow My Lead Dog Training

06/07/2026

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Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm