10/10/2026
and Miley have come a long way. ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
When they first came to me, their owners had a pretty long wish list. They wanted to reinforce basic obedience, improve manners, stop leash pulling, build a reliable recall in the backyard, curb destructive behavior, stop jumping on guests, and help Nelly stop barking every time someone came to the house.
Looking back at that list today, we've checked off just about every box. At this point, we're really just polishing the finer details.
Today's video highlights Nelly working on her heel. We're well beyond simply teaching loose leash walking now. Heel is about precision, paying attention, maintaining position through turns, changes of pace, and all the little exercises that teach a dog to stay connected to their handler instead of wandering wherever they please.
One of my favorite updates from Mom today had nothing to do with obedience.
She told me Nelly no longer gets nervous, barks, and sends the whole family into high alert every time someone comes to the house. In fact, she actually seems to enjoy having visitors now.
That's a pretty big emotional shift.
When I arrive, both girls are sent to Place before I even walk through the door, and they calmly stay there while I come inside. No chaos, no frantic barking, no dogs crashing into the front door.
Miley, being the exuberant Brittany/Lab mix that she is, would still love nothing more than to jump up and shower everyone with kisses. The difference is that now she has enough self-control to choose a different behavior. She waits patiently on Place while Nelly works, even though she'd much rather be the one getting all the attention.
That may not look like training, but it absolutely is.
It's natural for dogs to want to be the center of attention, so waiting their turn while another dog is working is an exercise in impulse control all by itself.
Our next step is taking all of these skills out into the real world. Dogs don't automatically understand that "Sit," "Heel," or "Place" mean the same thing everywhere, so now it's time to proof their training around new people, new dogs, and new environments until those behaviors become second nature.
Their owners deserve a lot of credit. They're raising two young dogs while managing young children, and they've done an incredible job not only following through with their homework but getting their kids involved in the training as well. Consistency at home is what turns a good training session into lasting results, and it really shows with these two.
I'm excited to see what they accomplish next.
