King's Creatures Animal Training

06/14/2026

Today was an absolutely wonderful day! 💙

Thank you to the many wonderful people and dogs who came out to the King's Creatures Goodbye Party today. Seeing so many familiar faces, hearing your stories, and getting to spend one more afternoon with this incredible community meant more to me than I can put into words.

Who would have thought that the rain would stay away the entire time?! But also... apologies if I cried on your shoulder during a goodbye hug. 😭

Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with so many amazing pets, but what I'll miss just as much are their humans. Your kindness, dedication, compassion, and willingness to invest in your pets have made King's Creatures what it is. There are so many very sweet dogs and cats, paired with equally wonderful people, that I will miss dearly.

One of the things that brings me so much comfort is knowing that many of you are part of the KCAT Club, so this isn't really goodbye. We still get to keep training, celebrating , and cheering each other on from afar!

Also, in true Laura fashion, I took approximately zero pictures today. 🤦‍♀️ But I did get some pics of these ADORABLE cookies from Megan’s cookie co yesterday!

A huge thank you to Scout's mom for grabbing these photos with Scout so I have something to remember this special day by!

Love you all. Thank you for being part of this crazy, wonderful adventure. 💙🐾

Love, purrs, and wiggle butts,

Laura

06/12/2026

📱 New Indiana business number!

Please update your contacts with my new business number:

📞 317.779.2949

You can text that number anytime! I’ll do my best to respond within the next business day or so.

If you ever don't hear back from me, please send another message. I probably got distracted by a dog, a cat, Gale, or something shiny😅

My old number (319.249.0023) is no longer active, so please use the new number going forward.

Can you please comment "Got it!" or share a funny meme of GIF below so I can make sure everyone sees this update?

Thanks, friends! 💙🐾

06/12/2026

Hi everyone! The King's Creatures Goodbye Party Open House is 2-5pm tomorrow, rain or shine!

If you're looking for some training supplies, I've got deals for you! Check out the pet supply yard sale, chill by the fire (or inside/in the garage if it rains), and just have fun with this awesome little KCAT community!

Bring your own:
Drinks, although we'll have some!
Lawn Chair
(optional, but encouraged!) Pet trained by Laura

Here's a sneak peek at the yard sale goodies. If you see something you like, feel free to shoot me a message/text to claim it!

06/11/2026

Show us the last photo you took of your pet!

06/11/2026

Have you and your pet worked with me in any way: Day Camp, the KCAT Club, a consult, or even used my free online resources? I’d love your feedback!

I’m updating my website and marketing materials for the move to Indiana and would love to include a few stories from people who’ve experienced what it’s like to train with me whether you went all in with Day Camp or grabbed a freebie and made progress on your own.

If you’ve learned something, felt supported, or seen even a small shift with your pet, I’d love to hear about it!

Fill out the quick form here: https://forms.gle/qbFPbaVSp7EaFmNy5

Your words help others find the right support and remind me why I do what I do.

Love, purrs, and wiggle butts,
Laura

06/09/2026

Today we said goodbye to Zuko.

Ten years ago, I saw a video of a little stray dog at Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control. He was scheduled for euthanasia. He jumped right into a shelter caretaker's arms, and I just knew he'd be the perfect little trick dog like the performing animals I had worked with. And just like that, my lifelong dream of having my own dog had finally come true.

Zuko was not an easy dog. He challenged me, humbled me, and taught me patience, management, consistency, and compassion in ways no calm, loving therapy dog ever could.

He was also an incredible adventure buddy. He loved road trips, kayaking, hiking, and training. He was goofy, brilliant, affectionate, and one of the best at drawing play out of fearful dogs. He helped countless foster dogs, client dogs, and puppies learn how to dog.

Many of the lessons I teach today exist because of Zuko.

As trainers, we often celebrate the easy successes. But some of our greatest teachers are the animals that force us to slow down, think differently, and grow alongside them.

Zuko helped shaped me into the trainer I am today.

Thank you, buddy.

For the adventures.
For the lessons.
For the snuggles.
For ten unforgettable years.

06/04/2026

Congratulations to Woody and Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell! Woody is the newest Canine Good Citizen in Cedar Rapids!

With all the hard work they've put in, he's sure to be a great canine ambassador for our amazing city 😍

Help us celebrate this very good boy in the comments!

We’ve always known Woody was a good boy.

Now it’s official.

Woody earned his Canine Good Citizen certification today, proving that he can mind his manners, follow commands, and be a model member of society. (Frankly, I’m wondering where I can sign up for the human version. 😂)

Congratulations to our favorite four-legged overachiever. He accepted this honor with the humility you’d expect… and immediately requested payment in a pup cup of ice cream.

Thank you to trainer extraordinaire, Laura, at !

Who’s a good boy?

Turns out, he has the credentials to prove it. 🐾❤️

05/30/2026

We had a great time at the Pet Social at The Pedaler's Fork! In true Laura fashion, I remembered to take one whole photo 🤦🏼‍♀️

Gale said hi to Joy the Comfort Dog 🥹

What's your favorite pet-friendly patio?

05/27/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions about therapy animal work is the idea that a pet who LOVES people is automatically ready to become a therapy animal.

That’s actually just one tiny piece of the picture.

A pet who frantically pulls toward every person they see may be social, but that actually means they are not emotionally prepared for therapy animal work.

Because therapy animals also need to be able to:
recover from startling sounds
walk calmly past distractions
settle quietly for long periods of time
handle awkward interactions
ignore food on the floor
work as part of a team with their handler
and stay emotionally steady in unpredictable environments

A lot of therapy animal work is honestly pretty boring.

And that’s a GOOD thing.

The strongest, most successful therapy animals are often the ones who can simply exist calmly while life happens around them.

That kind of steadiness usually doesn’t just magically appear.

It’s practiced slowly through routines, real world experience, clear communication, and lots of repetition.

That’s why we spend so much time focusing on foundations before jumping ahead to certification goals.

Calm is trained.

If you’d like help getting started, you can grab my free Therapy Animal Training Guide at kingscreatures.com/therapy-animal-training-guide. It walks you through the foundations I recommend before most teams ever start thinking about certification.