Lakota's Legacy Dog Behavior & Life Skills Training

05/29/2026

If you have an ESA and rent, you need to be aware of this new requirement

HUD (Housing and Urban Development) has issued a new enforcement memorandum aligning fair housing laws with the ADA definition of a service animal. In practical terms, this means untrained Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) will no longer have automatic legal protection under federal fair housing enforcement.

What this likely means for Service Dog Trainers:

📌 Expect requests from people in housing looking to train their ESAs into qualifying service animals

📌 Untrained ESAs of any species no longer qualify for housing protections

📌 There does not appear to be a transition period as far as I can tell — which may pose real hardship for those already with ESAs in no-pets allowed housing

One noteworthy detail — buried in footnote 30 (page 5) of the memo which states that the Fair Housing Act does not limit service animals to dogs only. This part is not new but it's interesting that it's reaffirmed here. The ADA has service animals limited to dogs (and miniature horses in some contexts). Are we going to see people seeking training of animals of other species to get them in housing?

Regardless I'm very concerned this will lead to animals being surrendered to shelters. I'd encourage anyone affected to seek legal advice about their specific situation.

⚠️ Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This is informational only — please consult a legal professional for advice specific to your situation.

See the link on my Trainer Resource Page: https://cooperativepaws.com/service-dog-resource/

05/26/2026

Do you have a dog that seems to always be causing problems in the house?

If you live with more than one dog and one of them seems to be having a tougher time with their behavior than the others, it's important to zoom out and take a broader look at what else might be going on.

Sometimes we put them into stressful situations that we humans are unaware of. This can put a dog on edge and continue to build their stress.

They may be watching activity around them that is causing their excitement levels to spike. Not having an outlet for that spike, or poor coping strategies, can get that dog in trouble with other dogs or humans in the house.

We may want everyone to get along, but if there is a history of biting or fighting, we must be realistic. Teaching the dog alternative coping strategies is great but the relationship that is damaged takes time. We should never force our dogs into scenerios, or situations, that they are uncomfortable in simply because we want them to be together.

Maybe at some point, they were friends. Maybe they never really were and simply tolerated each other.

But, once a relationship is damaged, life may never be the same. It doesn't mean the dogs are doomed, or need to be rehomed, etc.
Healing takes time. Once trust is broken, it is up to the individual to decide on their own.

The best we can do to help them is work towards them living peacefully together without incident. What that looks like might not look like the ideal image in the human's mind, but is better suited & healthier mentally/emotionally, for the dogs involved.

Happy to help you sort it all out.

www.lakotaslegacy.com

05/19/2026

How do birds fly in formation, turning direction in perfect motion? Or Robins flying North to South every year flawlessly? Or wolves and coyotes hunting as a pack, moving in unison, striking as one, without a sound?

Quantum entanglement may be involved. QE is a phenomenon where the state of one particle can be linked to another, even from a distance. This typically refers to subatomic particles. But in Quantum Biology, it comes into play, as QB bridges those subatomic particles (the physics) with the nature, or how animals operate.

We know that wolves are body language experts. They watch everything. Notice every movement, every tail position, every lip movement, eye position. They vocalize very little. They move together in their migrations and hunt together with perfect choreography.

Although some of that behavior is learned, we can’t rule out rhythmic forces underneath; the atoms flying around in chaos finding a perfect synchronicity.

Through domestication, dogs have learned to adapt to us. They sleep at night with us even though it’s not natural for them. They can adjust their speed to stick closer to us out on walks and adjust how close they keep themselves to us. All without words. They are still relatives of wolves even if their genetics have been messed with and their home under the skies has a roof on it now.

They watch. They gain information from what our faces say, the tone of our voice. They can smell the change of hormones when we get stressed. These clues help them understand the world they share with us. It helps them determine how to feel about an event, person, or animal.

When Ana and I get lost in our own little bubble, in play, or when she gets something she’s been learning right, in a moment of excitement, I yell, “Score!”. My face is happy, and my energy is high. She responds by leaping at me and using my chest as a launching pad for her to launch off of, as she spins and wa-woos in her own excitement.

Have you ever been with your dog and then startled? Did you jump? Did your dog jump too? You never said a word. Yet you both reacted at about the same time. It happens with yawns too. I can look at Ana, yawn 🥱 and it won’t be long until she does the same. Which causes me to do it again. Rinse. Repeat.

Dogs are complex and fascinating. So the next time you are with your dog, think about the energy being exchanged between you. One of the things I remind my clients often is to be mindful of their energy. I often see the dog has hyper behavior, but they themselves aren’t slowing down either. But this can be true for any emotion.

What does your dog pick up off of you? Their behavior can be a reflection of our own energy.

Can you see how the energy around your dog can impact their behavior?

If you liked this post, or have thoughts, let me know in the comments below. 👇

05/10/2026

🪻🌷🌻Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful dog mom's out there! 🌞🌸💐

Living with reactive or dog's with behavior problems can be a job all in itself. Sometimes we have to dig down and stay with them, believe in them, continue to support them and find how to help them be the best they can be. Be the best we can be for them. Just like with our own kids.

💚💛🧡 Mention this post and get 10% off any one service as my way of saying thanks for all you do! Link in comments.

05/01/2026

Not sure if you remember Lilly from last year. She was rescued by a wonderful lady from being dumped on the side of the road with her puppies. She has scars on her body, so I’m not sure what happened to her, but there was definitely some trauma involved.

She was a very fearful girl that constantly trembled in fear and wanted to hide herself away in a corner on the couch. She didn’t want to go outside, she was afraid of everything. She didn’t want to be touched. She didn’t even want to be looked at. It was a struggle just to get her outside to go potty. 😔 We made huge progress back then, in tiny little doable steps that didn’t overwhelm her. Day by day, she found more courage inside herself. 💪

I got to go see her this morning. She was so happy to see me that she squealed. 🥳 

Since last year, she has made some dog friends with the neighbors, she is moving around a lot more fluidly. And she happily went outside to explore and sniff ☀️ 🌹 🌳 🐕 🐈‍⬛ for a good 30 minutes before I had to go.

She has really blossomed 🌼 So glad to see how she has improved. Her quality of life is so much better now. ❤️

Trauma can be so life altering. As long as we are all doing our best, that’s all that really matters. Time and time again, dogs surprise me with their courage to trust again. This is something that can’t be forced.

04/25/2026

My sanity in this insane world 🐾 🐾 ❤️ Ana

04/22/2026

I was fortunate enough to be able to be interviewed by recently. They do pieces highlighting local small businesses out there trying to hustle. Here's the print, if you want to have a look. 👀

(Thank you Jaimee for helping me out with those shots!)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gina Early. Gina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?I never set out to become a dog trainer, but life had other plans — and a German Shepherd puppy I found changed my trajectory forever. I named [....

04/12/2026

From heartbreak to joy in just one month!! 😲

This is the face of a second chance. A really important and huge second chance!

Last month, this otherwise sweet 2-two year old boy landed a few serious bites on his family members. It was a very serious situation. He isn't a small dog so the risk increases. It's a horrible situation for a family to be in. The stress and fear were overwhelming. The relationship had broken down, and euthanasia was being seriously considered. His humans were heartbroken 💔 and at the end of their rope. 😢 My job wasn't to judge the decision they had to make but support them whichever way they decided.

They decided to give him one last shot.

With the help of a compassionate veterinarian who started him on medication, and by reaching out to me for behavior support, we created a complete plan focused on understanding this dog instead of just managing him.

No more shock collar.
No more forcing him to “submit.”

Instead, we gave him a voice, let him be a dog again, and taught his family how to truly see and support him. 🫶

And look at him now.

This morning I got to watch him run free through the grass and the trees, 🌿🌳🪵, no muzzle, no leash, tail wagging, big goofy smile on his face — just being a dog in the sunshine 🥰 with his mom by his side.

What a difference a month (and the right kind of help) can make.

Baby steps really do lead to big change. Last month brought stress, tears, and heartbreak. This month? Relief, joy, and real hope for the future 😍

His dedicated humans never gave up, and this boy chose happiness today. This made my heart so happy to see.

I’m so proud of both of them. 🥹

Crossing paws we our on the road to recovery and rehabilitation with this boy.

If your dog is struggling — whether it’s reactivity, aggression, fear, or a relationship that feels broken — please know there is hope. The right support can change everything.

Reach out anytime.
I'm here to help your dog write a better story.

Lakota’s Legacy
www.lakotaslegacy.com

03/14/2026

Very proud to say that I have completed and passed the assessment on the L.E.G.S Applied Ethology Family Mediation & Total Welfare course. 🥳 My 🧠is fried! I absolutely loved this course and learned so much!

It will be a wonderful level to add "Certified Family Dog Mediator" to my client's services, and improving the welfare of the dog. With the rise in behavior cases, especially aggression this past month, our dog's need a Total Welfare approach more than ever!

What's L.E.G.S?
"The L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Course offers a systems-level examination of canine behavior integrating:
• Evolutionary biology
• Ethology
• Genetics, epigenetics, natural and artificial selection
• Domestication theory
• Animal welfare science and consequences of captivity
• Neurobiology of learning
• Environmental affordances
• Social cognition
• Behavioral economics
Participants engage with:
– Tinbergen’s Levels of Analysis
– Coppinger’s behavioral categories
– Deep dive on the Ten Genetic Working Groups
– Welfare-first intervention frameworks and phenotype-curated care
The program culminates in application through:
• Family Dog Mediation
• Total Welfare
• Ethical decision-making
• Professional paradigm shift

03/03/2026

A life with dogs is more than a one-way transaction of you telling them what you want them to do and then them doing it. They are somehow supposed to be inserted into our lives and fit the dream we have a life with them, even if it’s an unrealistic one. And when they don't fit into that dream,...stress, frustration, disappointment, failure,...😫

I hear a lot of my people tell me, “my last dog wasn’t like this”, “my last dog was easy”, “my last dog wasn’t hyper like this”, “my last puppy wasn’t this wild”, “my last dog got along just fine with my other dogs”, “my last dog,…” 👀

What they tell me they want is for the dog to get along with the others, not jump on the counters or people, slow their crazy asses down, stop being so bitey, be able to go for a walk without losing an arm, be able to go out in public, stop barking, or chasing the kid, be able to not be afraid or anxious in certain situations, be okay when the human leaves the house, be able to handle hanging around the cats without a Daytona 500 starting. 🏎

You know...LIFE!

Life with dogs is not easy for humans sometimes, and it sure isn’t easy for dogs! We put them into OUR world, not the other way around. To navigate our world, they need SKILLS.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could teach our dogs how to make better decisions on their own, organically, and be able to know when they need our support to help them through the more challenging times?

That takes functional communication between species. That takes understanding each other, without pain or intimidation, but in kindness, and growing a deeper relationship as a result.

This is where I come in. 🤓To educate, communicate, and skill up both ends of the lead. 🤩 I am here to help them to “life” with each other in a way that is considerate of who the dog is as an individual, leveling out the expectations of the human, and making whatever life looks like to them, work! 💪

You will never have another dog like the one in front of you. They are not meant to all be carbon copies of each other. 🐶🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

And maybe you might feel somewhat disappointed in your dog right now-or yourself 😭, but I have found (more often than not), that the most challenging dogs we find ourselves with are the ones we learn from the most. 🥳

Don’t spend so much time comparing that you miss the opportunities in front of you. What lessons will your dog teach you? 🐾🐾🥰

I hold much gratitude to our amazing dogs for all the lessons they teach us about LIFE! 💜

I can help you get it straightened out. With private in home 🏡 or virtual sessions online 🖥, my reach is far and wide.