Magnolia Animal Training

08/18/2026

Do you have big travel plans for this fall and winter?
- Awesome!

Have you found someone to watch your pets and home while you're gone?
- Not yet?
- Check out my Rover profile!
https://www.rover.com/sit/lauras96571

I am currently booked for Labor Day weekend, Sept 17-27 and gone from Oct 7-12. The only other travel I have is on Nov 18-19.

Please send me a request if you haven't found anyone yet.

08/03/2026

Dog behavior problem? Start here.

This flow chart offers a simple way to think through many of the most common behavior problems:

1. Does your dog bite?
If so, get help as soon as possible from a skilled trainer who can work with you in person.

2. Don’t waste food.
Food is incredibly useful for training. Use your dog’s meals to reward the behaviors you want instead of simply putting all their food in a bowl.

3. Is fear or anxiety driving the problem?
Use food, praise, and play to help your dog feel safer, more comfortable, and more confident.

4. Does the problem happen when your dog is unsupervised?
Teach your dog to enjoy relaxing in a crate and working on food-stuffed chew toys so they have a safe, appropriate activity.

5. Use lure-reward training to teach useful alternatives.
Put behaviors like Sit, Come, Watch, Settle, Walk, Play, and Shush/Woof on cue.

6. Practice in progressively more challenging situations.
Start somewhere easy, then gradually add distance, distractions, and difficulty while continuing to reward your dog generously.

Which behavior problem would you most like us to make a detailed flowchart for next: barking, chewing, fearfulness, home-alone problems, jumping up, or something else?

For a limited time, you can save 75% on Dr. Ian Dunbar’s complete seminar, Simple Solutions for Common Dog Behavior Problems.

Get lifetime access for just $25—normally $100:

https://dunbar.info/solutions-75

07/16/2026

Hello everyone,

Yesterday brought about some wonderful news. I can now take on a much larger clientele base than I had originally planned on taking. I am still determining full scope though.

However, the one thing I'll guarantee is that I'll take what others are denying.

If you cannot board your animals at a traditional boarding facility of any kind, I am here for you. If trainers are turning you away, I am here for you.

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I cannot be more clear about that. My business is built around me only taking on what others can't. I have always worked with the "most" dangerous animals. The ones who businesses look at and go "we won't help you" so the client finds me.

This aspect of my business comes from the fact that I want to work with other companies such as shelters, corporations (Petsmart, Petco), and small businesses -- but not just for training. I would simply be there to help improve the quality of their services and make a huge impact on the welfare of thousands of animals. Teaching the next generation has become a passion of mine.
This applies to groomers, vets, and trainers alike.

Over the next decade,

I hope to find organizations that want to offer basic training and help them be a leader in their industry. Or at least be comparable. With the assumption they'll refer out to the +R community (not me specifically) for anything that is past their qualifications.

I hope to find shelters that want help getting their hard-to-adopt dogs to a decent quality of life while in their care. With the assumption they will euthanize for valid behavioral and medical reasons while utilizing a foster network and behavior meds to exhaust all options. (I know this framework exists.)

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In 2027, I hope to start offering risk mitigation services to groomers, trainers, and vets. I hope to offer similar ones to shelters who are struggling with "behavior dogs."

This is designed especially for those who need help managing aggression, fear, and reactivity. I have specialized in these 3 for over a decade now. All species are welcome.

Please contact me privately if you are interested. I am not committed to the Omaha area.

(Images are animals I have cared for and done rehab with -- Exception being the wild garter snake. Just needed proof I am not afraid of your snake!)

07/09/2026

07/04/2026

Society has normalized walking your dog every day. And if you don't, you're a bad pet parent.

But even though some dogs thrive on daily walks, that may not be the case for others.

Some become more stressed or reactive.

Some dogs need a different type of movement, a different environment, or a different approach altogether.

If you've noticed that walks aren't helping your dog right now, you have permission to pause them.

If your dog doesn't get a walk every single day, you don't need to feel guilty.

We should not be making walks happen at all costs. We should be finding forms of exercise that actually support your dog's physical, behavioral, and emotional well-being.

Because good pet parents don't just check boxes. They meet the needs of the individual that's in front of them.

For more ideas on meeting needs that doesn't involve walks, check out some of our blogs:

Enrichment Strategies for Busy Times:
https://petharmonytraining.com/set-it-and-forget-it-enrichment-strategies-for-busy-times/

The Ultimate Dog Foraging Roundup:
https://petharmonytraining.com/the-ultimate-dog-foraging-roundup-activities-reasons-and-inspiration/

Too Hot to Handle? Enrichment Ideas for Scorching Summer Days:
https://petharmonytraining.com/too-hot-to-handle-enrichment-ideas-for-scorching-summer-days/

How We Use Recycled Enrichment to Support Natural Pet Behaviors:
https://petharmonytraining.com/trash-to-treasure-how-we-use-recycled-enrichment-to-support-natural-pet-behaviors/

06/24/2026

Walk into any reactive dog class and you'll hear it: "Look at me!" "Watch me!" "Focus!"

Handlers calling, cueing, prompting their dogs to make eye contact. And often, the dogs comply. They look. Good dog. Treat. Move on.

But something's missing. Something fundamental that makes all the difference between managing a reactive dog and partnering with one.

The difference is who initiates the connection.

Traditional "look at me" training follows a simple pattern:

Handler sees trigger → Handler cues "look at me" → Dog looks → Handler rewards → Repeat as needed.

The handler is the one monitoring the environment, assessing the situation, and directing the dog's attention. The dog's job is to respond to cues.

This works, to a point. A well-trained "look at me" can interrupt a fixation, redirect attention, and help manage situations that might otherwise escalate.

But it has a fatal flaw: It leaves the dog entirely dependent on the handler's management.

The dog never learns to monitor themselves. They never learn to assess their own arousal. They never learn to seek guidance before reacting.

They just wait for instructions. And hope those instructions come in time.

The Auto Check-in flips this entirely . . . read more at the blog:
🔗 https://suzanneclothier.com/auto-check-in-versus-look-at-me-partnership/

06/18/2026

06/16/2026

Visit mindyourmannerspettraining.com or call 402.630.8333 today book a session to help your pets survive this scary time of yar!

06/16/2026

06/16/2026

The language we use to describe dog training is changing to reflect our changing relationship with dogs.