Camp Rockford

07/21/2026

Dog body language is very important to us! This is a great video showing tense engagement that would cause me to separate these two.

06/15/2026

Another informational banger from our friends at Copilot Dog Training!

When we learn dogs aren’t doing well in our group setting and we end our working relationship, we aren’t saying that dog is bad.

We are trying to support their singular needs of which we cannot meet in our always at least 2 resident dogs home.

Not every dogs want to be friends with all dogs, even if they may cohabitate/tolerate our group setting.

Our job is to care for your pets, and sometimes caring means having to share hard “finds” and helping you meet their needs in other ways.

As humans, we often place a lot of value on sociability. We celebrate the dog who loves every dog at daycare, wants to greet everyone on walks, and happily joins every playgroup.

And honestly, it makes sense. A dog who’s comfortable around everyone can make life feel a little easier—especially in busy cities where dogs regularly share sidewalks, elevators, patios, and other tight spaces.

But that’s a very human perspective.

The reality is that dogs exist on a sociability spectrum, and most fall somewhere in the middle. Many dogs are tolerant of other dogs without actively seeking interaction. Others are selective and prefer a small circle of familiar friends.

And that’s okay!

A dog doesn’t need to love every dog they meet to be happy, successful, or well-adjusted.

Just as importantly, sociability isn’t fixed. A dog’s comfort level around other dogs can shift throughout their life due to age, maturity, health, learning history, and experiences.

Rather than asking, “How can I make my dog more social?” a better question is often:

“How can I help my dog feel comfortable, safe, and successful around other dogs?”

For some dogs, that may mean playdates and group adventures. For others, it may mean calmly sharing space, going for parallel walks, or simply ignoring other dogs altogether.

The goal isn’t to create a social butterfly—it’s to understand the dog in front of you 🧡

05/06/2026

We call this “smellos.”
🤣

04/26/2026

After two "failed" meet and greets over this weekend, we wanted to share our stance on urination inside our home and why we have strict boundaries on the topic.

When we say a dog is not a fit after urinating or marking inside our home, we are not saying they are a bad dog. Many wonderful dogs struggle in new environments, become overstimulated, or mark indoors for a variety of reasons. We believe you when you say they have never done it before, we just no longer make exceptions.

At the end of the day, this is also our home. Our own resident dogs have never used the inside of our home as a bathroom, even after times that client dogs have had accidents or new behavior issues and used our home as a potty. That is the standard of house training we expect and maintain.

Because of that, dogs who urinate or mark inside during a meet-and-greet are not a fit for our services, and we will end the appointment early, as mentioned in the meet-and-greet details.

This policy applies equally to new and longtime clients. We know it can be disappointing, but it is simply a boundary we maintain for our household and business—not a judgment of any dog. They're all good dogs.

04/22/2026

Can't share this enough!! IMO: these are "tells" for everything that stresses your dog out.
We may be "crazy" about our guidelines here, but it's because we are watching your dog's stress signs!
Thank you Copilot Dog Training for making wonderful shareable information!

04/01/2026

Smart info!!

04/01/2026

March fun!

02/27/2026

Exciting Camp Rockford Announcement!!

Copilot Dog Training is coming to Camp Rockford for a day to teach us more ways to enrich your beloved beasties during their stays with us!!
Can’t wait for Susy’s amazing guidance. Major fan girl over here!!!