The Lazy Dog Trainer

10/11/2026

It's a (soggy) wrap! I guess I could call it the Soggy Sniff-n-Go. We had a light to heavier steady rain for most of the event. Not too cold and really...not a bad way to get to know your partner in the rain. Trials are held rain or shine, hot, cold and snowy. Sometimes we need a little push to actually practice in inclement weather. Today we had that push.
Thank you to everyone who entered and came with smiles and happy dogs. My volunteers are the bestest!
The added distraction was the poor flock of peahens who were used to roosting in our search areas during the rain. We had a volunteer dedicated to gently keeping the ladies out of our exteriors searches. At the lovely Glenmoore Farm in Hopewell NJ

09/28/2026

Nose work hazards! I set some hides around a firepit and was suddenly swarmed. Then they thought about getting in the van. Then they wanted to come inside the barn (I was smart though and closed the door behind me!!). I am sure I was supposed to provide snacks.

09/27/2026

Since I posted the Pablo retrieve video, I'll share a little bit with Xuxu, while she ended up going to a home where she could do her first love, tracking/trailing, as her day job, I also considered her as a service dog prospect. She always made me laugh as we worked on retrieves. She loved to pick things up (similar to Pablo) and we had strung together the full behavior of going to a different room, picking up a pill container and bringing it to me. Here are a few of the things she enjoyed bringing to me, and a videos of some work retrieving new items. And yes, I do critique my training when looking back on videos (probably why I dont post too many videos LOL!)

09/21/2026

I am hosting an ORT in North Brunswick NJ on November 15
Entries are open!
Entry link here: https://forms.gle/ppk4sMMkJ24ibCQW8

09/14/2026

October Sniff-n-Go. Entry link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1l1qhvWsRwGl-EWQUoomWdtMzKphn2SDS86VePIRT6XBEXg/viewform?usp=header

09/03/2026

I dont post often because I would like to be more polished when I show my work...but I generally train when comfy...so......I'm by definition not polished. But today I am excited. My favorite training is working dogs--I love dogs with a purpose and love training tasks. Little Pablo's job is to make his handler's life easier by picking things up for her. As you can tell....there's a bit of a problem with this task LOL...So, we train to make up for his shortfalls (pun intended).
I have taught the retrieve successfully a few times with Michael Ellis's methodology and love that all the component parts are taught separately and positively. Besides the retrieve pieces, Pablo has had to learn a couple of behaviors to overcome his height--rearing up on his human and jumping up on objects while retrieving. I have been working on the retrieve and rearing up on my leg, I have not asked for a retrieve and 'hup' yet. Hup has been taught as a separate behavior.
This morning I set up for our session and he offered the complete behavior of Get it, Bring, Hold and Hup. I find it so exciting when the dog puts all the pieces together on their own to complete a task.
Yes excuse my frump, yes excuse my house (I have a 15 month old and a 10 week old puppy), but Mr Pablo made me happy enough to share this morning.

08/28/2026

08/09/2026

**Green Boy will be a live find SAR dog. I'm so happy!!!

Green collar boy looking for his working partner. Flint x Kazi (sar dogs) repeat litter.

08/09/2026

I bring my new bundle of fluff home next weekend. Red collar boy will be my next HRD partner. He has 2 brothers who are not spoken for yet.
Green and Gray collar boys are available to working homes.
Von den Komplizen German Shepherds

07/10/2026

Important information for the summer time. I experienced the start of a heat injury with Flint for the first time last summer and am glad I knew what to do.
But I am seeing too many posts with wrong information. As well as ads for cooling mats that actually claim they will keep a dog from dying of heat stroke.
The myth that cooling with ice or very cold water is prevalent and false. The single most important thing to do when you suspect a dog is over heating is to cool them down quickly. And water is the best way to do that. All water, any water, even ice. Cool first, immerse in water, pour water over them, use cold wet towels (refreshing them as much as possible), dunk them in a stream/pond/swimming pool. Cool before transporting. Then get to a vet to make sure they are ok.