Lightning Bug Dog Training

08/06/2026

I'm officially in my busy season with training, pet sitting, dog sports, and personal travel, so I've been delayed with getting the final Sage video posted; here it is! Check out the video for some easy trainer tips on working through jumpy/mouthy behavior.

Sadly, due to all of my pet sitting and travel commitments, Sage's time in foster with us came to an end, but hopefully she had a great vacation and is better prepared for her fur-ever family to find her!

07/17/2026

One week with sweet Sage! This girl has been doing remarkably well for an adolescent who's spent good period of her life in shelters. One of her biggest struggles has been reactivity- something I know many of my clients, and even my own dogs, have struggled with. This video showcases some of the sessions we've spent working on her reactivity over the last week!

07/11/2026

We welcomed a new foster home last night, an 8-month-old adolescent named Sage! Sage is struggling with overarousal and reactivity that has been worsened by shelter stress, and undoubtedly the difficulty of being in the adolescent stage of life. I figured Sage would give me a great opportunity to share some of the work I do in real time. I'll share updates about her over the next few weeks while she's with us!

07/02/2026

July 4th is around the corner! Are you and your pups ready? See below for some insight into how we prepare for fireworks, and what we recommend others do.

What we've been doing:

🎆Building positive association with fireworks: Year-round, I occasionally play firework noises for my dogs and pair it with food or play to help desensitize them. Now, with fireworks already going off occasionally, we have been doing the same- but with the real deal!

🎇Medicating in advance: One of my dogs, Twig, is especially nervous this time of year. We've already added CBD calming meds to his daily routine to give time for them to take affect before the holiday. If your pup has meds they take for the 4th, make sure you try them out before the day of to be sure the dose works for them!

🎆Extra play during the week: Since we will be spending most of the 4th indoors, we are making sure they get extra exercise during the week. This helps them settle better in the evening when fireworks are going off, and will make them more content with relaxing on the 4th.

What we will do:

🎇Collars stay on: Often, my dogs don't wear collars around the house. However, a disproportionate number of animals go missing around the 4th when they are startled by fireworks. In case of emergency, my dogs will be wearing their collars with my contact information, in addition to their microchips which are up-to-date! Make sure yours are, too!

🎆No outside time after dark: They will get fed dinner early, and will go out to potty before the sun sets. This way, they should be ready to settle in for the night and won't need to go out when the fireworks are at their worst.

🎇Background noise: I will be playing music, white noise, or television all night. This helps muffle the noise of fireworks.

🎆Enrichment: I've already prepped several types of enrichment for the day. These will be given to my dogs throughout the evening, both to help mentally wear them out and to distract them/build positive associations during the chaos.

Anything special you do that I didn't cover above? Drop your suggestions below! 👇👇

06/18/2026

Hello, all! Things on the business side of my life have slowed down for a bit as I've focused on some personal things, but I've still been working hard behind the scenes! Although I have still been regularly taking pet sitting and training clients, I have not been doing as much on the promotion side of things. I'm happy to share that I finally have a website and am open for new clients, both training and pet sitting alike! Please keep me in mind for your pet care needs!

Lightning Bug dog training Lighting the way forward with Positive Reinforcement dog training and pet care Contact Me My Philosophy Positive ReinforcementOur dog’s time with us is short. Why spend it using forceful or aversive training methods that harm our relationship with them? I utilize modern,...

12/16/2025

Hosting this holiday season? Navigating the busy holidays can be extra stressful when you have a furry friend to look out for. See below for some easy tips to keep your dog safe and happy so everyone can have a joyous holiday!