05/19/2026
I wanted to take some time to share an important milestone for me as a dog handler. The adoption story of our puppy, Sunny.❤️
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On March 26th 2026, my husband drove me and our 20 month old 4hrs round trip to pick up 4 puppies to foster. With the intent to keep one. We got first pick. This was a great birthday present!
The following weeks tried me more than I could've imagined, but I grew rapidly as a dog handler.
These pups were 8 weeks when I met them. I had the privilege to get them off to the right start.
We used a medium sized kennel, one we could lift, for all of our adventures. By the first week, they all knew to go into the kennel so we could on on a walk.
We'd put the kennel in a wagon, and pull it to the other side of the property, away from our ducks, chickens, and goats. We did this 3-5 times a day for their potty/walk breaks. Sometimes it was a quick potty session. Sometimes it was a 15 min play session. They had eachother to bite and chase until it came down to one pup.
The pups had explorations in the woods, in the water hose, over to my mom's with her Lab, to the local parks, to family's houses, bathing times, leash times, new smell sessions, sound exposures, and physical handling. These pups had a new experience EVERY day.
Everyday there was at least 1 new experience for 3 weeks.
The socialization sessions continued until we were down to one pup, Sunny.
Sunny adapted quickly after his siblings left, crying only for the fist night. Where I sang him to sleep.
Not much changed when he was the only one left. I kept to the same routine, same boundaries, same words and markers, but I was able to offer him more.
Since we were now one on one, our relationship exploded.
The first week:
He was sitting on que (each pup learned to sit before their food bowl was placed).
He was walking on a leash (each pup had time to wear a collar).
He was crate trained (they all went into a kennel to go do something fun).
He was good in the car (the pups went out weekly with us).
He was potty trained (we had a strict walk/water/feed/walk/crate structure).
He was following me (we had follow sessions everyday).
The MOST beneficial skill we learned was HOW to communicate together. Keeping my vocabulary simple to "Yes, Good, Hey, and No" has guided him hugely. He's learning other words in our normal life, like "off" (the couch) or "leave it" (chicken p**p).
With so much repetition, consistency, and intention, hes shaping up to be an amazing Dog.
I visted my mom the other day and she and my dad said they didn't even notice him, with how good he was being.
Because I give him quality time, exploration time, and decompressing time, he's able to thrive.
He's calm, but its because I've taught him how to be.
He gets wild, because he's a puppy, but those are my FAVORITE times to work on recall, tug and fetch. Moments where our relationship strengthens. Stay firm on boundaries, and guide him when and how to express the energy.
I almost always have kibble on me. This helps reinforce everything.
He always has a leash on if he's out of his crate or playpen... draging, tethered to me, or tethered to a post. He's always monitored...because he's a puppy. Whatever he learns now, hes going to remember for a long time. I want him to see how we do things, and shape him into that.
He's growing into a mindful and respectful dog.
While hes showing great work, I know I must continue this structure, and reinforce boundaries, and teach him the rules. Because pretty soon, hes going to be a teenager...
Positively setting him up for success now, sets him up for success later.
If I continue doing what I'm doing, hes going to be and EXCELLENT family dog. When I learn more skills as a trainer/handler, he's going to be an excellent family dog AND working dog.
It's up to me how far he can go!
