Better Together Animal Training LLC

06/28/2026

I often work with dogs who aren’t a great fit for the hustle and bustle of a busy boarding kennel that uses doggy daycare program to exercise and enrich dogs during the day. Not all dogs get along with other dogs! I have referred three clients with such dogs to Alysha at A Dog’s Tale and have been very pleased with how she’s been able to accommodate some of their special needs, including offering happy visits to acclimate them.

We recently had a special visitor: Miss Luna!
Luna stopped by for what we call a Happy Visit, a short, low-stakes introduction to our facility designed to help dogs get comfortable with the sights, sounds, and smells before a longer boarding stay. No pressure, no expectations, just a chance to sniff around and settle in at her own pace.
Dogs who visit before they board tend to arrive more relaxed and adjust more quickly, because the environment already feels familiar. It's a small step that makes a big difference.
Luna was referred to us by Better Together Animal Training LLC - Thank you so much for trusting us with her care!
Interested in scheduling a Happy Visit for your dog before their first stay? Send us a message to get one on the books 🐾

06/14/2026

This beautiful dog is Raya. Raya was adopted from a local shelter, her guardians reached out to work with me on a dog reactivity program. Part of our training included conditioning Raya to wear a basket muzzle, the one pictured is from the company The Muzzle Movement. Raya is comfortable wearing her muzzle in the same way I am comfortable wearing a helmet when I bike or a life jacket when I kayak - the goal of a muzzle is to provide dogs a way to safely participate in activities. We slowly acclimated Raya to wearing it and have paired it with walking and exploring, which she loves. If you saw Raya walking with us today through my eyes, you’d see a dog attentive to her person, calmly dismissing the other dogs she saw. She’s worked hard on expanding her skills, so now her world has opened up and expanded, too.

While Raya’s family is very responsible and follows leash laws, sadly some people allow their dogs to roam off leash and approach others, so Raya wears a muzzle just in case that happens. Sometimes folks with dogs who are muzzled get looks from others or comments, which is why I asked Raya’s family permission to share this photo and story. If you see a dog in a muzzle training in public, give them space and consider how much their people love their dog to work with them responsibly. I think Raya looks stylish! Her harness is made by Spark Paws, and she also has a backup harness to collar safety strap that prevents her leash from failing, the leash and strap can be moved to the front clip positions of the harness and collar to help with dogs who pull.

Look past the muzzle and see Raya’s smile ☀️

06/12/2026

Remember to be kind to yourself on your journey with your animal companion.

📚 If your dog has a behavior problem, what hurts more — the behavior itself, or how you feel about it?

A new study of 565 dog owners managing behavior challenges found that caregiver distress was driven less by the severity of the dog's behavior and more by the owner's guilt about it:

🐾 The numbers were striking: 33% screened positive for probable anxiety and 78% for elevated caregiver burden — well above general-population rates. And 84% felt that owners of dogs with behavior problems are judged harshly by society.
🐾 Guilt — not behavior severity — was the consistent thread, linked to higher anxiety, higher depression, greater burden, and lower life satisfaction. Behavior severity mattered more for decisions about rehoming or euthanasia than for the owner's mental health.
🐾 Owners turned most often to veterinarians, yet rated board-certified veterinary behaviorists, trainers, and medications as more helpful — pointing to a gap in accessible behavioral support.

Dr. Kogan and colleagues argue for viewing dog behavior problems through a One Welfare lens — recognizing that the well-being of dogs and their caregivers is interconnected, and that empathetic, nonjudgmental support for the human is part of caring for the animal.

Read the open-access study 🔗 https://doi.org/10.3390/pets3020022

Kogan, L., Currin-McCulloch, J., & Bogie, V. (2026). Beyond the behavior: Caregiver guilt, burden, and well-being among owners of dogs with behavior problems. Pets, 3(2), 22.

03/10/2026

Check out this awesome photo of Rocky recalling away from deer, shared with permission from his guardians Joe and Sarah. Receiving a photo like this from clients who feel proud of their dog’s accomplishment makes my whole day. Rocky has done several training sessions with me to work on this skill, starting with teaching the components of a recall and a long line for safety, adding in distance, and adding in distractions. While I helped, the real work that resulted in a moment like this was done by Rocky’s guardians, who have diligently invested time and effort to consciously reinforce the behaviors they want for several months while adding the routine and structure of positive reinforcement training into their everyday routine. Because of these efforts, gradually over time Rocky earned the responsibility to be off leash in familiar safe locations which is a quality of life boost for him and his people who enjoy exploring the outdoors with him. They shared they keep a gps tracker on him just in case - smart! Great work, Team Rocky!

02/12/2026

Congratulations to students graduating from Cooperative Care Part One! This is a four week class that explores training strategies to make care tasks less stressful for both humans and dogs. This class curriculum is student driven, students in this class worked on tasks like nail trims with clippers or dremel, cooperative nail filing, acclimating to a grooming table and grooming tools, body exams, introduction to boots, and more!

01/27/2026

My 16 year old dog Mordie has been having some mobility challenges. I’ve been doing all the typical things like using a pain management protocol prescribed by his vet, providing many grippy rug surfaces on the hardwood floors and he has a wide, grippy, low grade ramp to get up on the couch. He was still having slips and falls on our floors. We just tried our first set of Dr. Buzby’s toe grips and I am so impressed with the results. These fit right over his nails and provide extra traction for him to reduce slips and falls. They can be reused up to three months but need to be removed and reapplied during nail trims during that time period. They are applied with rubbing alcohol and are not glued on but they stay in place very nicely if you size them correctly. I have worked diligently with Mordie throughout his life to acclimate him to nail care; using positive reinforcement training (and having my husband feed the treats) certainly made it easier to apply these. Wanted to share in case this may help any of you with dogs that have mobility challenges.

01/20/2026

Is your dog on a bathroom boycott in this weather? We don't blame them! 🥶 Here are a few tips to help manage this week's cold snap!

❄️ Create a winter-friendly potty area | Lay down some straw (not hay), shovel a small patch of grass, or otherwise designate a spot close to the door to reduce exposure to ice, snow, and wind.
❄️ Prime them prior | Right before going outside, give them a good play session indoors to help stimulate their digestive system and get things moving so they can get down to business quickly once they reach the yard.
❄️ Bundle them up | A well-fitted coat can make a big difference, especially for small, short-haired, senior, or thin dogs. For paws, try booties or look into pet-safe salves and homemade recipes for protective balms.
❄️ Keep potty trips short and purposeful | Take them out on leash to their usual potty spot, use a consistent cue, and reward immediately so they can head back inside quickly.
❄️ Use positive reinforcement, not punishment | Do not punish your pet for an accident, especially in these conditions. Praise and treats for outdoor success help reinforce the habit, and a little grace during these unique circumstances is important.
❄️ Consider temporary indoor options | Puppy pads, turf trays, or a litter-style setup can be a helpful short-term solution during extreme cold, especially for older dogs or those with medical needs.

01/11/2026

Early socialization to grooming and care tasks is important! Today I am starting a new group of students in my Cooperative Care Class. This class is designed to help students and their dogs prevent and overcome fear about daily care tasks like trimming nails, cleaning ears, body handling during vet visits, wearing a cone, standing on a grooming table… An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it goes to preventing phobias related to husbandry and care tasks, I love seeing proactive breeders investing in their puppies futures by acclimating them to the sights, sounds, and sensations of care early to make it a positive experience.