Better Together Animal Training LLC

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.

01/05/2026

This month marks the 5th anniversary of Better Together Animal Training LLC as well as making the difficult choice to leave my career in sheltering. Every January I find myself feeling very sentimental thinking about the thousands of animals (a few are pictured) that I had the privilege of working with over my 10 year career and the ways that work shaped my core values:

1. Each animal is a unique individual with intrinsic value - they are each a “study of one” and there will only ever be one animal exactly like them. 2. The bond between people and animals is very special, and there isn’t a single “right” way to live with an animal. Life isn’t perfect but we can aim towards each animals “highest good” each day in the choices we make as their caregivers 3. Training involves building a repertoire of skills for a learner to use to access reinforcement in their day to day life. Training can be both gentle AND effective. Both humans and animals deserve to learn without pain and intimidation. 4. Ethical training involves being honest with animal caregivers about when management options are safer and kinder than training! Some complex issues cannot be “fixed” but we can instead work to “manage and improve” with a combination of safety strategies, environmental management, and training. 5. Rehoming is not automatically the worst thing that can happen in the life of an animal. Many of my clients and I would not have our beloved animals today if another person wouldn’t have made the decision to love them enough to let them go to home better set up for their success. I will never shame a person faced with that difficult choice.

What values have animals taught you?

12/28/2025

11/20/2025

ADOPTABLE CAT ALERT - Captain is a wonderful, playful, friendly 1 year old neutered male cat looking for a new home. Sometimes rehoming a cat is the kindest option when there are significant compatibility issues with another resident animal, which is the situation Captain is currently in. Captain wants to PLAY PLAY PLAY and that significantly stresses out his female feline housemate. Captain loves churu treats, cat dancer toys, exploring, and hanging out with his people. He would likely do well with other young male cats who would like a run and chase buddy or a wrestle partner and can match his playful energy. The link to his rehoming bio is posted in the comments, you can reach out to his guardian directly if you are interested in him.

10/21/2025

Are you going to be dressing your dog up for Halloween? Chopper’s guardian Jean sent me this photo of Chopper dressed up as a Trucker. :) Jean reinforced him for his voluntary participation in this photo shoot. I always recommend going slow, acclimating dogs to each piece of their costume at their pace and pairing the costume with tasty treats. This is not Chopper’s first time letting Jean play dress up with him, and they have built up a lot of trust with each other. Good boy, Chopper! Are you dressing your animals up for Halloween this year? Feel free to share photos, I would love to see them!

10/18/2025

One of the largest puppy-selling websites claims to work only with "responsible, ethical breeders," using phrases like "star breeder" and "small operation" to describe where their pups come from. Here’s the truth❗

Take Royal (pictured), for example. He's advertised as coming from a "star breeder" running a "small operation" with her mother. The truth? Royal comes from a large commercial breeding facility in Oklahoma with over 180 dogs. Just weeks after Royal and his littermates were born and listed for thousands of dollars each, their mother was put up for sale at a Missouri dog auction where breeding dogs are bought and sold.

These websites are doing what pet stores do: marketing cruel, commercially bred puppies as top-quality dogs from the country's top breeders. But just like at a pet store, buyers can't see where the puppy came from, how many dogs lived there or what living conditions were like. Many don't even know the breeder's identity—let alone get to ask questions directly. The puppies sold on sites like these come from the same places pet store puppies do: large commercial breeding facilities (aka puppy mills) where hundreds of dogs live in cages, churning out puppies for profit.

Don't let them fool you.

If you are looking for a dog, consider adopting from your local shelter. If you're buying a puppy, work with a breeder who invites you to visit, see where the puppy was raised and meet the mom. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WL41el

09/21/2025

My favorite part of working with clients and their dogs is helping connect dogs with real life reinforcement out in the world that they couldn’t access before training. When a dog’s comfort, confidence and skills grow, their world can grow with them.