10/11/2026
"It's hard work but it can be done" Many of you have heard me say this, but it isn't just something I say. It's what we live as a family.
Some of you know Layla. Layla came to us afraid of literally everything. People. Noises. Boxes. Brooms. Brushes. Collars, forget a leash. The vet. Car rides. Any attempt at grooming. Literally everything.
She also came with an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder. We had to heavily sedate her, put her in her crate, put her crate on a wagon, and trolley her in/out of the vet for months. It was a lot of creative thinking and patience.
Layla had good reason to be afraid, but I made a pact with her. She would keep trying to work with me. I would try really hard not to force her, and sometimes I would have to ask a lot of her but only when I had to. She learned to trust and kept trying her best. We gave her as much control over her life that we could, showed her that we were actually listening to her, and she learned to make decisions rather than panic and run/hide.
All that hard work led up to this photo. Due to her recent Addisons relapse, we decided to take her on our quick sneak away to the ocean. When we went on day trips, she was content to watch us from her safe space in the back of the truck until she decided she was ready to get out. We walked her around a bit, and then Layla, who has never so much as thought about playing in the water, walked right off into the ocean. No force. No push. Not even asking. She took a chance and did something she has never done before. We were quite the spectacle with cheering and praise, and that smile says it all.
It is never easy, and yes, it requires more planning and work. She is by no means perfect and will probably never be "normal" or completely without apprehension, but I'm okay with that.
When I say "it can be done", it isn't to sell training. It's for moments like this. Happy training.
