Mindful K9 Training

10/14/2026

We got our photos back from the Crossroads Nosework Trial with Every Dog Nosework and had to share a few of my favorites! 🐾❤️

Such a fun day doing what we love together!

A huge thank you to Genevieve Dever for capturing these wonderful moments of Annie in action! 📸💕

10/12/2026

Happy 6th Birthday to my sweet Annie girl! ❤️🐾

This girl has been my rock through some of life’s toughest moments. She’s been by my side through the ups and downs, bringing me comfort, laughter, and a love that’s hard to put into words.

She’s my ride or die, my Nosework partner, my adventure buddy, and my best friend. ❤️

What makes her even more special is that she’s the reason I found my passion for canine behavior and the path I’m on today. She’s challenged me, taught me to see the world through her eyes, and made me a better person along the way.

I wouldn’t change a thing about her. She’s my girl, and I’m so grateful we get to navigate this life together.

Here’s to more adventures, more Nosework, and many more birthdays together. Love my Annie girl! ❤️🐾

10/11/2026

What an incredible experience at the CANIS Conference! 🐾💙

So much learning, collaboration, and inspiration packed into just a few days! I had the opportunity to learn from some amazing speakers, exchange ideas with others who share a passion for understanding dogs, and make some wonderful new friendships along the way.

One of the highlights was also getting to spend some much-needed time with friends and colleagues from my own area who, despite living so close, we don’t get to see nearly enough!

Now comes the fun part… taking some time to soak it all in, revisit the presentations, go through my notes, and let all those ideas and conversations continue to develop.

I’m coming home with fresh perspectives, new ideas, deeper insight, and even more excitement for the work I do with dogs and their people.

There is always more to learn, and that’s one of the things I love most about this field. The learning never stops, and neither does the opportunity to grow! 🐾

10/04/2026

The dog enrichment area is finished… well, at least for this season! 🐾🌲

I’ve been inspired by The Learning Dog Behavior and Enrichment Services (Delores Carter) and the work she is doing to help others think differently about how we can enrich our environments for both dogs and the people who share their lives with them. It inspired me to look at my own space and create an area where Annie and Ace can explore, sniff, dig, climb, observe, rest, and simply be dogs.

We incorporated a dry creek bed, dead hedge, sand digging pit, dirt mound for climbing, straw bales and pumpkins for seasonal exploring, along with our big blue spruce that provides a beautiful shady spot to hang out.

What I love most is that there isn’t one “right” way for the dogs to use this space. They can move through it at their own pace and choose what feels good to them — whether that’s climbing, digging, sniffing, investigating, or simply relaxing in the shade.

🌱 And we’re not quite done! In the spring, we’ll be adding clover and a variety of dog-safe plants to create even more opportunities for sensory enrichment, sniffing, exploring, and natural behaviors.

Enrichment doesn’t always have to mean doing more. Sometimes it’s about thoughtfully shaping the environment so our dogs have more opportunities for choice, natural behavior, movement, exploration, and rest.

Now I get to watch Annie and Ace show me which parts are actually their favorites. 🐶❤️

10/01/2026

🍂 Happy October! 🍂

The seasons are changing — and you may notice your dog changing a little too.

Lately, I’ve been seeing (and hearing from clients about!) dogs with more energy, more excitement outside, and a little more intensity around all the interesting things happening in their environment.

Cooler temperatures can mean dogs feel more comfortable being active, while fall brings an entirely new sensory world: crunchy leaves, wildlife moving around, new smells, windy days, earlier darkness, and changes in our own daily routines.

You might notice:
🐾 More energy or zoomies
🐾 Increased sniffing and exploring
🐾 More interest in squirrels, deer and other wildlife
🐾 Increased alertness or barking
🐾 Changes in sleep or evening behavior
🐾 A dog who suddenly seems a little more “busy” outside

It doesn’t necessarily mean your training has gone backwards. Sometimes their environment has simply changed, and their behavior changes along with it.

Give them time to sniff. Let them explore. Add some enrichment. Watch their arousal levels. And remember that a slower, sniffier walk can sometimes be exactly what they need.

Dogs experience the changing seasons too. 🍁🐕

Happy October from Mindful K9 Training!
Here’s to cooler days, crunchy leaves, muddy paws, and plenty of good sniffing. 🧡

09/23/2026

Can your dog watch something exciting…and still think clearly? 👀🐾

Another dog. A squirrel. Kids playing. Someone walking by. A whole flock of very loud geese. 😁

Your dog doesn’t need to ignore everything around them. Noticing and watching the world is completely normal.

What matters is what happens while they’re watching.

Can they look and then look away?
Can they sniff the ground?
Can they check back in with you?
Can their body soften?
Can they continue on without becoming more and more worked up?

If those things become difficult, one of the simplest, and most powerful, things we can change is distance.

We sometimes think progress means getting our dogs closer to the exciting or difficult thing. But distance isn’t failure. Distance gives your dog room to think.

At the right distance, your dog can notice what’s happening without becoming overwhelmed. That’s where they can practice observing, processing, disengaging, and moving on.

Over time, that distance may get smaller.

But closer isn’t always the goal.

Helping your dog stay able to think, make choices, and recover is. 💜

🐾 Learn more or schedule a free phone consultation at https://www.mindfulk9.com

09/20/2026

This will be so fun! Stay tuned….

🍻🐾 SAVE THE DATE! 🐾🍻

Grab your crew and join us October 18th for a seriously fun day supporting The Un-Shelter!

Think cold brews, good people, and VERY good dogs—all coming together to raise funds for our shelter partners.

🍺 Brews & good vibes
🐶 Some adoptable doggos
💚 100% good cause energy
More details coming soon...

Come thirsty. Come lucky. Come ready to raise a little dough for some very good dogs. We'd love to see you there. 🐾🍻

09/19/2026

This is my SPICY girl Annie. 💜🐾

Three years ago, I could have never imagined that Annie and I would be at a Nosework trial, surrounded by dogs, people, activity, and rain, with her able to stay calm, focused, and connected with me.

Today, she found 3 out of 4 hides. And that fourth one? That was on me. 😬

Was I bummed that I messed it up? Of course.
Did Annie care? Not one bit.

She still got the celebration. She still got the cheese. And as far as she knows, she absolutely nailed it, because in my eyes, she did.

I would have celebrated this girl just as hard if she had found zero hides.

Because today wasn’t really about the hides.

It was about looking at the dog beside me and realizing just how far we’ve come. It was about her resilience. Her confidence. The trust we’ve built. The relationship we’ve worked so hard for. And being able to share an experience like this with a dog who, three years ago, would have found this environment incredibly difficult.

There is something truly magical about Nosework. It gives dogs the opportunity to use one of their most incredible natural abilities while we learn to step back, trust them, and follow their lead. And one of the things I love most about it is that Nosework really can be for every dog, the confident dogs, the shy dogs, the spicy dogs, the young dogs, the seniors, and the dogs who may not be comfortable doing other dog sports. They don’t have to be anything other than exactly who they are. 💜

I am just so incredibly proud of her.

And a huge thank you to Everydog Nosework for such an amazing event this weekend. The volunteers, judges, and everyone who puts their time and energy into making these trials happen were wonderful.

We got soaked. 🌧️
Annie was happy.
I was happy.

And now my spicy girl is taking a very well-deserved nap. 🐾💜

Today was a really good reminder: progress isn’t always about the result. Sometimes the biggest win is looking at the dog beside you and realizing how much has changed.

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day! 🐾❤️

I’m pretty sure these two must have been telling each other some really good jokes. 😂 Looking back at these pictures of my two rescue pups who are no longer with us, I can’t help but smile. Whatever was going on, they sure looked like they were enjoying life together. (Top Picture)

And now I get to watch my current two create their own stories, adventures, chaos, and plenty of laughs. (Bottom Picture)

Happy National Dog Day to the dogs who make us laugh, teach us, challenge us, and leave our lives better because they were part of them. 🐾