Training Thoughts

“The best practices developed back then remain the best practices today: avoid overload, focus on one thing at a time, and block off specific hours in your day for your most mentally demanding efforts.” (Cal Newport Newsletter, March 9, 2026).

Professor Newport’s advice is about how to, “think deeply about meaningful ideas” but it struck me — especially after volunteering at a recent Rally trial (oh my 🤯) — that the same could be said about dog training.

No — the same SHOULD be said about dog training and so let me say it — again.

Capella

Avoid overload.

Focus on one thing at a time.

Starry

The behaviors we want in a performance dog are actually long chains of very small behaviors — I call these small behaviors Least Trainable Units (LTU). Each LTU needs to be trained separately before they are slowly woven together to create something amazing.

For example, this picture shows my puppy being trained to heel.

Capella and Starry

How is a stationary dog sitting in front of me being trained to heel?

Look at her engagement. Note the eye contact. Engagement is a heeling LTU and one that takes a long time to get right — but the results are magical.

A magical moment with my beloved Claire 🩷

As I watch disengaged dogs and disengaged handlers, I am sad for all involved. The dogs who look hopefully at their handlers for connection — and are ignored — and the handlers who beg, plead, yell — and hurt — tuned out dogs.

It doesn’t have to be that way. When it is, 100% blame goes to the handler. That is NOT a bad thing to say or to feel — the ability to shape an outcome is empowering. Blaming the dog ensures nothing changes — and how sad is that?!

Random not-sad first daffodil

Focused work that avoids overload requires that we suspend the desire for instant gratification (and participation ribbons), and train with intelligence, creativity, and a commitment to the slow process that generates meaningful — and desired — results.

This is true in Life, with Dogs — and just in life.

Happy Friday the 13th from a couple of very lucky black cats.

❤️

Our Big Adventure

On Thursday I left my house at 4 a.m. and drove nine hours to Great Falls, Montana. These two came along with me.

I did an invited lecture as part of the Bringing the U to You. Before leaving Great Falls, we visited Wildflower Chase and his family — this is Starry with Chase.

The dogs and I then drove to Missoula where we had a VERY happy reunion with these two (and their parents).

Kids enjoying my hotel’s pool

Starry kissed a fish.

This morning — very early — I took Starry to campus to track. She did 440 yards and four turns (all on non-veg surfaces) — it was so fun to be training a dog there again. Here are some pictures from our walk back to the car through campus.

We met Suzanne and Jay and their dogs for a fun walk on our usual road.

And we all went for ice cream at the Big Dipper 🩷

Capella

And so on — so much fun!!!!

I have some work-related activities tomorrow and then we will head back to Boise very early on Tuesday.

It is so wonderful to be back in Montana ❤️

Countdown

Seventy-five more days until the National Specialty — but who’s counting?

Me. I’m counting.

And so is the Specialty website, just in case you did not know that.

Random Cat Photo

There are so many unknowns when training for a Specialty or other big event. Bad — and good! — things can happen and mess up our plans, even at the very last minute. Like the time Zoey came in season on the way to the Specialty — that was quite disappointing.

And how I wish she were here to mess up the plans for this year. I wish Sparkle were here and Harper and all the girls I have loved and lost — and yours as well (and the boys).

But we can’t bring them back. All we do is listen to their echoes.

My Gone Girls remind me about perspective every day. They help me not care about scores or ribbons but just about being the best and happiest team I can be with this dog in this fleeting moment in time.

What I wouldn’t give to flunk this obedience run with Claire again.

And how incredibly grateful I am that I had that day and so many others with Claire and the rest of her amazing family over the years. My gratitude almost always outweighs my grief — because that is what I choose.

And so this year, I will take two girls to the Specialty and appreciate every single second. Pozy does not enjoy traveling and will stay home with her favorite dog sitter.

The puppy, who gets called Puppy more than her real name, will do the three beauty pageant classes she is eligible to enter and I hope she will get to track as well.

If all goes to plan, Capella will be busy in multiple performance events plus conformation, depending on coat.

All mothers can relate.

I will also be showing dogs for friends and doing the Specialty Newsletter.

And visiting friends ❤️ That is the best part.

Will you be there?