assistancedogmischa

[assistancedogmischa]

service dog discrimination and ableism against service dog handlers isn't just petting a service dog without asking.

it's talking to the dog while they're on duty. no amount of "oh i know I can't pet you but you're so cute!" when you do so at a restaurant while she's laying at my feet makes it okay.

it's pointing the dog out to your kids and encouraging them to get excited and yell when we come close, when all I'm trying to do is grab a package of hot dogs for dinner. or allowing them to follow us around until you trigger a meltdown, and then realize you've fucked up.

it's coming up to ask me questions when she's actively performing task work, and when I inform you she's tasking you proceed to ask questions about her tasks and what she does.

it's being incessant about asking about what my dog is trained to do and what MY issues are, because you can't manage your own curiosity and emotions.

it's recording us and photographing us without my consent. there are at least four recordings of my dog and i in the world somewhere, and i believe photos of us while she's actively been tasking.

it's denying us access to locations on rules that don't exist.

it's refusing to educate yourself on federal ADA and state laws, refusing to listen when i inform you on those laws, and spreading misinformation instead of listening to handlers.

it's hiding us away out of sight so we don't "bother others" when we go out into public under the guise of making the dog comfortable, or "giving us space" when there were plenty of other options that weren't isolated and alone.

its following us through stores and public locations to gawk at my dog.

it's being denied 10+ jobs that otherwise you were loved for because you told them at the end of the phone interview "just so you're aware, I also have a service animal and will be needing accommodations" and suddenly they no longer want you, despite being okay with the wheelchair and crutches. because everyone loves the dog until they have to put in the effort for the handler.

it's speaking to the dog instead of the handler, or ignoring the handler's needs.

it's becoming a public spectacle every time you leave your home, because everyone wants to ask questions, talk to you, and fawn over your dog.

it's being the last thought for an event, or not even a thought at all, with people who know you will always have a service dog accompanying you and require accommodation in all circumstances, whether that be just the dog or dog and wheelchair. its knowing you were not included in the planning, or were expected to leave her behind and put yourself at risk.

its being asked or told to leave your dog at home, because "why do you need them? can't you just go without them?"

its becoming angry when you're asked to leave us alone, and causing the fear of aggression or retaliation for speaking up for yourself.

its people taking your aid less seriously because its a dog, and they only see a cute companion, and it can't possibly be as important as the other aids you rely on, despite her being the thing that has saved your life more than once.

its taking your pets into places they should not be because "you want them there" or "whats the worst that could happen"

its so many little things in my life that add up that most people don't even realize they do, or don't think about, but i think about them and it hurts and it sucks. it is so simple to treat service dogs and service dog handlers with respect. it is so simple to treat disabled people with respect. i want to be left alone and i want people to give my service animal the actual respect she deserves for the work she does, and i want to be included. im so tired.

[assistancedogmischa]

anyone have any tips on cooperative care + feeding dogs yucky pills without using food?

usually i'd just stick the pill in a treat and hope he doesn't notice, or crush it up and mix in with wet food, but with mischa's anallergenic diet that's not an option anymore. i hate forcing him to take pills but i don't know how else to get him to eat it (and it doesn't come in dissolveable form).

[assistancedogmischa]

We tried the lowest dose of clonidine at the vets today, and it was amazing. Mischa was still tense and obviously nervous, but he wasn't shaking or trying to hide under chairs, and at the end he was actually comfortable enough to take treats from the vet!! It was such a massive improvement, and so, so much better than the trazadone.

We also started the initial dose of fluoxetine today. The vet recommended it as she sees more improvement on fluoxetine than sertraline, which our trainer suggested, and she (the vet) usually recommends sertraline for reactivity instead of hypervigilance.

You might be reading this (... If anyone is lol) and wondering why I'm working an anxious dog who needs clonidine and anxiety medication as an assistance dog. If Mischa was terrified everywhere like he is at the vets, of course I wouldn't even consider him training to be an AD. In everyday context, he's not anxious per se, more hypervigilant. Part of this is his breed mix - a livestock guardian and a shepherd cross; he's genetically predisposed to be alert and aware. And of course you want your assistance dog to know what's going on around you (especially for PTSD). But he's too fixated on being hyperaware that he isn't focusing on me.

Part of solving this is training of course, but my trainer and I agree that trying some antidepressants will smooth the edges, making training easier as well. And it doesn't have to be forever!

[assistancedogmischa]

24 days until we fly!

we went to the airport for the first time ever today, for a quick training/desensitisation session. we were only in the actual airport for about 20 mins because we had to walk back to the car before our 1 hour free parking ran out.

i was pleased with mischa. the airport wasn't super busy, and we only stayed in the entry part (we'll do security next time). he was a little concerned about the baggage claim machine but overall he did really well.

we saw a new vet where i asked for some anxiety meds for him for use at the vets (he's terrified at the vets). our previous vet had him on trazadone but i don't like how sedative it is. the new vet put him on clonidine, but our trainer told us that its also mildly sedative. i don't want him sedated - i want him less anxious.

our trainer suggested a daily medication like sertraline (ironically also what i'm on), she's fine with medicated animals as assistance animals, which i agree with (obviously) - if they need a bit of help to do their job that's fine - i also need medical help to do my job!.

we're also trying an anallergenic elimination diet to see if Mischa's chronic itchiness is food allergies. hopefully it helps (because it's very expensive!!)

[assistancedogmischa]

Flying With a Service Dog

This is based off my personal experience flying with a service dog: 

I have noticed that one thing that is very nerve wracking for many service dog handlers is flying with their service dog for the first time. Not knowing what to expect in a situation that is hard to train for specifically can make a person very anxious. I wanted to write a guide based on my own experience so that people had a comprehensive thing to look at!

Airlines that people have good experiences with:

Southwest

Southwest is by far the most accommodating. I flew with them. Once notified of my dog, they gave me the seat next to me for free so she could have more room. They printed out a “reserved” sign that I could sit on the seat so that no one could sit there and the flight attendants knew what was going on. They did this for free. 

Southwest has free seating. As a disabled person, you get preferred seating so you will be able to board first and get bulkhead if you want it. 

Frontier

American

Important things your dog should know:

A stellar settle.

Sit stays. 

Follow directions off leash (if you don’t use a metal free lead and want to have your dog go through the metal detector.)

Handle very busy areas.

Handle VERY loud noises. 

A good heel

Potty on artificial grass

Potty on command

A very tight tuck

Being okay with strangers touching them.

Staying even when you walk away

Before the flight:

Tell the airline that you have a service dog. It will make your flight a lot easier if people are alerted to this ahead of time.

Ask if you can have bulk head seating. These are the seats at the front of the plane that have much more foot room than any other seat. Most airlines will give you the seating for free.

Choose your seat (if you can). I find that sitting by the window is the best place so that your dog doesn’t spill out into the aisle. If you’re flying Southwest, there is open seating. And because you get preferred seating, you can choose whichever one when you get on the plane.

Do you need mobility assistance? Did you know there are people at the airport whose sole job is to push people to their destinations in wheelchairs? If you call ahead of time, you can have someone waiting for you at the check in desk to help you!

Try to limit your dog’s food and water intake. Your dog can go the day without food and with limited water. I promise they can handle it. It will help with the going to the bathroom situation. You won’t have to worry about it as much. 

What to pack:

Are you checking a bag or carrying on? Either is fine! Most airlines will give you a free carry on bag as well as personal item. So for example a backpack and a purse. They will charge you for more. If you need a bag separately for your dog’s things, you need to know this: YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR BAGS CARRYING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. And guess what! Your dog’s supplies are part of your medical equipment! So if you need to check a bag for your dog or bring an extra carry on, you do not need to pay!

Things to pack for your dog:

Small first aid kit

Water bottle (empty – you can fill it on the other side of security)

Extra collar

Extra leash

Extra vest

Treats

2-3 days worth of dog food

Poop bags

Portable bowls

A mat/blanket for your dog

Anything in your carry on that is liquid needs to be in a 3 oz or smaller container and ALSO fit into a quartz sized plastic bag. 

When you get to the airport

If you haven’t already printed out your boarding passes at home, you need to do that first. There are kiosks that you can do this without talking to a person, but I highly suggest going up to the desk to do your check in if you can. You’ll be able to remind them about your dog and confirm things like bulkhead seating or assistance. 

Once you have your boarding pass and any bags that you’re checking taken care of, make your way towards security. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. Find someone who works there – they’re usually wearing blue, or a white shirt with black pants. Airports are big and confusing. Flying with a dog for the first time is scary enough. It can be exacerbated by not having flown alone before.

Security

There are a few ways to go about this so I will outline all I can think of!

You do not need to remove your dog’s gear, even if there is metal on it. Put everything that you need onto the belt and then go to the metal detector. Put your dog into a sit/stay and walk through when they direct you to. Once you get through, call your dog through after you. The metal detector WILL beep. This is where your dog being okay with strangers touching them is important – your dog will get a quick pat down. That’s it! They may test your hands and your dog’s vest for explosives or chemicals with these little paper pad things, but it isn’t too complicated. 

A lot of people use metal free gear when going to the air port to make things easier. you would follow the same steps as above but your dog wouldn’t need to be patted down. 

You can also remove your dog’s gear entirely and put it through the belt with all your other belongings. Your dog needs to be good at a sit stay and you need to be able to handle them without gear, but otherwise pretty simple!

Grab your stuff afterwards and you’re done!

At the gate

There is usually a desk at or near every gate. Regardless of if you reminded them at the check in, go up to the desk and introduce yourself and remind them again of your dog. There may be something else they can do to accommodate you. That, and I find that people are more willing to help you later if they are aware of you. 

Wait until your flight!

On the plane

Get to your seat and put down any blankets or mats you brought your dog, if any. Have your dog get into a settle/tuck and then sit down. 

I have treats ready because I hadn’t flown with my dog before and I was unsure of how she’d handle it. She got nervous during take off and landing so having the treats available is helpful.

That’s it! It’s not as scary as it seems and I’m sure afterwards, you’ll find yourself wondering why you were worried in the first place. I hope that this guide helps the anxiety in the meantime!

[assistancedogmischa]

sorry if this comes off as insensitive, but why did you choose a belgian tervuren as your service dog? or did it just end out as a he happened to be the dog you had when you realized you would need help? im asking because i’d like to have a belgian shepherd in the future and i’d like to know if having one do service work is something feasible for me, especially from someone who actually works with one. :3

thank you!

I hope this hasn't been sitting for too long, I just saw it!

No worries, I don't mind answering why I got a Terv for service work.

There's a number of reasons I went with a Terv. After doing my research I was confident that a Terv suited my lifestyle and goals with a dog regardless of service work.

However, while they aren't common as service dogs, they do have a history of doing the work and it's mentioned in the breed history. So it wasn't a total gamble.

Most important is making sure the dog comes from solid/stable lines and that the breeder understands what makes a good service dog so they can appropriately identify/place one. I talked to several breeders before finding a good match. I was also very honest with Forte's breeder about tasks/things I'd need. She, in turn, was honest about which pairing might produce a good fit for me.

Hopefully that's helpful!

[assistancedogmischa]

We went to an "assessment day" today with the new organisation we're with (still with the prev one as that's national (but entirely online if you're not in the right city), this new one is state based ... I don't remember if i've said on this blog yet that we moved to the other side of the country, 3,500kms away from home, to a state with stricter assistance animal laws). Mischa did really well!

We had to just loose-leash walk around an area with increasing distractions, do a sit- or down-stay, and just general observation of how the dogs were in the environment (a public park with lots of people and pet dogs, plus the other assistance dogs).

Ignore the wet-treat stains... also, "sex of dog: him" lmao.

The only notes from the trainers were that we need to build his confidence in indoor places (shopping centres, etc.).

One of the trainers has seen us twice before, once one-on-one in a massive shopping centre (literally the biggest i've seen in my life, so by extension also the biggest Mischa has seen) where Mischa was overwhelmed and then spooked by (i think) the big hole in the floor with the escalators. and then again in a group session in a very busy, noisy environment (public place next to a busy bus station where there were lots of people and dogs and construction work), where he was calm but still overwhelmed. so she was very impressed by how he was today, calm and alert but not overwhelmed. (i guess its a breed thing - a livestock guardian cross is going to feel more at home in a nature park than in a supermarket!)

Also. In 1 month's time we are going to be flying together for the first time. I'm... nervous! I think he'll be fine once we're flying but I don't know about takeoff & landing (I'm the same tbh lol) and i also am worried about actually getting him on the plane. He refuses to go in elevators, we don't have a state pass yet so we can't practice on trains (which we didn't have in our home state). i've been practicing using drive-through car washes but they're expensive...

the flights aren't that bad - flight 1 is 3.5 hours, then a 1.5 hour layover, then flight 2 is 1.5 hours. the flight back is direct and is 5 hours, which is a bit more daunting, but hey - we did a 12 hour boat (deep sea ferry?) ride and he was fine! what i'm mostly worried about is getting him on flight 2 - if he's scared of flight 1, he might not be willing to go on flight 2, and i can't force a 45kg dog on a plane (and i don't want to force him to do anything anyway). but that's worse case scenario!

we have a vet appt this week, so i'm going to ask for some non-sedative anxiety meds. our old vet gave him trazadone, but i don't like that it's a sedative - it didn't seem to actually decrease his anxiety, just made him lethargic. i've also brought a thundershirt to see if that helps, and i'm considering buying dog earmuffs (mutt muffs or rex specs ear pro) for the flight (though they are expensive and i don't know how much use we'd get out of them).

[assistancedogmischa]

When Martin was sick, his body fairly quickly shut down his higher order brain functions. I spent a lot of time reflecting on the meaning of consent during that terrible time period. 

Bosco has an infected gouge in his left ear. He was not amused at having a bottle shoved into his sore ear and then having medicine dropped into his ear. He is 93 lbs and I don’t want to fight him. Frankly, I am also squeamish about doing things to Bosco against his will from my experience of making Martin take his chemo pills. 

So, I came up with this process and I feel comfortable with it. Bosco doesn’t fight me, try to leave, pull his head away from the bottle, or need to be restrained.

I sit on the floor and hold the bottle of medicine. 

Bosco hustles over, offers a down, and then offers a nose touch of the bottle. Feed. 

I put the bottle in his left ear (the sore one) and remove it. Feed.

I hold the bottle and he offers a nose touch. Feed.

I put the bottle in his left ear and add the drops. Remove the bottle. Feed.

I hold the bottle and wait for a nose touch. He thinks about it for a second and then offers a nose touch. Feed. Feed some more.

I hold the bottle and wait for a nose touch. Feed.

Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the right ear.

[assistancedogmischa]

mischa can finally come to work with me now!

we've slowly built up to ~4.5 hours a day, and then i do the rest of the day from home. he's doing super well! he does seem a bit bored but he's still amazing, and we can go for as many breaks as we need so we can have a bit of a play and resetting before we get back to it.

and a silly photo for fun., i tried to kneel to get a better pic but my knees cracked a woke him up lol 😅

[assistancedogmischa]

after a lot of hard work and red tape, Mischa is finally allowed to come to work with me!

we're taking it slow, doing 2 hours in the office and then the rest of the day from home, & we'll be slowly increasing the time in the office over a few months. we'll probably keep doing WFH in some form just because 8 hours in an office is a long time for anyone!

he's been a bit unsettled but that's to be expected, a new environment with new people. and it's only been 2 days!

everyone loves him but they've all been very good about not patting him or interacting with him; we did a fair bit of workplace education in the weeks leading up to it. the worst part was the waiting - i put in all my paperwork (proof of training etc) in about June and it was our first day yesterday. bureaucracy...

(he does have a mat but he's chose to lie under the desk instead lol)

[assistancedogmischa]

quick pupdate: we're pretty close (a week or two) away from being able to bring mischa into work with me! I'm going to request 2 half days at first, so I'm not asking him to go from 0 to 100, but ive already gone from full time to 4 days per week so fingers crossed work approves it...

and we've been accepted into an organisation! not naming it for privacy reasons as it's pretty small, but i like it so far. they're also the only organisation I've come across (at least in AUS) that does more than acknowledge that animals other than dogs can be assistance animals, and is willing and able to work with parrots and ponies and cats and so on.

also, we caught the bus today, for the first time! he did such a good job. not keen on it but i knew he wouldn't be, but the only thing is that i should've put his boots on. (and brought some water)

[assistancedogmischa]

mischa passed his preliminary public access test (pPAT) this week! essentially more of a 'good canine citizen' test than a PAT, but we're on the right track!

[assistancedogmischa]

welll that didnt go as planned lol... though it was on work's end, not ours.

my work is great for flexibility but they are terrible at communication. i had told them that i was going to bring mischa, who is still in training, and all they said was cool see you monday (paraphrasing). so i show up on monday, with mischa, and they go uhhh we need to approve this with HR, can you take your dog home and come back later?. i was like... ummm ok? legally he's allowed to be here but. sure.

they were like, well you said he's still in training and not accredited. sorry.

I wasn't gonna push the point there at the front door, but i will be bringing up the legislation - which clearly states that an animal in training can go anywhere. and that my state doesn't have any specific accreditation programs or laws other than the DDA.

work said they'll want to see some kind of document from a vet stating that he meets the minimum requirements - which he does - and that's fair, but couldn't they've asked for that before 8:30 AM on Monday morning?

so i went home (very glad i decided to drive last minute this morning!), and I'll go back to work at lunchtime, without Mischa.

I understand where they're coming from, but I'm also pissed and upset and also a little embarrassed lol? if they'd just communicated with me before today we could've sorted this all out. but apparently it's too hard! (this is a big government agency, mind you, they have the people!)

hopefully, we can try again tomorrow, or next week if we have to. in all this, Mischa was great. we got there real early so we went for a walk before, and then we just sat and waited at the entrance. Misch just laid there like, ok this is what we're doing. 10/10 for him!

[reminder that I'm in Australia, not the USA, so don't bring up the ADA! we're covered by the Disability Discrimination Act]

new vest!! big thanks to @mandana-the-service-pup 😸

first day of mischa coming to work with me today... wish us luck!

[assistancedogmischa]

new vest!! big thanks to @mandana-the-service-pup 😸

first day of mischa coming to work with me today... wish us luck!

[assistancedogmischa]

bushwalk!

we're about to have a trial by fire... I've had the past 2 months off work because i had surgery (and then even when i was willing & able to come back they said i had to wait to be cleared by HR), and in the meantime my roommate (my sister) has moved. when i was working before Mischa stayed at home with my sister because i didn't think he was ready for 8 hours of settling plus the bus. but now it's either leave him at home (with my other roommate who he is scared of), leave him at my dads (i don't want to, he's my AD and i need him!), or i bite the bullet and take him with me to work.

i still dont think he's ready but I'm gonna give it a go. we can do a trial month or so and see how we do. (the people at r/service_dogs were very encouraging!)

[assistancedogmischa]

beach day! 🌊☀️

there was a reactive dog (leashed), i think it was a frustrated greeter rather than aggressive or anything. the owner asked if they could play, and i said yes, but their dog was snapping and clearly frustrated as soon as mischa got within less than a metre of it. mischa did super well, he stepped back while maintaining friendly body language, looked at me, and then instantly listened to my cue to leave the dog alone.

i realised the other day I've unintentionally taught him to check in with me when we approach people or other dogs when we're out and about, including dogs barking from their houses. I'm glad because it's a great behaviour to learn but it was funny to realise i was teaching it without realising. makes you wonder what else I've unintentionally taught... for better or worse!

[assistancedogmischa]

Hey! I have my own resources, but a friend brought up your new puppy (more as a "oooo cute puppy !!!" thing, less as a "hey this person got a puppy you should message them about things") and I wanted to reach out to see if you had any resources that you found helpful for socializing/general training with this puppy (or past puppies)? I look forward to watching PS5 grow and advance in her obedience etc

hello! i'm getting to this like half a week after you sent it so i feel like you may not still be here lol, but i feel like i get this question a lot so here's my short list of puppy resources:

If You're Only Reading One Thing:

please read more than one thing

but if I can't convince you to read more than one thing, my Ultimate Puppy 101 Resource is The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell and Brenda Scidmore. It's easy-to-read, it's short, it's accessible, and it covers basic things pretty well you can currently grab a copy for $7.50 from the author's site!

Okay, I Will Read Exactly Two Things:

Sophia Yin's socialization checklist! it is free! it is short! it will help you track whether you are giving your puppy a well-rounded socialization experience!

OP's Shiny New Favorite(s):

Social, Civil and Savvy my beloved. i really, really like this book. it's focused specifically on puppy socialization and gives a fantastic overview as well as practical advice. i think this book would be very accessible for general audiences, but also found it helpful/insightful as a professional trainer and think more experienced dog people would benefit from this one, too you can pick it up in print for $10 here. alternatively, i was extremely hyped to find out that there is an audiobook version. it does appear to be on Hoopla Digital for free in both ebook and audiobook format if your local library offers you access to Hoopla

the same author wrote another book called Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out. like you might expect based on the title, it's actually intended primarily for adult dogs who are overaroused/reactive/etc. despite this, i've been listening to it recently and i think it could be very helpful for puppy owners as well – it introduces a lot of strategies and concepts that are helpful in general for dog training, as well as for dealing with your puppy's emotions. another book that i found helpful despite having professional experience!

Girl Help i Have Four Dollars in My Bank Account:

the Pandemic Puppy Raising Support Group on Facebook is run by competent professional dog trainers and has a ton of resources and guides sorted by subject. i believe all of these resources are free but i'm not 100% sure on that one

the Pandemic Puppy Podcast is the Pandemic Puppy Raising Support Group's sibling for your earholes. i find it slightly more helpful in the sense that i get a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of resources on the Facebook group. it was (is?) hosted by Kayla Fratt, a professional trainer who was in the process of raising her first puppy, with an impressive cast of guest hosts

the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy has a free eBook called Growing Up FDSA. it's structured as a bunch of mini-chapters, sorted by surviving the first week, first month, and first year. a couple of these mini-chapters will be of limited relevance to people who aren't interested in dog sports, but many of them are extremely helpful for general audiences. i would actually recommend starting with the very last chapter ("It's A Puppy, Not A Problem") and then working your way through the rest of the book

Kikopup has a puppy training playlist here. Kikopup is the only Youtube/TIkTok/social media whatever dog trainer that I really would recommend at this point. the playlist comes as 136 separate videos in no particular order, which i admittedly find slightly overwhelming. In my experience, Kikopup videos are not particularly flashy/sexy/slick, which might be a turnoff for some viewers – but this actually reassures me about her as a trainer, lol. her mechanics and methods are worth the watch despite some of the relative disorganization/lack of influencer-style polish

free online flipbook on determining when to spay/neuter your dog

free online flipbook on age appropriate puppy exercise

the /r/puppy101 wiki is pretty good and covers some topics not thoroughly discussed by my other resources (e.g. puppy blues, which i think is a very important subject for new puppy owners to know about). i will say that some of their recommended books and resources are not books/resources that i would personally recommend

Social, Civil and Savvy, Fired Up, Frantic and Freaked Out, and Sophia Yin's puppy socialization checklist can all be accessed for free, as mentioned above

not really totally focused on socialization, but Jane Lindquist of Puppy Culture fame has a free course for new puppy owners called With Open Arms and a Level Head: How to Bring a Puppy Into Your Life. i would put this lower on the list than the above resources tbh, but it's ✨free✨ and i think it's pretty all right

Actually I Do Have Some Dollars in My Bank Account, and/or i Really Love Watching Things with My Eyes:

the actual Puppy Culture program is really worth checking out if you can. it gives a really good perspective on early puppy development and why it's so important to take advantage of the critical period of social development. a lot of Puppy Culture is targeted towards breeders, but it's very useful for puppy owners as well. that being said it's like $70 lol

also a big fan of Attention is the Mother of All Behaviors from Puppy Culture, which you can grab for a more modest $22

Meh:

Perfect Puppy in 7 Days by Sophia Yin: i think there's a lot of good stuff in this book, and it used to be in my top two recommendations. i do think a lot of the material is covered more comprehensively by other resources on this list, but if you want a shorter version of a lot of concepts, this book may not be a bad purchase. you should know, though, that like a solid third of this book is just instructing you to have your puppy sit for literally everything in life. i personally do not do this with my puppies. Boo was trained this way early in life and her last owner and i both had to work past the tendency to auto-sit at all times (teaching her a "stand" for obedience was....fun). that being said, it's hard to jump up on people if you're sitting, and it's hard to bolt out the door if you're sitting, and it's hard to steal food if you're sitting...so there may be some merit for pet dogs. i still don't love it for little babies and i'm having a hard time putting my finger on why.

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy has a presentation series targeted toward regular pet owners (the rest of the site is largely intended for dog sports people). you can get each course for something like $11-20 dollars depending on whether you choose to buy them individually or as part of a pack they have a six course puppy combo pack for $65 with a lot of Big Name Heavy Hitter Dog Trainers featured, which is the cheapest option if you want all the puppy videos i suspect that many of these webinars will overlap significantly with other resources on this list (the crate training course from Sarah Stremming is probably pretty similar to the hour-long crate training episode of the Pandemic Puppy Podcast with guest star Sarah Stremming) (and Laura VanArendonk Baugh shows up to talk about puppy socialization in like three different resources on this list lol) but if you really learn best from webinars, go nuts if I was going to recommend one webinar to round out the resources on this list, the Building Puppy Confidence lecture might be worth the $18.95 to buy it on its own

Resources that I Do Not Love:

there are some hopefully obvious ones here (Cesar Milan, Monks of New Skete, anyone preaching dominance/hierarchy-based training or telling you to put a prong collar on a puppy....), but I have issues with a couple commonly recommended resources

Before and After Getting A Puppy by Ian Dunbar: this book is absolutely foundational, Ian Dunbar is a pioneer in the field, he's one of the first dog trainers I really looked up to...and this book isn't really that great. when i went back to it to listen to it again, i was surprised to discover that parts of it haven't aged very well, and i think his discussion of socialization is open to harmful misinterpretation. for example, emphasizing meeting 100 people in 100 days can easily lead to people overwhelming a puppy despite having the best of intentions. i think there are a number of newer resources that have a little more nuance and that will be easier to effectively put into practice for puppy owners

Zak George: i've listened to a couple of his audiobooks and like. you can do better. has the opposite vibes of Kikopup

BONUS ROUND: You Need One Boy Your Free Will Is An Illusion

identifying a responsible breeder

identifying an irresponsible rescue

puppy buyer etiquette

✨ good luck with your puppy! ✨