Blazing Paws, LLC

04/17/2026

Yes 💯

04/16/2026

Your dog isn’t ignoring you… you just fell off the horse.

And before you roll your eyes—hear me out…

Because we’ve all been there. I’ve been there.

I’ve had those moments where I’ve genuinely thought:
“Am I ever going to get through this?”
“Is this dog ever going to grow out of adolescence?”
“Will they ever give me more than three seconds of attention?”
“Are they ever going to play with any kind of intensity?”
“Will they ever take food properly?”
“Is this just… who they are?”

And that’s coming from someone who’s owned 30 dogs, across 10 different breeds, competed in multiple dog sports, and had success at the highest level.

I still have those thoughts.

Because this is the reality of training dogs.

So yes—most of you will know me as a dog trainer, dog sports coach, behaviour nerd…
But there’s one phrase I say to my students over and over again:

“Get back on the horse.”

It’s an old saying—especially familiar if you’ve come from the horse world. You fall off… and you get back on.

But in dog training? We don’t always do that.

Your dog blows you off mid-session because a butterfly suddenly becomes the most important thing in the universe.
They break a stay in the ring.
They leg it after a distraction.
Or they just… switch off.

And suddenly—it feels personal.

You question your training.
Your relationship.
Your dog.

But here’s the truth…

You didn’t fail. You just fell off.

That’s it.

It’s not a reflection of your bond.
It’s not proof your dog doesn’t care.
It’s not the end of your progress.

It’s just part of the process.

Dog training—and especially dog sports—is full of ups and downs. Big wins… followed by humbling moments. And adolescence? That’s not just a phase… that’s a full-blown “butterfly brain” era where everything except you seems more interesting.

Focus and engagement aren’t built in perfect sessions.
They’re built in these moments.

The messy ones.
The frustrating ones.
The ones where you feel like nothing is working… and you show up anyway.

So when it happens (because it will)…
Take a breath. Reset.

And most importantly—

Get back on the horse.

04/14/2026

Well said

04/12/2026

04/09/2026

This….

04/08/2026

Good read

"Failure is Success in Progress". -Albert Einstein
"I've failed over and over and that's why I succeed". -Michael Jordan
Agility handlers work at sharpening the skills. It's why we go to classes, privates and seminars. If that's you, then High five! 🙌There will be challenges and that is OK. Accept there will be some stumbles, and commit to keep trying. When you don't get a technique as smooth as you like, or you're late in ex*****on, what do we do? We stop, evaluate, and try again. Review your video. Get feedback from our instructor. Oddly enough, this is how learning occurs. Slowly making progress towards mastery happens in small steps. It's all part of the process in leveling up your skill set.

Mental Game Tip for the Week:

1. Set yourself up to succeed. Before you practice or compete, get yourself in a relaxed, yet focused state of mind. Try singing, dancing, listening to music or whatever makes you smile. It's important to set the stage mentally before you practice/compete. If you are not in a good mood or there's some things that are weighing on your mind, put off your practice until those things are gone.

2. Dealing with your mistakes in handling: Video your rehearsal of handling ex*****on without the dog first. If you notice that you didn't do something right, just stop. Stop and think about what you should do instead. Visualize that a few times. Try again. Watch your video. Give yourself GRACE! Just lean into this process of trying, failing, trying again and then succeeding. That's how mastery is achieved. Rehearsing. Failing over and over and then you get it right. You feel what it is like when it's right. The smoothness, the flow, the connection. Now you can run it with your dog.

04/07/2026

I’m back from two weeks off for a Pulmonary Embolism. It felt great to be back teaching today and I’m thrilled that I was able to run like I used to. Have to admit that I was feeling a bit apprehensive but my body definitely said, you can do this. Blast didn’t miss a beat either. Our video from today.

03/27/2026

Good information

Start Line Tests: How Solid Is Your Dog’s Stay?

These tests help you determine whether your dog truly understands the release, can ignore handler motion, and can stay connected under real-life distractions. A strong start line is quiet, clear, and predictable for the dog.

Test 1: Verbal Release Test
This test answers one question: does your dog understand a verbal release independent of motion?
Lead out from your dog and become completely still. No leaning, no arm movement, no stepping. Release your dog using only your verbal release cue. If your dog gets up and drives forward, they understand that the verbal cue is what ends the stay. This is the foundation of a silent, reliable start line.
If your dog hesitates or does not move, the release cue may not be clear enough or may be overshadowed by motion in training.

Test 2: Motion Discrimination Test
This test checks whether your dog breaks the stay on handler movement instead of waiting for the release.
With your dog in a stay, lead out and begin adding small movements. Turn your head. Shift your shoulders. Move an arm. Take a step. Jog forward. The dog should remain in position through all of this until they hear the verbal release.
If your dog gets up on motion alone, motion has accidentally become the release cue. This often happens when dogs are released with verbal cues and movement at the same time. Over time, the dog learns that motion predicts go.

Test 3: Thrown Reinforcement Test
This test evaluates impulse control and clarity under high motivation.
With your dog in a stay, throw a toy or food ahead of them. The dog should remain in position until you verbally release them. If they break, the reinforcement is overpowering the release clarity. This test is especially important for trial environments where arousal is high.

Test 4: Environmental Distraction Test
This test simulates trial-level distraction.
Ask your dog to hold a stay while you interact with another dog or create mild environmental activity nearby. The dog should continue to wait calmly until you verbally release them by name and cue.
This confirms that the dog is waiting for information from you, not guessing based on environment or anticipation.

What These Tests Tell You
A strong start line is quiet and boring to watch. The dog stays through motion, distraction, and reinforcement because the release cue is clear and meaningful. When dogs fail these tests, it is rarely a “stay problem.” It is almost always a release clarity problem.

I will post a video of me doing these tests tomorrow !!!