Blues City Service Dogs

03/15/2026

03/14/2026

Hiccup worked on something a little… prehistoric. 🦖

We introduced a dinosaur mask that lights up and makes noise so he could practice tolerating some very strange stimuli. While it may look silly to us, it’s actually a very valuable training exercise.

Hiccup is already muzzle trained, which means he is comfortable having equipment on his face and understands how to stay calm while wearing it. This exercise simply built on that foundation by introducing something new that changes how things feel, sound, and even how the world looks from his perspective.

For service dogs, the ability to tolerate unusual sights, sounds, and sensations is extremely important. In the real world they may encounter people in costumes, medical equipment, flashing lights, noisy environments, or unexpected objects moving toward them. A service dog must be able to stay calm, think clearly, and continue working safely through those moments.

Training like this helps build confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Instead of reacting with fear or panic, the dog learns that new and strange things are just another part of the job—and nothing to worry about.

Plus… let’s be honest. Hiccup makes a pretty convincing dinosaur. 🦖

Discussion question:
What is the strangest or most unexpected thing your dog has ever had to get used to?

03/13/2026

Starting this Monday, we’re introducing something new and fun for our community — Weekly Training Challenges!

Every Monday we’ll post a challenge that will run through Friday. Then on Sunday, we’ll feature some of our favorite challenge videos right here on the page!

This challenge is open to all animals that are training, not just service dogs. Whether you’re working with a service dog in training, a sport prospect, a pet dog, or even another species entirely, you’re welcome to join in.

The goal of these challenges is to help spark new ideas for training, desensitization, and socialization that can sometimes get overlooked in everyday routines. Sometimes all it takes is a small, creative exercise to help build confidence, problem-solving skills, and resilience in our animals.

Plus, it’s a really fun way to bring our online community into the training process and see what everyone is working on!

If you participate, be sure to tag us in your post so we can find your video and possibly feature it on Sunday.

We can’t wait to see what everyone does with the challenges! 🎉🐾

Discussion Question:
What is one training exercise you’ve tried that ended up helping your animal more than you expected?

03/13/2026

Yesterday morning it was a brisk 39°F here in Memphis, TN, and as usual we did our morning scan of the dog yard to make sure nothing dangerous had found its way in overnight.

Normally the biggest offenders are squirrels. They love to sit on the outside of the fence, chirping away and trash-talking the dogs like tiny, fuzzy middle school bullies. 🐿️

But yesterday?

We found a turtle. 🐢

Now the real question is… how did this turtle get in the yard? There are only two possibilities:

1. He is secretly much faster than science currently believes.

2. He’s a seasoned veteran who has done this before.

Based on the very healed battle scars on his shell, we’re pretty sure this was not his first rodeo with a pack of dogs. This turtle woke up and said:

> “Yeah… today feels like a great day to wander into a yard full of dogs.”

Bold strategy, my guy. Bold strategy.

Situations like this are exactly why we put so much emphasis on teaching dogs a strong “Leave It” command, especially when it comes to wildlife. Dogs have natural prey drive and curiosity, and that combination can lead to dangerous encounters for both the animal and the dog.

A reliable Leave It means a dog can disengage from wildlife immediately when asked. It protects the animal, prevents injuries to the dog, and helps ensure that not every moving creature in the yard turns into a full-blown episode of National Geographic: Backyard Edition.

Training impulse control around wildlife is a huge part of responsible dog ownership—and especially important for working dogs who need to stay focused even when something interesting waddles, hops, or scurries by.

Footnote: Wildlife rehabbers have been contacted for the turtle and we are currently awaiting a return call. The turtle does appear to be unwell, so we are keeping him safe and contained until we can get further guidance. 🐢

Discussion Question:
What is the weirdest animal your dog has ever encountered in your yard?

03/13/2026

Happy Friday, everyone! 🎉

We’re wrapping up all remaining emails this morning so everyone gets a response before we head into the weekend. After that, the inbox will be closed and emails will not be answered again until Monday.

Weekends are when we focus on the dogs, training, and a little bit of much-needed downtime. Thank you all for your patience and understanding—it helps us keep things running smoothly and give the dogs the attention they deserve. 🐾

We hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend!

Discussion Question:
What are your plans with your dog this weekend? Training, adventures, or just relaxing together?

🐶

Program Washout, Zephyr Below.

03/13/2026

03/13/2026

Morgan had some fun training today! 🎉

We needed to pick up another hula hoop and noticed they were on sale, so of course we had to bring one home. Morgan was very excited about the new training prop and practiced going through the hoop—and just look at that happy face while doing it!

While it may look like a simple or silly exercise, activities like this play an important role in preparing service dogs for the real world. Teaching a dog to comfortably go through or under objects helps build confidence, body awareness, and trust with their handler. In public, service dogs may need to move through tight spaces, go under tables at restaurants, pass through crowded areas, or navigate around unusual obstacles.

By introducing strange objects in a fun and positive way, we help them learn that new things aren’t scary—they’re just another puzzle to figure out. Confident dogs make better working partners, and exercises like this help them stay calm and adaptable wherever their handler needs to go.

Training doesn’t always have to look serious to be meaningful. Sometimes the most valuable lessons come through play. 🐾

Discussion Question:
What’s the strangest object your dog has ever had to walk through, under, or around?

03/13/2026

🎉 3,000 Followers! 🎉

We just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to every single person who has followed, supported, and engaged with our page. Hitting 3,000 followers is such a fun milestone, and we’re so happy you’re all here celebrating it with us! 🐾

This page exists because of a shared love for dogs, training, learning, and the everyday adventures that come with them. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just joined recently, we truly appreciate every like, comment, and conversation.

Now let’s celebrate the best way possible… with dog photos! 📸🐶

If you see this post, drop your favorite picture of your dog in the comments below! We know this page is full of some seriously adorable faces, and we can’t wait to see them.

03/12/2026

Havelock took his second trip to Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid this week and had a new experience to work through. While there, he practiced his down next to one of the large fish tanks. 🐟

At first, he was very curious — and maybe a little confused — about the fish swimming right beside him. But after a moment, he settled in and calmly watched them while holding his position.

Moments like this are an important part of service dog training. Service dogs will encounter all kinds of unusual sights, sounds, and movement while working in public. From escalators and shopping carts to fountains, wildlife displays, and crowds of people — the world can be a very stimulating place.

By safely exposing our dogs to these environments and asking them to practice calm behaviors like a down, we help them learn how to think through new situations instead of reacting to them. Curiosity is normal, especially for young dogs, but learning to stay settled and make good choices around distractions is what builds a reliable service dog.

Each outing like this helps build confidence, neutrality, and the ability to relax in busy environments — all skills that will be essential for their future handler.

Discussion Question:
What’s the most unusual distraction your dog has ever noticed while out in public?

🐾

03/12/2026

In addition to training service dogs, we also offer pet training lessons to help families build better communication and harmony with their dogs.

Ruby and Luna had a great training session this week focusing on building better decision making and calmer behavior around each other.

During their lesson, we worked on holding commands while increasing both distractions and distance. This helps dogs learn that cues like sit, down, or place still apply even when the environment becomes more exciting or when their person moves farther away.

We also practiced calmly passing each other in spaces where there have been previous moments of tension between the two of them. Instead of avoiding those areas, structured training helps both dogs learn new patterns and more appropriate responses in those situations.

A big focus of the session was also building independent calm behaviors. Rather than constantly relying on their handlers to manage every moment, Ruby and Luna practiced making good choices on their own and settling calmly even when the other dog was moving around nearby.

Both dogs showed some really nice progress and thoughtful choices during the session.

Discussion question
Why do you think practicing calm behavior around other dogs in controlled situations can be helpful for preventing future conflicts?

🐕✨

03/12/2026

Fish Stick and Havelock worked on a challenging but very important exercise this week—holding a solid down stay while people and dogs walked or even jumped over them.

Why do we train this?

In the real world, service dogs at times do not have the ability to tuck under tables, benches, or chairs in busy environments. In crowded places, people may step over a dog without realizing it’s there. Sometimes another dog may pass extremely close. If a service dog pops up suddenly in those moments, it can create a tripping hazard or disrupt the environment around them.

Teaching a dog to confidently remain in a down stay helps ensure they stay out of walkways, remain safe in tight spaces, and don’t accidentally cause someone to fall. It also helps them learn to remain calm when movement happens directly above or around them.

Just as important is tolerance. A service dog may not love someone stepping over them—but they still need to remain calm and stable. Service work requires dogs to handle situations that may be awkward, strange, or slightly uncomfortable without reacting, getting up, or startling.

These exercises build trust, stability, and the ability to stay composed no matter what is happening around them. And as you can see, Fish Stick and Havelock handled it like pros!

Discussion question:
Have you ever noticed how often people step over dogs in public spaces?

🐕‍🦺

03/12/2026

Series Round-Up: Service Dog “Standards” vs The Law

Today we shared a five-part educational series discussing something that comes up frequently in the service dog world: the difference between community “standards” and actual law.

Throughout the day we covered several topics that are often criticized online but are not legal requirements for service dogs:

• The idea that service dogs must always walk in a perfect heel position
• The belief that a service dog should never sniff its environment
• The claim that certain tasks like Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) “don’t count”
• The misconception that service dogs must know multiple tasks
• And the growing trend of expecting dogs to maintain a constant focus with nonstop eye contact

We also addressed a real-world example involving Ragnar, where someone commented that he “needed more training” because he was calmly scanning his environment instead of staring directly at his handler the entire time.

But here’s the reality: service dogs are not robots.

A working dog should absolutely be trained, under control, and responsive to their handler—but they should also be allowed to move naturally, maintain environmental awareness, and work in a way that is sustainable for their bodies and minds.

Many of the “rules” that circulate in the service dog community are simply opinions that have been repeated so often they start to sound like law. When those expectations are pushed onto every team, they can create unnecessary pressure, misinformation, and barriers for handlers who are already navigating life with a disability.

Education is one of the most important tools we have for strengthening the service dog community. The more people understand what the law actually says—and why dogs work the way they do—the better it is for handlers, dogs, trainers, businesses, and the public.

If you missed any of the posts in today’s series, we encourage you to scroll back and read through them. There were some great discussions happening in the comments as well.

💬 Discussion question:
Which topic from today’s series surprised you the most or challenged something you previously believed about service dogs?

🐾