Client Conversations

Client Conversations is where we get real about what dog training actually looks and feels like — the progress, the frustration, the “am I doing this right?” moments.

These are real stories from the clients I work with and the lessons that come out of those honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but always valuable conversations.

Because dog training isn’t just about the dog. It’s about what we learn about ourselves along the way.

The Story: The Dog Walker

Let me start with this — not all dog walkers are created equal.

I’ve got plenty of friends and colleagues who do an incredible job caring for the dogs they walk. I respect the hell out of them for it, because they’re bridging a gap — helping owners manage busy lives while still giving their dogs the structure and fulfillment they need.

But… There are also dog walkers who use that opportunity for lazy, quick cash.

Here’s how I know.

A client of mine was using a dog walker before we started training. Her puppy was around five months old, and with her job extending past the regular 9-5, she needed help getting him out for potty breaks. At the same time, we were doing day training and private sessions to build structure and engagement.

She’d call me often, frustrated. She couldn’t figure out what she was doing wrong. Training had gone well, but lately it felt like she was fighting an uphill battle. She was doing everything right — structured play, proper rest, engagement walks, pack drive work — but her dog still seemed wired.

Fast forward a few weeks. She’s working her dog near a dog park (because this chick was putting in the reps — go her), and someone inside the park yells, 

“Oh hi, [dog’s name]!”

She froze. She’d never taken her dog to that park and she’d never met this person before.

So she asks,

“How do you know my dog?”

And the woman replies,

“Oh! He comes here every other day and plays with my dog.”

Pure rage.

Turns out, the dog walker wasn’t actually walking her dog. She was walking him straight to the dog park, sitting down, and letting him entertain himself.

Let’s talk about why that’s a problem.

• The dog walker had no idea if my client’s dog — or any other dog there — was up to date on vaccines. Health risk. Liability.

• If a fight had broken out, my client’s dog wasn’t ready for that kind of social pressure. He was still learning how to play appropriately. More liability.

• Most importantly, all that unstructured stimulation was working against the calm, neutral mindset my client had been working so hard to build. She was trying to teach her dog how to turn off an be neutral around dogs — and every other day, someone was undoing that progress without her even knowing.

And honestly? That’s just not what she was hired for. She hired someone to walk her dog, not drop him off at a free-for-all. 

Moral of the story: Know who’s walking your dog. Know what they’re doing while you’re not there.

Ask for updates — videos, photos. You have every right to know, just like you would with a babysitter.

And if you're taking training your dog seriously, then you want people helping you maintain that. Not undoing all the time, effort & money you've put into your dog.