The benefit of making dogs face their fears immediately. And how quickly that translates over to confidence in other areas. And that also relates to humans!... The more we run from our fears, the bigger they get. I've learned just as much from the dogs as I've learned about them!

@Nick Benger For example, with my service dogs we introduce them to Halloween decorations. Some dogs walk right past, others get uncomfortable/avoidant. The moment you let them hide behind your legs or avoid the thing, that’s when they learn that avoiding works, and it makes the fear stick around even longer. It’s wild how much faster they get over things when you make them face it right away. And the cool part is, it doesn’t just apply to one thing — that confidence bleeds over into other areas. If they learn they can handle the “scary” Halloween skeleton, they’re braver with other noises, surfaces, or situations too. And honestly, it’s the same for people. The longer we avoid the things that scare us, the bigger they grow. But the quicker we face it, the quicker we realize it’s not so bad, and we "shake it off". That’s been my biggest lightbulb with dogs: helping them face their fears immediately not only shrinks the fear, it builds lasting confidence everywhere else.

Hahaah!! Well I did say give it specific instructions so it learns your speech patterns and personality…. soooo apparently that means Welsh 😂😂

@Dave Alexander Yes, thanks so much for inquiring — and you’re very right! Many dog trainers don’t quite understand both aspects of service dog work. One part is actually training the dog and making sure the dog is well prepared, but the other part is making it clear to the recipients how important it is to keep up the training. I help people train their personal dogs, and I also provide program dogs. And no matter which path someone takes, the most important thing is that they take action every day with their dog — building the bond, continuing to level up their skills, and maintaining the training long-term. Another challenge I see is that trainers can be a little flaky, and people are left without support. I even experienced some burnout myself, which is why I created the Cool Dog Skool community — it encourages and incentivizes people to actually train with their dogs daily. It also gives me accountability to check in, make sure people are working with their dogs, and help them have the best possible relationship while keeping up the training that we worked so hard to implement. If you’re interested in more service dog stuff, I have a free community here!: 👉 https://www.skool.com/asa-service-dogs-1614/about?ref=44078e06d1e84d689b341de4a25d1813

@Dave Alexander Honestly, I didn’t know what this was going to turn into when I started. I really came into this space thinking I just wanted to create a one-and-done course. I’ve always hated the Facebook community vibe, so I was pretty averse to the whole “community aspect.” But the more I’ve been doing it and showing up every day, the more I’ve realized it gives me accountability too — to train with my dogs consistently and be available for my people. And at the same time, the members are clearly feeding off of each other’s energy. Everyone’s on the same path, but they’re doing slightly different things, and that creates this cool mix of ideas. For example, right now we’re running a “Leave It” challenge. One person had their dog leave a toy thrown in the pool, another had their dog leave a pup cup, someone else did food placed right on their dog’s paws. It’s fun because we’re all learning new angles of the same concept from each other. And the breakthroughs have been incredible. A client I placed a dog with five years ago is back, training again, creating educational videos, and asking new questions. Another woman’s bulldog recently alerted for the first time to her high heart rate out in public, after we’ve all been watching her progress for months. That post had half the community tearing up because we were all so proud 😊 I even had one member tell me she grew up in a home without much positive reinforcement — so to now be in a space where she gets encouragement not just from me but from everyone in the group has been life-changing for her. That’s the vibe I love: people taking action, leveling up, and feeling supported while they do it. So yeah, it turned into something way cooler than I ever planned — a space where people are motivated to train because they’re thinking “what’s the next video I’ll make? what’s the next skill I’ll teach?” And the results are showing up!! Great question, thanks for asking! Do you run a community yourself, or are you a trainer?

@Nick Benger Yeah, so this is how I do it — I just hit the little voice mic on ChatGPT and talk out my response to people. Like if someone posts a video, I’ll give some positive reinforcement along with a little idea or tip, and I just talk it out. Then I ask ChatGPT to rewrite it in a warm, congratulatory tone, and over time it kind of learns my verbiage and the way I like to respond. I’ll even tell it to save certain phrasing or styles so it keeps replying in a way that sounds like me. Then I can just copy and paste. It makes the whole process way faster because I can talk way quicker than I can type.

@Holly Pearson for sure! Glad it helped 😄 It’s a game changer- I also tend to over explain and talk in circles sometimes lol so it helps me narrow down my points! Also be sure to tell it how you want it to respond- warm, professional, to the point etc. and ask it to save your preferences!

@Gabe Florsheim awesome!! Love those labbies...where is this video taken? Cool woods 🌲

@Nick Benger yes! Agreeed - I don't know how but she's like aging backwards haha. She used to be a hot mess (I rescued her and she had alot of anxiety and some aggression). Now she's like the happiest potato, super sweet and chill and doin big things lol 💪