One dog health topic I wish more people knew about is bloat, also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). After more than 22 years of training dogs, I’ve heard far too many stories from families who simply didn’t know this was something to be aware of. The goal isn’t to scare anyone—it’s simply to share a few easy habits that may help reduce the risk. Here are a few things we do with all of our dogs: 🐶 After meals, we let our dogs rest for at least one hour. No running, swimming, fetch, rough play, or vigorous exercise right after eating. 🐶 Feed in a calm environment. Our dogs either eat and then relax in their crate, or they eat and rest on their designated “place” while they digest their meal. 🐶 If your dog has just finished exercising and is panting heavily, let them cool down before feeding a meal. 🚨 Know the signs. If your dog has a swollen or tight-looking abdomen, tries to vomit but nothing comes up, is drooling excessively, pacing, or suddenly seems very uncomfortable, seek emergency veterinary care IMMEDIATELY. Bloat is a true emergency, and early treatment is critical. Prevention is always easier than dealing with an emergency, and hopefully this is one dog safety tip you’ll never have to use—but it’s one that’s worth knowing. 💙 Question for you: Is resting after meals already part of your dog’s routine, or is this a new dog safety tip for you? Let us know in the comments! 👇

One of the most important parts of raising and training a future service dog is desensitization. Desensitization simply means exposing a puppy to the sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, equipment, people, animals, and environments they may encounter in everyday life—and pairing those experiences with positive reinforcement. The goal is not to force the puppy into situations that are scary or overwhelming. The goal is to help them learn that new things are safe, normal, and nothing to worry about. In this video, Cole is working on several different types of desensitization at once: ✔ Learning to work around other dogs without needing to interact with them. ✔ Becoming comfortable wearing his new booties. ✔ Experiencing the sights and sounds of a public environment, including shopping carts, beeping noises, people moving around, and other unexpected distractions. ✔ Getting used to wearing his service dog vest. Just like people need time to get used to a new pair of shoes, dogs need time to get comfortable wearing new equipment. We don’t simply put the gear on and expect them to love it. Instead, we pair it with food, praise, play, and positive experiences! The same applies to public environments. A confident service dog isn’t born knowing that shopping carts, loud noises, other dogs, and busy stores are normal. Confidence is built through positive exposure and repetition. The goal is not just for the dog to tolerate these experiences. We want the dog to be comfortable, confident, and able to focus despite distractions. By introducing these things early and making them positive, we’re helping create a service dog that can confidently navigate the world and focus on their future job of helping their person. Small exposures. Lots of praise. Big and brave 💪 ❓How long does it take you to get used to a new pair of shoes?

Howdy guys. Cole is definitely feeling his teeth and gums right now. Hasn’t been too motivated for food lately like he normally is. Hopefully these puppy teeth fall out soon so I can get the highly food motivated Cole back!

If you have a puppy and a pool, pool safety is something that is REALLY important to think about 🐶 Having proper pool safety fencing/barriers in place is incredibly important because puppies are curious, fast, and accidents can happen very quickly. One of the best things you can teach young dogs early on is how to confidently find the stairs/exit of the pool in case they ever accidentally fall in. That’s what this video is demonstrating 👇 The process starts by introducing the puppies to the steps and helping them understand where the exit is. Then, little by little, the distance away from the stairs is increased so they can learn how to confidently swim back to safety on their own. A lot of dogs that do not understand where the exit is will instinctively swim to the edge of the pool and start trying to climb out vertically against the wall. Once panic sets in and they lose that natural horizontal swimming position, situations can become dangerous very quickly. Teaching puppies where the exit is ahead of time can make a huge difference in an emergency situation. It also helps build confidence and comfort around water at a young age 🐕‍🦺💦 If you have a dog, do they like swimming? Or are they part of the “absolutely not” club?

When you’re out and about with your service dog — doctor’s appointments, travel days, long outings — it’s always a good idea to have a doggy go bag ready to roll. Think of it like a diaper bag… but for your very important working dog!! Here’s what Saffy’s go bag looks like as a great example: 🦴 Comfort + Entertainment • Chew bone • Non-squeaky toy • Mat for your dog to settle on • Dog Booties 💧 Food + Water • Water jug • Drinking bowl • Extra treats • Food training pouch 🧻 Cleanup + “Just In Case” Supplies • Poop bags 💩 • Pee pad • Paper towels • Gloves • Towels • Wet wipes • Hand sanitizer • Extra Leash 🔌 Extras • Chargers Julie and Saffy even keep two versions of the bag: 👜 Small bag → quick outings like doctor appointments 🎒 Big bag → longer adventures when you want all the essentials Because when you’re prepared like this… you’re basically ready for anything. And trust me — if your dog is working somewhere boring for a while, having a chew or something to occupy them can make a huge difference. 💬 Now I’m curious… What do you keep in your dog’s go bag? Did we miss anything? Huge thank you to @Julie Kelley and Saffy for showing us Saffy’s diaper bag setup! 🐾✨