People often ask me how Wynston has become so confident and well-behaved. I even hear comments from strangers such as, “Wow! Look at him pose for the picture with all these distractions! How do you keep him so focused?” It all comes down to confidence. Wynston went from being a fearful, emaciated puppy to a brave, courageous boy. But how has he come so far? Wynston is so confident that he can fly on an airplane without anxiety, explore new trails without fear and sit in a loud expo hall without freaking out. I’m going to share nine ways to build your dog’s confidence based on our experience and success.
How to Help Your Dog Who’s Afraid of Storms
Having an anxious dog can be tough, particularly if they are afraid of thunderstorms. After all, there are many things you can do to mitigate anxiety-inducing situations for your pups, but controlling the weather is one thing that you just can’t do. Luckily, though, if you have a dog that is afraid of thunderstorms, there are some steps you can take to help make storms more tolerable and less panic-inducing for your pets. Here are some helpful ways that you can help out your scared dog during a storm.
How Do I Make My Dog An Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals have been in the news a lot lately. Or, should I say, FAKE emotional support animals. Remember that woman who recently tried to fly with an “emotional support” peacock? Like, give me a break. These incidents have tightened up policies, especially on airlines, and have brought a lot of issues to light. Wynston became a legal ESA a few months ago, and I’ve had a lot of people ask me, “how do I make my dog an emotional support animal?” The answer is – not on one of those registration websites…
Teach Your Pup to be Sassy in the 2017 Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop

When witches go riding and black cats are seen, doggies are howling…it’s near Halloween!
It’s time for the annual Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop, hosted by Kol’s Notes and Beagles & Bargains! This year’s giveaway is bigger than EVER, and you won’t want to miss all of the treats we are giving away. Learn an abundance of super fun dog tricks along the way, including ours: teaching your dog to be SASSY! How cute is that?! So, are you ready to learn tricks and win treats? I present to you the details…
How it works:
- Check out our video and instructions on how to teach your dog to be sassy!
- View all of the incredible prizes that are up for grabs!
- Enter to win on our blog, then head to the other participating blogs to enter. The more blogs you enter on, the higher your chances are to win.
Teach Your Dog to be Sassy
I’ve taught McKenzie Rae and Khloee both to be “sassy.” The trick involves a bark or quick howl, plus some sort of movement, like a jump or spin. What makes this trick fun and unique is that you can put your own spin on it (pun intended!). Check out the video below, then read my basic teaching instructions:
- If your dog can’t jump or spin, or bark or howl on command, I’d start by teaching them those basic tricks. Make sure you use lots of positive reinforcement!
- For last year’s giveaway, I taught “spin,” so check out that post to teach your pup how to spin 😀
- Teaching your dog to be sassy is really just combining a noise with a motion. Khloee likes to bark at me with attitude when I come home from being away, so I used that as fuel for the trick. Each time I’d get attitude from her, I’d ask “Why are you so sassy?” Then I started treating Khloee every time she would bark to positively reinforce the behavior, but only when I asked if she was sassy. I did not want to reinforce the barking unless I was asking for it.
- Once your dog knows how to “speak” combine it with the “spin” trick I linked for you above.
- Add the “sassy” queue once your dog has perfected each motion!
Join Kol’s Notes and Beagles & Bargains


PLUS
for 10 days of awesome dog tricks, fabulous dog treats, and OVER $850 worth of fun and prizes!
GRAND PRIZE:
$300 Gift Card to PetSmart
SECOND PRIZE:
CleverPet Hub
$299 VALUE – SPONSORED BY CLEVERPET
THIRD PRIZE:
Golden Milk, Eggnog, Pumpkin Spice Latte,Cuddles, and Smooches
$68 VALUE – SPONSORED BY THE HONEST KITCHEN
FOURTH PRIZE:
Halloween Trick Ball, Halloween Treat Ball,and Maple Leaf Nook
$50 VALUE – SPONSORED BY PLANET DOG
FIFTH PRIZE:
Duck & Yogurt Bully Puffs, Chicken & Cheddar Bully Puffs,Lamb & Peanut Butter Bully Puffs, Bacon & Liver Bully Puffs,and Bacon Chips (1 Bag Each)
$40 VALUE – SPONSORED BY HEALTH EXTENSION
PLUS follow all bloggers on Instagram for a chance to win a SPECIAL SOCIAL MEDIA PRIZE:
$100 Gift Card to PetSmart
WHERE TO ENTER:
Learn to Crawl
by Kol’s Notes
Learn to Calmly Ride in Elevators
by Beagles & Bargains
Learn to Not Freak Out When a Doorbell Rings
by A Dog Walks into a Bar
Learn to Ring a Bell
by ChiPets
Learn to be “Sassy”
by Dog Mom Days
Learn Whistle Recall
by Fetch for Me, Human
Learn “Beg”, “Which Hand”, and Indoor Exercise Trick Sets
by Fidose of Reality
Learn to Stand on Your Hind Legs
by Heart Like A Dog
Learn to Kiss
by It’s Dog or Nothing
Learn to Touch
by Life With Beagle
Learn to Pick It Up or Take It
by My Dog Likes
Learn to Crawl Through a Tight Tunnel
by My GBGV Life
Learn to Shake Paws (for Dogs Who Don’t Like Their Paws Touched!)
by Sarcastic Dog
Learn Puppy Push Ups
by Spencer the Goldendoodle
Learn Two Dog Tricks
by Tails from the Road
Learn “Paw” and “Shake Paw”
by Talent Hounds
Learn to Cover Your Eyes
by Tenacious Little Terrier
Learn to Jump Through a Hoop
by The Broke Dog
Learn to Spin
by The Daily Pip
Learn to Open Doors
by Wag ‘n Woof Pets
Visit each blog for more chances to win!
Follow #TrickorTreatDogs!
Enter to win our giveaway using the widget below. Be sure to view our full giveaway disclosures, and enter on all of the blogs listed above. Good luck!
Back to School For Dogs + Giveaway!
Around the US, school aged kids are getting back to the learning grind. In Arizona, year round schools are already back in session (yay for quieter shopping during the day!). For a lot of households, dogs and cats are having to get used to the kids being out of the house all day once more, which can sometimes be a difficult transition. So why not make it a fun, learning experience for our dogs? I personally don’t have children, but I’m using this time to get back to the basics. It’s back to school for dogs; let’s touch on training and tasks you can do with your dogs to signify a new school year. Pups need school supplies too, so enter to win three super fun school themed toys!
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