Well, It Is a YAPPY Hour, Right? | A Dog Trainer Tells All

I’m writing this the same weekend as our first Dog Friendly SA Yappy Hour––it was a blast! If you didn’t make it out, you have to keep your eyes peeled for the next one!

I took my little Schnauzer, Reishi. Due to my incredibly busy work schedule and the fact that any evening I have off I’d rather be in my PJ’s, she doesn’t get out to crowded dog-friendly spots too often. So, picture this: I’m walking in LATE to an event on an outdoor patio bar that is about half full with dogs and people. I am carrying a chalkboard almost as tall as I am, brochures, and a box full of PPA koozies and magnets. Attached to my hip is a little 12 lb barking Schnauzer. She’s so excited- dogs, food, people, oh my! I set my stuff down then get my clicker and treat pouch ready. I have to spend about 30 minutes doing interludes of training before Reishi starts to calm down. Trust me- the thought of “Oh no, I made a mistake by bringing her!” crossed my mind. But this is real life training––training on the spot! Once Reishi gets the task and calms down, I begin to mingle. 

We set up a very casual Trainer Q&A. To get things kicked off, Amy, DFSA founder, makes the comment about how refreshing it is that a professional trainer has a dog that is also yappy and not perfect. My first thought: Well it is a YAPPY hour right!? My second thought: What a perfect topic for my first DFSA contribution!  

So, let me introduce myself. My name is Stephanie and I am the Owner and Dog Trainer at Pup Pup & Away. I’ve been working in the pet industry since 2007 and have been training since 2013. I have two Schnauzers: Sully, 9-years-old and named after former Texas governor and president of Texas A&M, and Reishi, a tad over 1-year-old and named after a mushroom. These two have a lot in common but are also so opposite and are teaching me such different lessons. If you ever see me with a Schnauzer on my hip, it’s most likely Reishi and she’ll most likely greet you with a “WOOWOOOO”. 

Sully has his own set of issues. Children make him really uncomfortable which is my fault for not socializing him to kids when he was a puppy. He also is very quick to associate neutral stimuli with fear if just once it’s paired with a scary consequence. He is afraid of flies, thunder, fireworks, the training clicker and his own farts… He used to be extremely leash reactive, meaning he would bark and lunge when seeing people and other dogs on leash. Now, through a consistent training process, he can walk and pass about 90% of people and dogs without a second thought. But he’s very anxious and hates being my demo dog, which is why you’ll never see him at a working event. 

Reishi is an excitable bundle of energy. She loves dogs and people and wants to say hi to everyone. When the leash stops her from reaching her goal, she used to bark uncontrollably. We are still working on this, but thanks to impulse control exercises and incremental advancement, she is about 60% better. It’s now our goal to work in heavily populated areas.  

What I’d like for you to leave with is that training is a process. Our dogs are constantly learning and it’s our job to be sure the lessons they take are good ones. Even though I am a professional trainer, the struggle is real for me and my dogs, too. There is no magic wand to wave or pill to take that I kept for myself and hide from my clients. 

I think it’s better for my potential clients to see me with an imperfect dog. I want you to know that having a well-behaved dog is indeed attainable. If I walked into every bar, park, or DFSA event with a perfect dog, you might think “Well, of course! She’s a trainer! My dog could never do that.” Instead, I hope you get inspired and think “Oh, I see what she’s doing. I can do that too!”