MaryKay Dog Training

A huge congratulations to these wonderful dogs and their handlers who successfully passed their therapy dog assessment this weekend after training with us.

Watching these teams grow in confidence, calmness and connection has been such a privilege. These dogs have worked hard learning how to remain gentle, thoughtful and adaptable in a wide range of environments — all while still being the lovely dogs their families adore at home.

Therapy dogs do far more than just visit. They help people smile, start conversations, feel calmer, feel less alone and reconnect with the world around them. That takes a very special kind of dog and an equally dedicated handler behind them.

We are incredibly proud of every team and cannot wait to see the difference they make out in the community. Well done everyone — your dogs were brilliant.

Dogs get overwhelmed, just like we do. Some dogs get overwhelmed quicker than others because their bucket is smaller than other dogs (depending on their history, genetics), their bucket may have a big hole - which means the bucket empties quite quickly or it could have a small hole so it takes longer to empty. Equally your dog may have a big bucket, it can handle a lot, but fill that bucket to the rim and if the bucket has a small hole so it doesn't empty quickly, it doesn't take much to tip it over, then fill it up again and tip it over. It can take up to 72 hours for a dog to recover from both positive and negative stimulation. If your dog is being a 'naughty boy', consider all the experiences he's had in the last 2 or 3 days. Is it time for some down time, scatter feeding, game playing and training at home instead of going out and facing the big wide world?

Quiet Moments of Remembrance