Sara Ondrako

09/30/2026

Short on time? You can still squeeze in meaningful training even on the busiest of days. Here’s just one example!

09/28/2026

I normally leave people alone but this needs attention because it needs to stop. The animal training industry is not regulated - there is very little consumer protection and knowledge is everything to ensure the safety of your animals and your family. This is abuse. Plain and simple.

I don’t care how you label yourself as a trainer - “balanced,” “force-free,” etc. The label doesn’t make the trainer - how you approach the individual in front of you in your care makes the trainer.

Pet parents need to know that these self-proclaimed professionals cause significantly more harm than good and not only to advocate for their dogs but if you’ve paid one of these abusers, to speak up and get your money back. On one hand, I cannot fathom that people are paying other people to abuse their dogs 🤯 Yet on the other hand, I get it because people are supposed to be able to trust the “experts” that they know what they are doing.

Not in this industry.

Abuse is abuse. Intentional. On purpose. No excuses. When you know better, do better.

Thank you and for speaking up!

08/15/2026

The real cost of having a puppy is not the purchase price - it’s the care that comes after the purchase or adoption. The supplies, THE TRAINING, the medical care and prevention, THE TRAINING, the pet care when you travel, the pet fee at your apartment complex, and the list goes on.

The money you spend to bring the puppy home is nothing compared to the mo why you spend setting your puppy up for a lifetime of success. Think you can’t afford training but you can afford to buy a puppy? You can’t afford not to. Adopt instead or save your pennies. Puppies are dependent on rely on YOU to make responsible decisions for them. Start with being prepared to care for them more than being prepared to buy them.

08/14/2026

This is a very well-written post that lights the forest through the trees. While directed to trainers, pet parents need this information as well. Never be afraid to ask questions. In an unregulated and complex industry, there’s no consumer protection. Education is everything.

An Open Letter to the Next Generation of Dog Trainers

If you're just getting into dog training, I want to tell you something I've been sitting with for a while.

I'm genuinely worried about the education you're receiving.

Not because I think you're being taught to care less about dogs. I actually think this generation cares more deeply about welfare, emotion, and doing right by the animal than any before it.

That's a good thing.

What worries me is that somewhere along the way, we started replacing education with ideology.

And ideology is starting to decide what you're even allowed to learn.

I don't care what you eventually call yourself.

Force-free. Balanced. Positive reinforcement trainer. LIMA. Whatever.

I genuinely don't care.

Because before you decide what kind of trainer you want to be, you deserve the opportunity to actually learn how dog training works.

All of it.

Instead, we're moving from:

"Learn everything. Understand it. Question it. Then make informed decisions."

to:

"We don't do that, so you don't need to learn it."

Trainers are expected to agree to codes, pledges, or restrictions about methods and equipment before they've even had the opportunity to fully understand what they're choosing not to use.

Think about that for a second.

We're asking people to make professional decisions about things we're simultaneously telling them they shouldn't learn.

That's not education.

Dogs don't stop learning through punishment because we stopped teaching it.

They don't stop experiencing negative reinforcement because we don't like discussing it.

Pressure doesn't disappear because we've decided pressure is bad.

Learning theory doesn't change because an organization changes its ethical position.

Positive reinforcement exists. Negative reinforcement exists. Positive punishment exists. Negative punishment exists.

You can make ethical decisions about when, whether, and how you intentionally use those processes.

But you still need to understand them. Because they're happening whether you intentionally use them or not.

And the same thing is happening with mechanical literacy.

Every piece of equipment has mechanics. A harness. A flat collar. A head halter. A slip lead. A prong collar. A long line.

They change leverage. They change where pressure occurs. They change how movement from your hand travels to the dog. They change how quickly information appears and disappears.

Learning those differences teaches your hands.

Timing. Pressure. Release. Movement. Position. Observation.

It teaches you to notice the tiny shift in weight before the dog moves. The moment tension appears in the leash. The difference between guiding and restraining. The half-second-late release that changes what the dog learns.

You might learn every one of those tools and ultimately decide you never want to use half of them.

Good. That's what an informed professional decision looks like.

Because there's a massive difference between:

"I understand and know exactly how this works, I've considered the risks and benefits, and I've decided not to use it."

and:

"I've never learned how it works because the people educating me told me good trainers don't use it."

One is education.

The other is ideology.

And I worry we're stripping away the first while congratulating ourselves for the second.

Here's where this eventually matters:

You're going to meet difficult dogs. Not Instagram dogs. Not demonstration dogs. Real dogs.

Dogs with complicated histories. Dogs with bite histories. Dogs whose behaviour has already cost them pieces of their lives. Dogs living under layers and layers of management. Dogs whose owners are exhausted. Dogs who don't respond the way your course told you they would. Dogs where there isn't an obvious perfect answer.

And that's when the depth of your education matters. You need more than a list of things you're allowed to do.

You need to understand behaviour. Learning. Mechanics. Welfare. Risk. What happens when Plan A doesn't work. And Plan B. And Plan C.

Because sometimes the dog standing in front of you isn't going to fit neatly inside your ideology.

And when that happens, the dog shouldn't pay the price for the gaps in your education.

That's my concern.

While the industry fights about which side gets to claim science, there are dogs whose worlds are getting smaller. Dogs spending their lives under management. Dogs who can't safely access environments. Dogs who never gain the skills necessary for greater freedom. Dogs whose families eventually reach the limits of what they can manage.

No, that doesn't mean every one of those dogs needs a prong collar or a remote collar. That's exactly the kind of simplistic thinking I'm arguing against.

It means you need enough education to evaluate the individual dog and understand the options in front of you.

Sometimes the answer will be reinforcement. Sometimes management. Sometimes environmental change. Sometimes changing the owner's expectations. Sometimes deciding that a particular goal isn't appropriate at all.

And sometimes professionals will disagree about what the best option is.

Good. That's what happens in complicated fields.

But you should understand enough to participate in that conversation.

I don't want you blindly defending tools. I don't want you blindly condemning them either.

I want you educated enough that you don't need someone else to tell you what to think.

Learn reinforcement incredibly well. Learn punishment. Learn motivation. Learn frustration. Learn pressure and release. Learn timing. Learn mechanics. Learn management. Learn body language. Learn emotion. Learn welfare. Learn risk.

Learn the science. Learn its limitations too.

Learn everything you possibly can.

Then decide what kind of trainer you want to be.

Because knowledge doesn't force you to use something. Knowledge gives you the ability to make an informed decision not to.

That's what I think we're forgetting.

I don't care what label the next generation of trainers chooses.

I care whether we've educated you well enough to deserve the dogs who will eventually be standing in front of you.

Because while ideology might win arguments online, dogs don't benefit from trainers who were taught less.

They benefit from trainers who understand more.

06/24/2026

When someone wants to run a marathon, they don’t practice by jogging a mile in the neighborhood and then showing up race day expecting to crush it. There’s a lot of conditioning that goes on from the day they sign up to months (or sometimes years) later when they actually show up to that start line.

As humans, we know consistent practice is required to get good at something - to succeed - like playing the piano and singing in a concert hall or competitively shooting in the Olympics like 🔫

Not to say you are looking to compete with your dog at that level, but you likely get the point - you can’t try something a few times with your dog and expect perfection from them on, especially under varying circumstances.

Practice often. Reinforce heavily for the behaviors you want to see repeated. Be consistent. There’s no downside 😉 As they say, you’ll never regret the time you spent with your dog while you could.

Also - all this recipe talk made me hungry so I included my favorite Italian cookbook at the end that I HIGHLY recommend 😋

06/11/2026

Say it with me - nothing works but the work. Sure, there are lots of tools and catalysts to behavior change (not just dog behavior 😉) but it’s the practice you put in - the work - that makes the difference in the long run.

Trainers and consultants are your coaches and cheerleaders - they show you the way and encourage you. You’re the athlete in this scenario and you can have the most talented coach and the most enthusiastic cheerleaders but if you don’t put in the practice, you’re not winning the game.

Dog training and behavior modification isn’t much different. It’s up to you to make the magic happen.

05/28/2026

So you got a Beauceron puppy, what next?

There seems to be a growing trend of people getting Beaucerons without fully understanding what living with a shepherd breed actually looks like day to day… especially during puppyhood and adolescence.

So let’s talk about what is NORMAL in this breed.

A correct Beauceron is not typically soft, timid, easygoing, or easily self settling when puppies. They are intelligent, physical, environmentally aware working dogs bred to think, react, engage, and move livestock.

A young Beauceron may:
• Be mouthy and use their mouth constantly during play, excitement, frustration, or engagement.
• Struggle to settle without being taught how.
• Have extremely high stamina and endurance.
• Become easily overstimulated.
• Push boundaries and test consistency, especially as a teenager.
• Be vocal, demanding, pushy, or intense.
• Need significant structure, training, and clear expectations.
• Go through periods where they seem “too much”.

This does NOT automatically mean the dog is aggressive, unstable, dominant, poorly bred, or bad. It means you likely have a normal young shepherd.

These dogs were not created to be passive house pets that naturally self regulate with no guidance. They were bred to work closely with humans while also possessing enough independence, confidence, and resilience to handle pressure and make decisions (part of being a good herding dog).

A Beauceron puppy needs:
• Boundaries and consistency.
• Appropriate mental and physical outlets, with frequent periods of rest. Puppies require more sleep than the average person would think.
• Training focused on engagement, neutrality and emotional regulation.
• Clear communication.
• Guidance through arousal instead of constant stimulation, which often times can mean firm but FAIR handling.

More exercise is often times not the answer. Many owners accidentally create an endurance athlete with zero off switch by trying to wear their Beauceron puppy out or having them engage with puzzles, chews and toys constantly being busy and not just asking your puppy to “exist”.

An overtired, overstimulated Beauceron often becomes MORE chaotic, not less. Teaching a Beauceron how to settle is just as important as teaching obedience. The art of doing nothing is a real struggle for most young Beaucerons.

This breed can be so incredible. They’re deeply loyal, versatile, thoughtful, powerful, athletic, stable, and exceptionally capable. But they are rarely effortless. If you want a dog that naturally requires very little structure, very little training, and easily blends into the background of your life, this is not the breed for you. And that’s okay!

I describe most Beaucerons as having “main character vibes” which can be so much fun for those prepared but also so overwhelming for those who are not.

The goal should never be to shame normal breed behavior out of a working dog. The goal should be to understand it, channel it, and raise the dog in front of you appropriately.

05/23/2026

Most pills don’t taste good and dogs are all about tasting the good stuff! That can make administering necessary medication to your dog a challenge. Sure, you can go old school and shove it down their throat, close their mouth, and blow on their nose until they lick it so you know they’ve swallowed (yep-that’s how we used to get it done and just move on the next) but that’s a pretty unpleasant experience for the dog. It’s also unnecessary since there are many other ways to get your pup happily swallowing their medication - sometimes without even realizing that they did like Nova. Here’s one of those ways.

When it comes to medication administration, having your dog on a solid feeding routine (rather than grazing) and ensuring they have enriching activities that involve their food (like puzzle bowls, snuffle mats, etc.) can make a huge difference in being able to easily give them a pill here or there when you need to. Prevention is always the best medicine - behavior is no exception 😊

03/20/2026

Chin-up buttercup!
If you haven't practiced this one with your pup yet, give it a try.

The chin rest is a helpful skill that, when built in well, can tap into your dog's own agency to build trust and comfort with being physically handled in various situations, like medical care or grooming.

A chin rest is part of the Cooperative Care method, where a dog learns to cooperate with handling based on trust-building, choice in participation, and predictable patterns.

This is a demo on how to begin building a chin rest.

This can easily be translated into resting a chin on an object, such as a perch or a rolled-up towel, as a chin cushion while being handled.

When taught early to puppies and used alongside other handling skills and strategic fun visits, it can prevent fears and anxieties that dogs often develop as they age, including during veterinary visits.

The chin rest is a helpful skill that when built in well, can tap into your dog’s own agency to build trust and comfort with being physically handled in vari...

03/12/2026

Remember that long-form video where I showed you, step by step, how I taught my dog to enjoy having her teeth brushed? If not, it's attached here 😉 More importantly, and not so obvious, is that I use this exact method to teach MANY behaviors to dogs!

Behaviors such as cleaning their paws when they come in muddy, without running off or becoming nervous about getting their paws beign wiped. Nail trimming, getting a blood draw from the vet techs at the hospital - these are all end behaviors that involve using behavior chaining to get to that end goal result. No matter the behavior, you can use this type of breakdown as a backbone to teach smaller, easier behaviors and then chain them together to reach the desired end behavior.

Also, remember that time when my hair was this short?! 😱

Last one: Also, remember that just because Pet Dental Month is over, it doesn't mean you should forget how important oral health is to overall health. Do your dog's mouth, your wallet, and your relationship with your dog a favor by following these steps to help your dog become comfortable with teeth brushing.

🐶 HELPFUL DENTAL PRODUCTS:○ Petsmile Toothpaste and Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/49xZjFn○ Bark Bright Dental Treats: https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100674124...