Auld Lang Paws
Every year has its share of muddy paws and golden moments.
Some dogs learned to walk politely on leash.
Some learned how to be brave again.
Some learned that the vacuum isn’t a personal enemy.
And somewhere in all that teaching and training, we humans learned too — patience, timing, empathy, forgiveness, and that magical sound a clicker makes when things finally connect.
As the year winds down, I like to pause — not just for the dogs I’ve trained, but for the people who’ve trusted me to help them understand their dogs a little better.
The Year of Conversations
This year wasn’t really about commands or cues. It was about conversations.
Every bark, glance, tail wag, and tiny try was a dog saying, “Here’s where I am.”
Our job was to listen — and answer kindly.
That’s what conversational training really is: a dialogue built on clicks, reinforcement, and respect.
A partnership where the goal isn’t perfection, it’s connection.
I watched so many teams this year find that rhythm — those first spark moments where dog and human start to move as one. It never gets old.
Roo, Bagheera, and the Lessons That Stay
Roo’s not here anymore, but she still shows up everywhere I look — in the calm pauses between sessions, in the gentle cues that say “slow down,” in the way I still catch myself whispering “Good girl” when I see Bagheera nail a timing mark.
Bagheera keeps the torch burning — equal parts goofball, teacher, and taste tester.
She reminds me daily that training isn’t about control; it’s about communication.
If Roo was wisdom, Bagheera is curiosity — both lighting the way, one pawprint after another.
What We Take Into the Next Year
If this year taught me anything, it’s that progress isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it looks like:
A dog choosing to look back instead of lunge.
A guardian remembering to breathe before reacting.
A single calm exhale at the door instead of a storm of barking.
Those are wins.
Tiny, powerful, ripple-out-into-everything wins.
And if you had even one of those moments this year, you’re doing it right.
Cheers to the Journey
So here’s to the ones still figuring it out.
To the puppies who think rules are optional.
To the rescues learning that safety doesn’t always wear a collar.
To the guardians trying, failing, trying again — and laughing through it.
Raise your mug of cocoa, coffee, or whatever’s in reach. Toast the small victories, the messy middle, and the long game of love that is life with dogs.
Because when we look back on this year — the wild walks, the quiet moments, the lessons learned — it’s clear that “Auld Lang Paws” isn’t just nostalgia.
It’s gratitude.
For every tail wag, every try, and every dog who helped us grow just a little more human.
