Luna’s Next Big Adventure: Day School

Welcome back! We’re sorry it’s been a little quiet on the blog lately. We’ve been making a few changes to our website, which took plenty of time and energy. We hope you like the new look!

If you read our last post, you might remember us mentioning the special training Luna’s daycare offers. Well, we’ve made a decision about that, too.

This week marks the start of our next big adventure: Luna is starting day school! She’ll attend training at her daycare three days a week for four weeks. To say we’re excited would be an understatement. There are a few nerves mixed in, but the excitement definitely outweighs them.

Three weeks ago, I met with the trainer who will be working with Luna. We talked about her everyday behaviors and set realistic goals and expectations for her training. The trainer is at the daycare every day, so she and Luna already know each other.

She also shared a little about her background and what led her into dog training. She has years of experience working with reactive dogs, as well as training service dogs for veterans. She explained that she uses positive reinforcement, including praise and high-value treats. If there’s one thing Luna appreciates, it’s a high-value treat! Hearing about her approach helped me feel even more confident about enrolling Luna.

Our biggest goal is to help Luna stay calm and neutral around new and unfamiliar people. The trainer and I agree that Luna may never be the kind of dog who greets everyone like a best friend, and that’s okay. We’re not asking her to love every stranger. We want her to feel comfortable enough that someone entering a room or walking across the street doesn’t need to be a big event.

We’re hopeful that, with patience and consistency, she can make progress toward that goal. I was honest with the trainer: consistency is where we’ve fallen short. We’re more committed than ever to being patient, following through, and doing our part alongside Luna.

One of the things we love most about this program is that she’ll still have enrichment time with other dogs. Her days will include play, rest, and training. She’ll practice commands she already knows and work on loose-leash walking, desensitization, and socialization, all in a place where she already feels comfortable, with familiar people around her.

After her first week, we’ll have a one-on-one session with the trainer and Luna. We’ll go over what she’s been learning and how we can keep practicing at home.

A week after her final day of training, we’ll meet again to talk about her progress and whether additional day school would be helpful. Her trainer also works outside the daycare and runs a local dog club for people who want to meet fellow dog people and socialize their dogs outside of daycare.

We’re excited to see what Luna learns, and what we learn alongside her. Stay tuned for updates as our girl heads back to school!

And one more thing before you go: our Christmas collection debuts November 1! We can’t wait to share it with you.