My Dogs Helped Me with My Yardwork... Sort Of!

Hey there,

Welcome to the first edition of my weekly newsletter! I’m excited to share training insights, personal stories, and updates from my work with dogs—both my clients’ and my own.

This past week, I took on a big yard project, and my dogs—Archer and Captain—found a way to make it both more challenging and more rewarding.

Meet My Crew:

🐾 Archer is my 3-year-old German Shepherd/Husky mix—high-energy, intelligent, and always looking for an adventure. He has a high prey drive and a tendency to escape if given the chance, which keeps me on my toes!

🐾 Captain is my 8-year-old Pit/Rat Terrier mix. He’s smaller but full of confidence and personality. Unlike Archer, who’s always looking for action, Captain prefers finding the most comfortable spot in the yard—unless wheels are involved, in which case, all bets are off.

The Bark Chip Delivery That Took Over My Sidewalk

I’m working on transitioning my front yard to a mostly native scape—less lawn, more heavy mulch, and a landscape that supports pollinators and beneficial insects. As a bonus, I wanted to create a more engaging space for my dogs to sniff, explore, and dig around.

To help with that, I used a service that lets local tree-cutters drop off their wood chips instead of hauling them away. Flash forward to Sunday, when the delivery arrives—while I’m at work. I come home to find a massive pile of bark chips spilling onto the sidewalk and into the street.

I spent the next two mornings clearing at least the sidewalk, hauling load after load of bark chips with my wagon. And that’s when my dogs turned my yardwork into a training session.

Captain vs. The Wagon

As soon as I started rolling the wagon, I could hear Captain going absolutely nuts inside the house. He has a specific reactivity to the sound of wheels rolling—trash cans are his greatest nemesis. Since he’s great about staying in the yard, I decided to use this as a training opportunity.

I brought out a raised dog cot and put him in a place command while I worked, hauling the wagon back and forth. He wasn’t perfect—he broke position a few times—but I didn’t say a word. I simply used my body language to direct him back.

💡 Training takeaway: Dogs understand our body language far more than our words. Adding verbal commands when they’re already confused often makes things worse. By staying calm and consistent, I helped Captain understand what I wanted without overwhelming him with corrections.

Archer, The Escape Artist & The 15ft Long Line

Archer, on the other hand, is my flight risk in the front yard. He’s especially tempted by a neighbor’s beautiful catio down the road. I knew I needed a way to let him be involved without risking a sudden escape.

Enter my new favorite training tool—a 15ft long-line rope.

I clipped him to the tie-out where he could see the catio and passing dogs. I didn’t give him commands or micromanage his behavior. Instead, I rewarded him with praise every time he calmed himself down after getting excited or when he voluntarily checked in with me.

💡 Training takeaway: Not every training moment needs to be about giving commands. Sometimes the best thing we can do is let our dogs work through their emotions, then reinforce the good choices they make.

Try It This Week!

Next time you’re doing a chore—whether it’s yardwork, cooking, or even watching TV—see if you can incorporate a small training opportunity. Maybe a 'stay' while you cook dinner or a 'down' while you work on the computer. Just don’t forget to release them from that stay.

I’d love to hear from you—have you ever turned a daily task into a training opportunity? Hit reply and let me know!

Looking forward to sharing more next week!

Best,
Steve