Service Dog Success - with Victoria Warfel

Tera and Victoria are driving home and needed to get this information to you. What all do puppies need to know first? Is "sit" and "no" the most important things to teach first (NO!)? Does early training pay off?

Flying from Central Florida to Los Angeles for Sephoria - and what attending the event was like.

Bragging on Panini & Pirate getting "Excellent" hips. What health testing means, and what to look for.

Holly & Victoria address questions you need to think about before deciding if a service dodging is right for you.

Why Beauty? How does it tie in to service dogs? Let me tell you how...

Goals and planning for an amazing 2026 - personal and service dog related

I received an email from a listener with a bunch of questions. Here are the answers.

Service PuppyService ProspectService Dog In TrainingService Dog

There are "unicorns" - but to set yourself up for success, we recommend going with one of our Goldens. And here is why.

We went to Charlotte, North Carolina for a go home. Here is our recap on the drive home.

How to prep your dog for theme parks!

Tera, Willy, Bridget and I were on our way to the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. During our hour car ride, we discussed PUPPIES - and what you NEED to know about them and their training.

Holly joined me on a Facebook live to discuss Halloween safety.

Here is the history of where we are now.

Its been a couple months - here is what has been going on with Hope Service Dogs & with me.

Mistakes and how to course correct

So many tasks, so little time...

Kind of a tangent-y episode.

One of our audience questions, that we answer.

What to do if your service dog does NOT like their gear?

And what is the difference between SD, ESA, Therapy dog?

Regarding people who try to "beat the system"

What you do with your puppy depends on what you want when your puppy is grown.

The main socialization mistakes we see.

Can Service Dogs Still Be Dogs?  explores the balance between a service dog's working role and their ability to enjoy a fulfilling, happy life. While service dogs have important jobs, they should still be allowed to experience play, relaxation, and bonding with their handlers.Blog on this episode - https://hopeservicedogs.org/blog/can-service-dogs-still-be-dogs

In this refreshingly honest episode, Victoria from Service Dog Success dives nose-first into the not-so-talked-about world of dog reproduction. From heat cycles and hormone development to when (and why) you shouldn’t rush into spaying and neutering, she breaks down what every responsible dog owner should know. Expect humor, science, personal anecdotes, and just enough “hoo-ha” talk to keep it real.To read the blog post related to this, https://hopeservicedogs.org/blog/understanding-dog-reproduction-what-you-need-to-know-about-spaying-and-neutering

Positivity in life AND dog training. Along with doctor update and thoughts on it.

How to keep your dog safe at the veterinarian office.

Nail trims, medications, grooming - it can be so much easier once you and your dog have a relationship based on trust and cooperation. Here is how to get it.

Our puppies are heading home - clickers charged and ready to learn! Here is some key info on starting your puppies training right.

Client calls and our advice

A listener asked about washing/retiring their service dog who has been in training for a year, due to lack of enthusiasm for the job. Here is my response.

While NePoPo has its benefits, it is not THE technique (protocol?) that is best for service dogs. Here is some information what we have discovered along the way.

Goal setting for 2025 and tangents (of course) with Holly and Angus

Jamie, Bert & I attended the annual APDT conference in Riverside, California.

Do you bring your service dog along?

We spent two days at Downtown Disney, along with a day at Disneyland and at Disney's California Adventure.

We were in LA for just a couple days. After Universal Studios, we went to Marina del Ray for breakfast, then walked (rolled) to Venice Beach.

Jamie and I (and Bert) did the VIP experience at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

James, Owlbert and I flew from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California for our 10-day trip covering LA, Universal Hollywood, Venice Beach, Disneyland, and Riverside for the APDT (Association of Pro Dog Trainers) Conference. I broke his down into parts, this first includes traveling with your service dog via Southwest Airlines and lyft/uber.

Hurricane Milton came through and caused some serious devastation to Florida. Luckily we were spared. Here is how we prepped for it.

We attended SEPHORiA 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia - me and Owlbert & Tera and Pirate. Here is how it went.

Owlbert & his daughter Pirate came with us to Georgia Aquarium - here is how it went.

Owlbert & his daughter Pirate came with Tera & I on our road trip to Atlanta. Tips and advice on traveling with your service dog.

we have had people ask us questions, here are our answers.

since we are on our way to Atlanta for Sephoria 2024, here is a recap of last years, in New York City. We also discuss the challenges of service dogs in big cities.

all of our breeding dogs have earned their IABCA international championships. Tera joins me in discussing the experience and why we aim to earn this.

I was diagnosed at 19 yr old, but have been passing out since I was in the single digits. Here about my dysautonomia journey.

This episode is in response to a comment on one of our earlier episodes, asking about having your service dog carry medications for you.

What we love and what we don't.