DOG TRAINING OFFERED IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

Our dog training services are delivered in almost any format that meets your needs.  We have GROUP CLASSES at our indoor and outdoor facilities on our farm,  ONLINE LIVE STREAMING classes, and SELF-PACED VIDEO-BASED training through our Online Dog Training Course.  Our PRIVATE TRAININGS can be done in-home, outside, in public dog-friendly locations, at our facility on our farm, online via phone or video conferencing and through email.

IN THIS ISSUE

ISSUE # 190  May 2026

TRAIN MY DOG: Two Birthdays, One Takeaway – Are You Helping Your Dog Live Their Best Life? | Week 9: pick up Zooka from the breeder in North Carolina and settle in at home in Colorado with our eating, exercise, training and sleeping routines | Meet Blitzen, an 8 month old Vizsla and our newest addition to the family

Recent Pics: April 2026 Photos

Calendar: Classes and Events Schedule

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TRAIN MY DOG

THE BIRTHDAY ISSUE:THE MISTAKES OWNERS MAKE AS DOGS AGE

Takeaway

  • Birthdays are checkpoints, not just celebrations
  • Dogs change across life stages—and your approach must change with them
  • The key to a great dog over time = ongoing adjustment, not one-time training

Life Stage Summary

Puppy Stage

  • Early behavior is not a guarantee of future behavior
  • You’re shaping direction, not observing a finished dog
  • Good and bad habits form quickly—be intentional

Adolescent / Young Adult Stage

  • This is where things often fall apart if you stop working
  • Don’t treat them like a puppy or expect full maturity
  • Consistency and continued socialization are critical

Mature Adult Stage

  • Training becomes maintenance, not intensive work
  • You get to enjoy the results of your effort
  • Keep reinforcing, but shift toward fun and lifestyle integration

Senior Stage

  • Physical changes can look like behavior problems
  • Confidence and safety matter more than performance
  • Older dogs can still learn—just adjust how you teach

Big Principles

  • Don’t assume dogs will “grow out of” behaviors
  • Match expectations to developmental stage
  • Adjust environment and training as your dog changes
  • Training is lifelong, not something you finish

OTHER FUN STUFF WE DID

CALENDAR

Upcoming Classes in Highlands Ranch

Our Saturday & Tuesday evening classes are held outdoors at various locations, typically within close proximity to Santa Fe and C-470.

  • Polite Pooches in Public: Saturdays, 5 pm, new class 5/30
  • Juvenile Delinquents: Saturdays, 3:45 pm, new class 5/30

Upcoming Classes at The Light of Dog Farm

  • Puppy Preschool:  Sundays 1:15 pm, rolling enrollment
  • Basic Training: Sundays, new class 5/17 & 7/19
  • Juvenile Delinquents:  Sundays 3:45 pm, new class 6/7
  • Intermediate:  Sundays 12:00 pm, new class 5/10 & 7/12
  • Dogs Unleashed:  Sundays 10:45 am, new class 5/3

Click here for our complete group class & events schedule with available spaces.

Upcoming Events at The Light of Dog Farm

WHO IS THE LIGHT OF DOG

About Us

The “Kids”
Zooka (Vizsla) joined us in July 2019. Current jobs are: entertaining our visiting dogs; being the demo dog at classes as needed; being a “neutral” dog for dog-reactive private training client sessions; providing content for blog posts; helping keep Blitzen in shape and out of trouble; being patient with his brother Blitzen. Blitzen (Vizsla) joined us in December 2020.  Current jobs are: wearing out visiting dogs; being a “neutral” dog for dog-reactive private training client sessions; providing content for blog posts; working on finding his “zen”.

Wife & Husband
Sue Brown, behavior consultant, dog trainer and writer extraordinaire and Eddie Soehnel, dog products, farm manager and the techie.

The Light of Dog Farm
We live and operate from 14-acres in Sedalia, where we have indoor and outdoor facilities for training and boarding, fenced private dog park rental and a USDA-licensed kitchen for dog food products, We grow using regenerative agriculture and free-range our chickens in protected spaces.


Our goal is to positively impact the lives of as many dogs and their families as we can, in part through our extensive library of video, infographics and text articles.

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