In the agility community, we tend to celebrate the puppy who "takes it all in stride" - who tugs in the airport, sleeps through your first night together, takes to training like a baby genius, and fits in with your household of older dogs like they've always been part of the pack.

But what do you do when that ISN'T your puppy?

Spire, my now one-year-old working kelpie, was NOT that puppy. She screamed for HOURS after I picked her up from her breeder. I couldn't leave the room without her melting down in panic. She wanted to throw herself at other humans and dogs SO badly she would growl and bark if held back -- at NINE weeks old.

She was horrible towards my older dogs, and oblivious to their attempts to correct her. And it took me almost a month to convince her that even 30 seconds of "training" was worth hanging around for.

Given all this, I am SO proud of the young dog Spire is becoming. I'm excited about our future in agility together. She's a lovely balance of thoughtful and driven in training, and an enjoyable companion for hikes, camping, road trips, and regular daily life.

On the eve of Spire's first birthday I went live on Facebook to talk about what I've learned from her, and share the hard work and big feelings that went into raising the dog she is today.

I hope this helps someone who is following in our path. If your puppy is a bit more than you bargained for, you're in the right place.

What Now?

If you found this video helpful, here are a few follow-up actions you can take:

• Share with a friend. Know someone who would benefit from watching this? Please feel free to share far and wide!
• Email me! Have questions, comments, or feedback? I’d love to hear from you! Email me at [email protected].
• Follow Agility Odyssey on Facebook. I share training videos and thoughtful posts about my journey with my two incredible Working Kelpies, Ziya and Spire.

Interested in detailed instruction and compassionate coaching to help you along this journey with your agility puppy?

My program, Limitless Agility Foundations, is designed to offer exactly that — detailed instruction and compassionate coaching that helps you:

• Put your relationship with your puppy FIRST.
• Tackle socialization and puppy-raising problems in a way that supports your long-term goals and helps your puppy thrive.
• Encourage appropriate arousal and self-regulation from the start, so you can avoid common pitfalls and sources of frustration.
• Build communication so clear and training skills so solid you can achieve any goal and address any problem.
• Become the teacher and teammate you WANT to be for your puppy.