Episode #238 Training Your Own Dog as a Retired Veteran

In this powerful episode, Amy Jensen speaks directly to retired veterans who are considering training their own dog — whether for companionship, emotional support, or even future service work. Learn how the process of training your own dog can offer purpose, structure, connection, and healing in this next chapter of life.

Amy shares best practices for getting started, tips for choosing the right dog, and how to build a bond rooted in trust through positive reinforcement. 

📋 In this episode:
 • Why dog training benefits veterans beyond obedience
 • How to choose and train the right dog for your lifestyle
 • What training structure works best for adult learners
 • How BAXTER & Bella supports veteran trainers
 

Whether you’re starting with a new puppy or working with a trusted companion, this episode is full of encouragement and real-world strategies to help you succeed.

🐾 Learn more and get started today at baxterandbella.com
And as always, happy training!

Chapters

• 0:00 Veterans & Dog Training Introduction
• 1:13 Benefits for Veterans Training Dogs
• 2:35 Best Practices for Success
• 5:19 How Baxter and Bella Can Help
• 7:01 Closing Thoughts and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

If you are a veteran and looking to train your own dog, whether for service work or just companionship, today's episode is for you. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Hi you guys, today's episode is a meaningful one. We're talking directly to our nation's retired veterans. First and foremost, I want to say thank you for your service. Your strength and dedication do not go unnoticed. So in this next chapter of your life, you may be considering training your own dog. Maybe it's just for companionship, maybe you need emotional support or even future service tasks. Today I want to talk about how that journey can benefit you personally, what best practices to follow and how Baxter and Bella can support you every step of the way. First of all, why train your own dog as a veteran? For many veterans, returning to civilian life comes with unique challenges. Dogs can play an incredible role in that transition. They offer structure, purpose, connection and even healing. Here's what training your own dog can offer. First, they can offer mental clarity and daily routine. Training requires consistency and patience. These are things that bring structure and focus into our everyday lives. Next, dogs bring deep connection. When you train your own dog, that bond runs deep. The dogs learn your cues and your timing and your needs. They really get to know you and you get to build that strong bond with them. Now emotional support and stress relief also is available. Dogs are very intuitive creatures. With the right training, they can offer you grounding companionship and they can even interrupt anxiety or stress. The more time they spend with you and are around you, they start to pick up on things that you're dealing with and they start to learn how to assist you. Dogs also offer a renewed sense of mission. For many people, we find that training a dog offers them a renewed sense of purpose. It gives them a goal to work toward, with clear milestones and real world impact. Now here are some best practices.

Speaker 1: 2:35

If you decide, hey, yeah, I think I could train my own dog. Whether your goal is a well-behaved companion dog or a dog that supports specific needs, here are a few tips to get started. Number one be sure you choose the right dog. So look for a breed or a mix with a temperament, size and energy level that fits your lifestyle. Next, we want you to work with a responsible breeder or rescue understands your goals. If you need help with that, please reach out to our organization, baxter and Bella. We have created tools and resources for you to help you identify these things. We also want you to choose a puppy that has been temperament tested so you might've heard of the Volhard puppy aptitude test. That's a good start. These kinds of tools can help ensure your puppy is suited for training, and we also like you to speak with the breeder or the rescue and find out as much as you can about this specific dog that you're wanting to choose their personality, how they respond to stress, just the in and outs of daily life and what they've noticed about this dog, and then we can give you advice on to yeah, that would be a good fit, or yeah, probably not.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Let's keep looking. Number two is to start early, but it's never too late. So if you're starting with a puppy, we want to begin socialization and basic manners right away. We help you do that as part of our program in Baxter and Bella. If you're training an adult dog, or maybe a rescue that you found, we want you to start where they are. Dogs are incredibly adaptable and progress is always possible Inside our program. We take you from basic through advanced, so there's a spot for everybody. If you find a dog that's a little bit older and they have certain skills but not others, we can help tailor this training program to them.

Speaker 1: 4:15

We also here at Baxter Bella, highly recommend positive reinforcement. We want to reward what we want to see more of. So whether it's food, praise, play, attention, positive reinforcement creates trust and motivation. We want this dog to be so excited to go to work with you. We don't want there to be any fear or intimidation involved. Now the number five would be to take breaks when needed.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Remember, training is a journey. It's not a race. You're not in any kind of hurry to get the training done. Some days are going to feel better than others, and that's okay. I like to tell people, training a dog is like a roller coaster. Some days you're on a high and other days you hit a low, but overall you're making upward progression. There's just some um bumps and valleys along the way. That's pretty normal. Remember, you're building a relationship with this dog. We're not just teaching them skills. We're not creating robots, right? We're creating um. We're helping to foster a relationship where this creature can trust you and you can trust them and you can start to work together to help each other. Now, how can we help?

Speaker 1: 5:21

Here at Baxter and Bella, we've worked with many people who want to train their own dogs. Whether you're working with a puppy, a rescue or an adult dog you already have. Our program is designed to support you at every stage. So when you join, you'll receive step-by-step lessons from puppy basics to advanced skills. This includes videos, worksheets, real-world demos. You can watch it anytime. Everything we do has been recorded so you can watch on demand. We also teach things live and if you want to find out the schedule, once you join you'll see a calendar and you're welcome to come to live events. So we also offer live coaching calls and Q and a sessions with our training team. This offers more personalized support. You also have direct access to certified trainers for email questions or feedback um, pretty much 24 seven.

Speaker 1: 6:09

Now our goal is to empower you to succeed on your own terms, at your own pace, and then we give you the expert help when you need it. So if you're a retired veteran considering training your own dog, I want to tell you this you are not alone in this journey. Your experience, discipline and heart already make you a great candidate for success. At Baxter and Bella, we are proud to support those who have served and we'd be honored to walk alongside you as you train your own dog, not just to obey cues but to become a trusted companion, a partner and a friend. We thank you again here at Baxter and Bella for your service and we thank you for trusting us with your next mission.

Speaker 1: 6:50

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who might benefit. To learn more or to join our online training program, you can visit us at Baxter and Bellacom. Again, we're here to help and we're cheering you on every step of the way. Until next time, happy training. Thanks for tuning in to the puppy training podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.