Bear Brinley:

The Challenge

Bear’s family wanted to be proactive from the very beginning. As an active family preparing to bring home an Australian Shepherd, they knew they wanted to establish good habits and a strong foundation rather than wait for problems to develop.

We helped the family select Bear from our beloved Australian Shepherd breeder, Southern Soul Aussies, when he was just six weeks old. A week after Bear came home, his training journey with KeenDog began.

The Training

We started with in-home lessons, helping Bear and his family navigate the puppy phase while establishing the structure, communication, and skills that would serve them throughout his life. Like many puppies, Bear came with a few challenges of his own. One memorable one was his tendency to get so excited that he would pee!

As Bear grew, his training evolved with him. We worked through the different stages of puppyhood and adolescence, eventually progressing to leash reliability and off-leash reliability. His family continued to incorporate training into everyday life, giving Bear the structure and freedom to become the confident, well-rounded dog they had hoped for.

Bear has also been a frequent boarder with the KeenDog team throughout his life. Over the years, that consistency has allowed our trainers to maintain the relationship and communication we established when he was a puppy.

The Result

Nearly a decade after his first lesson, Bear has become so much more than a former training client. He is truly a member of the KeenDog pack.

Now 10 years old, Bear is one of our favorite dogs to have board with our team. Everyone knows him, loves him, and is excited to see him come through the door.

His story is a great example of what proactive dog training can look like. Training doesn't have to be something you turn to only when there is a problem. Starting early and continuing to build on that foundation can give your dog the skills and communication needed to successfully navigate each stage of life.

For Bear and his family, KeenDog has been there from puppyhood through his senior years, helping them build a relationship that has lasted nearly a decade.