Episode #255 A Thanksgiving Pause — Gratitude for Our Dogs, Exactly as They Are

In this special Thanksgiving episode of the BAXTER & Bella Puppy Training Podcast, we discuss the need to slow down, breathe, and appreciate the dogs who share our homes—not for their perfect behavior, but for the companionship, joy, and connection they bring to our lives.

We also talk about realistic expectations during the holidays — because dogs will be dogs, even on Thanksgiving — and remind us to offer grace in the midst of excitement, guests, and irresistible food smells.

You’ll hear how BAXTER & Bella’s training philosophy weaves naturally into the season: focusing on relationship over perfection, communication over correction, and teamwork over unrealistic holiday standards. Plus, Amy shares simple tips for helping your dog feel supported and successful during a busy holiday gathering.

Whether this is your puppy’s first Thanksgiving or one of many, this warm and heartfelt episode is a reminder to pause and give thanks for exactly who our dogs are — loyal companions who make our lives richer every single day. 🧡🐾

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Here in the U.S., it's Thanksgiving today, so I
want to do a little gratitudepost for our dogs.
Thanks for joining me.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter and Bella, the online
puppy school.
Here, we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
experience raising a puppy.

(00:20):
From training tips to practicaltricks, all aimed at fostering a
happy, well-behaved dog whotruly feels like part of the
family.
So, if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Welcome back to another episodeof the Puppy Training Podcast.

(00:42):
Today's episode is a littleslower, a little softer, and
it's filled with something weall could use more of:
gratitude.
It's Thanksgiving here in theU.S., and whether it's your
dog's first holiday season ortheir tenth, or maybe you're not
even celebrating Thanksgiving,we can all be a little more
grateful, right?
The first recorded history ofdog training goes way back to

(01:04):
around 127 to 116 BC.
There was a Roman farmer namedMarcus Varro.
He wrote about his way ofraising and training puppies for
herding livestock.
And then you fast forwardhundreds of years later until
the 1800s, when we got into IvanPavlov and classical
conditioning and the sound ofthe bell and associations, be a

(01:24):
skinner, all of the dog trainersstarted to come about and
training evolved over time.
And today, many of us have dogsthat are part of the family.
They live with us in our homes.
And we, while we try not tohumanize them, right?
You guys, we often do.
We've come to value dogs more inour society and in our homes and
families.

(01:45):
With dogs so fully integratedinto family life, it's natural
to have high expectations forthem, especially on days like
Thanksgiving.
So I just want to remind youtoday that as you're celebrating
and enjoying, real life holidayscome with real life dogs, okay?
They might bark when your guestsarrive.
They might try to countersurfand still a little piece of

(02:05):
turkey.
They might forget that you'vetrained them when there's
moments of overwhelm and maybethey won't respond to a simple
sit.
They respond with instinct,enthusiasm, curiosity, and
emotion, all things that we loveabout our dogs, and that's okay.
It's normal, it's honest.
So let today be a reminder tooffer them grace to them, to

(02:27):
you, um, and just enjoy the day.
Now, rather than fixating onwhat your dog isn't doing
perfectly today, notice the waysthey already enrich your life.
For me, I love that my dogsoffer me daily companionship.
They're always there.
In fact, when I'm coming home, Ican bet that Bella will be up on
the bench waiting to greet me.

(02:48):
Baxter's gonna be on the rugwith his tail wagging, they hear
me coming in through the garageand they know I'm about to open
that door and they get soexcited, which makes me feel
super loved.
Right?
Their playfulness and joy, it'shard to be around my dogs and
not feel joy.
So if I'm having a down day, orif my kids are having a down day
or a hard day at school, theycome home and they want to know

(03:11):
where the dogs are.
Where are the dogs?
I want to pet the dogs, right?
Uh, they give us emotionalgrounding, they give us
connection.
My dogs provide us with routine.
I love routines.
So it works out really well, butthey get me outside to go on
walks.
They get me out into the freshair when I'm inside working,
right?
A lot of the day.
Oh, yeah, you guys want to gooutside?

(03:33):
Let's go get some fresh air.
And I love that about them.
They also offer this pure,uncomplicated affection, which I
absolutely love.
Now, these gifts matter far morethan a flawless place, right?
Behavior during Thanksgivingdinner.
Now, yes, we're going to helpyou train your puppies.
Yes, you've been working reallyhard, and we hope that today

(03:55):
goes well for you.
Just a gentle reminder thatthere's a lot of chaos maybe
going on or different routineshappening today.
And we don't want to expect yourpuppy to be perfect, right?
I'm not perfect, you're notperfect.
But we can offer them some gracetoday.
And also hopefully you'll getsome successes too.
They might surprise you andyou'll be like, Oh, I'm so proud

(04:15):
of you.
We worked really hard on that.
So hopefully you'll get somesuccess too.
Now at Baxterabella, everythingwe teach comes back to one
thought, and that is thattraining is about relationship,
not perfection.
Right?
We train with dogs, not at them.
I'm not just here to boss themaround and tell them what to do,
right?
So I'm asking, how are youfeeling?

(04:36):
What are you thinking about thescenario?
What are your needs right now?
We focus on communication.
We are clear, kind, andconsistent.
We focus on understanding.
We try to learn why dogs do whatthey do and how can we help set
them up for success.
We focus on building skillsgradually, right?
We're celebrating the littleprogress along the way.

(04:57):
We're not demanding perfectionand we're not getting frustrated
when there's mess ups.
Uh, supporting real familiesbecause most dog behavior
challenges happen during reallife, right?
Not in a quiet training room.
So we focus on, we recognize youguys are a real family doing
real life, and we want to helpyour dogs be successful in that.

(05:18):
We also focus on teaching humansand dogs to work together as a
team, which goes back to thatrelationship that we talked
about.
So days like Thanksgivinghighlight this philosophy
beautifully.
Your dog doesn't need to beperfect to be a wonderful part
of your family.
They just need support,structure, and compassion.
And so do you, right?
Now, when we remember thattraining is a lifelong

(05:39):
partnership and process, it'snot a holiday performance.
Everything gets a little easierand far more joyful.
Now, a few simple steps can helpset both you and your dog up for
success today during theholidays.
Offer a little extra exercisebefore festivities begin.
Maybe you create a relaxing safespace, a quiet room or a cozy
corner or a crate where your dogcan retreat and get some good

(06:02):
nap time.
That's important.
Keep a stuffed um toy, so like afreeze bone works great, or a
stuffed Kong or a puzzle feederready for mealtime so that your
dog's more mentally engaged inthat mealtime.
That will help with some of thatexcess energy due to the
excitement.
We can explain food and greetingrules to guests.
It can be as simple as we taughtour dog how to sit to say

(06:25):
please.
So when they come up to you,either help them sit with a
target hand or wait for them tosit automatically, and then you
can get down and say hi to them.
Just that simple littleexplanation can go a long ways
to make your day better.
And then we want to catch andreward call moments as they
happen.
So again, not perfection, butjust a little thoughtful
support.
Before we close, take a breath.

(06:46):
I want you to think of your dog,but think of their quirks, think
of their personality, theircompanionship.
Think of one way they blessedyour life this year.
Maybe they made you laugh.
Maybe they helped your child,like I talked about.
Maybe they encouraged you toslow down or get outside and get
fresh air.
Maybe they simply just are thereby your side.

(07:08):
That's what we're going to honortoday.
So, from all of us here atBaxter Bella, thank you for
allowing us to be part of yourjourney.
We consider you family and wehope you have a wonderful
holiday if you're celebrating.
If not, then know that we arethankful for you.
And we are so impressed withyour commitment to training, for
showing up for your dog, and forembracing both the progress and

(07:28):
the messiness along the way.
We are grateful for you, we'regrateful for your dogs, and
we're grateful for the beautifulhistory that brought us
together.
Have a warm, joyful, dog-filledThanksgiving.
We'll see you next time.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited

(07:50):
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a little patienceand consistency, you can create
a loving bond and a well-behavedpup who's a joy to have in your
family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review, and share itwith fellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visit Baxterand Bella online.

(08:10):
Until next time, happy training.