New Year, New Goals: Training, Progress, and Adventures with Marlee

2024 was a year filled with growth and learning, not just for me but for Marlee as well. Together, we started to make significant strides in her training journey. I dedicated time to expanding my knowledge, building confidence in my training skills, and strengthening the bond Marlee and I share through our teamwork. It was a rewarding experience that brought us closer and reminded me how much we can achieve together.

While I’m proud of all Marlee and I accomplished in 2024, I know we have even more potential waiting to be unlocked, and I’m excited to explore that in the year ahead. Reflecting on last year, I recognize areas for improvement, like maintaining consistency and staying positive even when our training sessions didn’t go as planned. These challenges have motivated me to approach this year with renewed focus and determination.

As I’m sure many reactive dog parents can relate to, it’s easy to let training take a backseat—especially when you’re fortunate, like me, to have a large backyard, a quiet street, and little need to drive places. But as 2024 came to a close, I stumbled upon a quote that truly resonated with me: “If you’re not changing it, you’re choosing it.” Since then, it’s become my mantra.

"If you're not changing it, you're choosing it."

I would love nothing more than to take Marlee on a peaceful trail hike or enjoy a stress-free car ride together. But by not putting in the effort to change her perspective of the outside world, I’m essentially choosing to keep her confined to the comfort of our home. This realization has fueled my determination to step up and help her grow beyond those boundaries in 2025

This year, I’ve made it one of my top three resolutions to focus on Marlee’s training and truly commit to her growth.

While it might be overly optimistic to aim for her reactivity to disappear completely by year’s end, I’m approaching this journey with realistic expectations. For one, I work full-time, so I can’t dedicate entire days to training. Additionally, over the past two years, I’ve learned that Marlee thrives when we take things at her pace. And you know what? I’m perfectly okay with that—because slow and steady truly wins the race.

To keep us moving forward, I’ve set three clear goals that will allow me to measure our progress. They’ll remind me that even small, steady steps count, and by the end of the year, those steps will add up to meaningful change.

1. Be able to take a walk with minimal reactions

   This year, one of my personal goals is to become more active. I’ve always admired how people who are active can fulfill both their own physical needs and their dog’s mental and physical needs with something as simple as a leisurely walk. Unfortunately, with Marlee’s reactivity, taking a peaceful walk isn’t yet an option for us. We’ve been able to walk up and down the street, but only when there are no other dogs around. And let’s be real—I can’t expect every walk to be free of triggers. My goal for this year is to change that. I’m determined to work on her reactivity, taking slow and steady steps, so that we can eventually enjoy walks together—triggers and all—with minimal reactions. My ultimate aim is to have a walk where there’s no lunging, barking, or pulling, creating a more relaxed and enjoyable experience for both of us!

2. Have calm and relaxing car rides

   One of the biggest challenges we’re facing right now is Marlee’s discomfort with the car. While I’m fortunate to live in a relatively quiet neighborhood, I still want to take her to different places to work on her reactivity. As I’ve shared in previous posts, Marlee is not a fan of car rides. She gets overly excited and paces back and forth the entire time, which sets her up for failure by the time we arrive. This also causes me stress, and I’m sure that stress is only making things worse for her. To make matters more challenging, the destinations I take her to are typically no more than 15 minutes away. But what happens if I need to take her somewhere further? I’d hate for her to be unable to relax on a longer journey. This is an area I’m focused on improving, as I want to help Marlee feel calm and comfortable in the car, no matter where we’re headed.

3. Go on a road trip

   
   

   

   
   

   As someone who loves to travel, having Marlee has made things a bit more challenging. When I go on trips, I leave her with my mom, who is an amazing caretaker—but it means my mom and I can’t travel together. I’ve even cut trips short because I miss Marlee so much! Working from home gives me the flexibility to travel for longer periods, but I can’t bring myself to be away from her for more than two days. Honestly, being in a bed without Marlee just doesn’t feel right. Beyond my own attachment to her, I know Marlee would love a trip as much as I would. Especially during the scorching Florida summers, when it’s too hot for us to enjoy outdoor time, I dream of taking her somewhere cooler where we can explore the outdoors together. This goal excites me because it combines her general reactivity training with car reactivity training. I want her to feel comfortable enough to enjoy hikes or take stress-free potty breaks during road trips. If our training goes well and we’re able to take a trip together, it would truly make my year. Sharing those adventures with Marlee would be a huge milestone, blending two of my greatest loves: traveling and spending time with her.

4. Train Daily

   As of the end of last year, I was doing reactivity training with Marlee 4-5 times a week, depending on my personal schedule and what I could realistically fit in. I also believe that taking breaks is important, allowing Marlee time to decompress and refocus before our next training session. While doing this more intense reactivity training is essential for her growth, making sure we are doing some sort of training daily also provides a fulfilling enrichment for her, and it helps keep me accountable, ensuring I stay consistent and don’t slack off.I plan to incorporate some form of training every day, even if it's just a short session working on tricks or basic obedience. These small moments are great for strengthening our bond and keeping us both engaged.

   
   

   To stay organized and track our progress, I’ve created a simple calendar to journal our journey. It’s a great tool to reflect on our growth, and I’m sharing it with you for free! Feel free to download and print it to track your own progress. You can log the time spent working on skills, note your goals, jot down thoughts, and even color-code your days to mark easy or challenging sessions. Be sure to include what you worked on and where, so you can see your evolution over time!

   
   
   
   

I’m incredibly excited for all the progress and adventures that Marlee and I will experience together this year. I’m also looking forward to being more consistent with this blog and deepening my connections with all of you! I’d love to hear about your personal goals for the year, or if there’s any specific content you’d like to see from me this year. I’m always open to fresh ideas and inspiration—let’s connect and make this year amazing together!

TrainingTracker-MarleeandMeBlog.pdf

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