Lesa Crowe's Practical Dog

08/20/2026

Welcome to Paradise Dog Adventures!

🐾 Let Your Dog’s Adventure Begin! 🌴

We believe that all dogs need adventure, exercise, friends and fun!

We take excursions to dog friendly beaches as well as state and local parks, giving dogs the opportunity to sniff, explore, socialize, and enjoy the great outdoors—all while receiving attentive, experienced care.
Your dog will come home happy and dreaming of their next great adventure!

Run by a professional dog trainer with over 40 years of experience leading the adventures, along with an experienced assistant, your dog is in knowledgeable and caring hands.

🌊 Beach adventures
🌳 State & local park excursions
🐕 Exercise & enrichment
❤️ Experienced, knowledgeable care
☀️ Fun, safe outdoor adventures

The adventures begin Tuesday, September 8th with a trip to Historic Blakeley State Park. Located in Spanish Fort on the Tensaw River delta, Blakeley offers a 2,000-acre park where we will spend the day on a pack hike.
Thursday, September 10th will be an excursion to the Pensacola dog beach for some open run in the sun and water time.
Future weekly adventures will be posted on the Thursday before.

We offer pick up and drop off as well as meet ups along the way to hand off.

Paradise Dog Adventures — Where every walk becomes an adventure!

📩 Contact us today to learn more and reserve your dog’s next adventure.
[email protected]

08/10/2026

I am now accepting applications for October Board & Train spots for both the Jump Start™ and the Full Monte programs.
There are currently two (2) spots available for the Jump Start™ program and one (1) spot for the Five (5) Week Program.

For details on these programs, visit:
https://ThePracticalDog.net
Feel welcome to contact via contact form on site or phone, with questions.
251-233-2168

If private training is more to your liking, give me a shout or send inquiry via the contact form on my site!

07/13/2026

👋
I realize it’s been a month of Sundays since I last posted - life takes time and is meant to be enjoyed and we’ve been busy!

We had a full house (dogs, of course!) for all of June in addition to my wonderful and dedicated private students and I took the first week of July off to hang out and enjoy some one on one time with my own.

And now I have the most adorable English Cocker spaniel with me for a Jump Start Program; learning Trade and Life Skills and refining his obedience.

If you’re interested in the Jump Start Program, 5 Week B&T or a Private program, shoot me an email from the website:
https://ThePracticalDog.net
and we can discuss your needs and available scheduling.

Milo beginning recall training - not bad for it being only his 3rd day!

06/15/2026

The moment we accept the responsibility for our role in a problem, we gain the ability to influence the outcome.

06/14/2026

Many people I work with share a similar frustration - their dog doesn't seem to give one iota what they want or ask of them. It's as if the dog is only thinking of itself and only shows them the least bit of interest when it wants something; be that food, a play thing, affection or to go walkabout.
Rest assured, you are not wrong!
Chances are that is exactly what is happening, and here's the simple truth of it.

Everything born thinks of and puts "self" first. From dogs to birds and everything in between, self is what matters most, everything else comes after, if it comes at all.
But here's the thing - "family species" such as humans, whales, chimps, gorillas, dolphins, wolves and even your dog, are taught by their educators and elders to think of "the whole", to work as one for the benefit of all.
What is a determent to the whole while only benefitting one isn't accepted and in some cases, simply not tolerated.

If "self first and always" prevails in a family species, then the "family" does without the things it needs to survive and live in harmony.

If you want your dog to think of "the whole" rather than putting self first in all things, it is up to you as the educator and elder to teach them how to do that and what is expected of them so that all benefit. It is in your hands to teach them that benefitting the whole, also benefits them and that "self first and always" neither benefits them nor the family.

There are as many approaches to this education as there are trainers opinions, learning to not think in terms of "self first and always" is never easy, but it can be clear and fair with the right approach, and one that understands and considers the species.
You can't teach a dog the way you teach a human child, or a dolphin, or any other non-candid species, and you can't teach a dog as a wolf teaches a pup because of the genetic engineering we've done that has rewired them in all ways, including emotionally, but with the right information and understanding, it can and is done everyday.

This education is not age nor breed specific, it applies to all domestic dogs, so if your dog is still living a "self first and always" mind set and that isn't working for you ... there's time to change it so that "the family" benefits.

https://ThePracticalDog.net
https://LesaCrowe.bio.link

Offering both pet and competition dog training. Rehabilitation for dogs with anxiety, aggression, fear. Trade Skills™, social skills, manners in and out of home

06/09/2026

One advantage of taking on a mature dog when you're in your 80's is that you have the time to work with an 8 year old previously untrained herding dog ...

It certainly has its challenges but MG and Nicki push on; Bailey's behaviour at the door as become less explosive and a whole lot quieter, and this day Nicki was able to confidently handle Bailey's leash without fear of being pulled down.
We walked past his triggers, which literally consists of anything that moves, without incident and without excessive barking and by 1/2 way through the walk, he was no longer reacting to cars, trucks, children playing or other dogs.

His herding of his male owner has greatly reduced now that MG has the skills he needed to show Bailey that it is not a desired behaviour, so long as MG stays consistent, this behaviour will continue to fade until it is gone.

A final note here:
Bailey ended up in this position after his original owner sadly passed away and multiple members of the same family passed him from household to household trying to make it fit. When it just wasn't working anywhere else, experienced Rough Coat Collie owners, MG and Nicki, having lost their last RCC decided to take him in.

https://ThePracticalDog.net
https://LesaCrowe.bio.link

06/08/2026

✔️

06/06/2026

FB askes "What's on your mind?" as a way of encouraging people to post.
I don't typically answer their question, I come to put up intentional posts about dogs I'm working with and people I'm trying to help.
But today, today I'm going to answer that question ...
FB and it's "communities" want to know what's on my mind - here it is.

➡️People need to stop getting the wrong dog for the wrong reasons from the wrong places.

📢 Getting a dog with no real understanding of what a dog is just because you "love them" is stupid and you WILL end up breaking them leaving someone else to clean up your mess.

📢 Getting a breed that you've never researched because you like the way they look is stupid.

📢 Getting a dog from a breeder who will say "yes" to anyone with a check book is stupid.

📢 Getting a random dog from a rescue because it makes you feel gooie inside when you lack the ability and knowledge to help a dog that is emotionally and behaviorally damaged is stupid. You can't "love" the broken out of them.

📢 Getting a dog without a solid plan for the next DECADE is stupid.

📢 Getting a dog and letting it do as it pleases for 3, 4, 5 years or more than then getting angry and frustrate and calling someone to "fix it" because your life changed and what you've allowed no longer works for you is stupid.

📢 Rescues are in the business of emotional manipulation and profit (save the argument and just unfollow me - I've been around this longer than some of your parents have been alive, I know better)
📢 Far too many breeders are in the business of just making money.
📢 Far too many people are not suited to be dog owners.

📢 You CAN actually live without a dog.
If you lack the ability to plan for a dog as you would plan for a child's life, upbringing, education, financial obligations, and all the rest that goes into being a responsible guardian for another's life, getting a dog is stupid.

If you're only interested in hearing what you want to hear rather than what you need to know, don't get a dog.
Dogs are not here to pay the price for your stupid decisions and be tossed aside or drugged 24/7 just because you aren't willing to own your stupid decision and make it right.

06/05/2026

Star
Seeing this curious, confident, happy face in a setting that was new to her, with a large group of people talking and laughing while music played, was priceless.

It has taken a lot of work to take this 2nd hand dog from a fearful, trembling, bolting, fence jumping, running off mess to the dog we took to the Tiki bar last evening which we followed with a walk near traffic, other dogs, joggers, bikers and children; and she was a dream through all of it.
Even the squirrel! She actually chose, without being asked, to sit calmly and watch it, never once making a move to go after it despite its close proximity, a dog that has been squirrel obsessed to the point of them driving her to insanity has finally learned to just ... watch.
This was the look we saw through the whole of our meeting, a dog finally comfortable in her own skin and learning to trust her person.
This is one of the most beautiful pictures I've ever taken of a dog because of what it represents; dedication, patience, understanding, direction, leardership and love.

https:ThePracticalDog.net
https:LesaCrowe.bio.link