Let me tell you about one of the most humbling (embarrassing?) moments of my dog training career.
It involved a Halloween costume, a jack o’lantern, and Gertie making a break for it while I stood there in my front yard yelling something I thought I’d never say.
But first, some context.
Recall Is My Jam
Since Gertie came home, recall has been one of my top priorities. It’s part of what I call my Core Four, the small set of skills I think every dog should have. And Gertie? She’s genuinely great at it. Food motivation makes her a dream to train, and she’s had a lot of practice. Her recall has held up beautifully, because recall is one of those skills that pays dividends when you put the work in consistently. Remember, The Matching Law?
We have an amazing little neighborhood and Gertie is well known. She has a lot of friends, and one very special one, our friend Kitty, aka “Cookie Nana,” our neighbor who is famously generous with treats. Gertie knows exactly which house is hers and yes, she can find it. Here’s the proof.
Enter: Halloween
It’s Gertie’s first Halloween. She’s dressed up in an adorable (or as my husband would say, ridiculous) Halloween dress. I want a cute photo next to the jack o’lantern. Classic. I pose her, ask for a stay, and start backing up to frame the shot.
Then she spots our neighbor’s daughter getting out of her car, and takes off. Full speed, like a dog who believes there is a 100% chance of cookies at that destination, which might be Cookie Nana’s house.
Now, we know that neighbor, but not her daughter, the one getting out of the car. We had never met this person before. And here comes my dog, in her Halloween dress, charging across the yard toward them at top speed. Thankfully, the costume probably softened the impression.
I called her. Nothing. No pause. No glance back. Nothing.
I called her again. Still nothing.
And then it happened.
I said the words.
“It’s OK, she’s friendly!”
Yes, I said it. And I died inside. I hated myself in that moment. I was pretty sure every credential I’ve earned, every letter of every qualification I have behind my name was stripped away in that moment, every time I’ve given the side-eye to that phrase at off leash dogs at the park when they’re supposed to be on leash – all of it flashed before my eyes. I was mortified.
I ran after her, profusely apologized, explained I thought she was running to Cookie Nana’s house, explained it away, as I embarrassingly hauled her off to my own house across the street.
My husband chided, “guess her recall still needs some practice eh?” (Not helpful.)
Here’s What I Want You to Take From This
I made a deliberate choice to have Gertie off leash that afternoon. She’s a safe, prosocial dog. We live in a quiet residential neighborhood. She was wearing a GPS tracker. I knew the risks were low. I assessed the situation and made a judgment call, and it backfired because she broke her stay and blew off her recall at the same time, which I did not see coming.
That sucked. It was embarrassing. But nobody was hurt, except my ego a little bit.
Here’s what I would not have done: I would not have had an unfamiliar dog off leash in that situation, and I would not have had any dog off leash who carried a bite risk or a serious flight risk. Gertie is neither. When she runs toward someone, it’s for food or a greeting. Not fear. Not aggression.
So yes, I said “it’s OK, she’s friendly,” and I meant it. Not as an excuse, but as accurate information.
My Bigger Point
Nobody is perfect. Not you. Not your dog. Not me. Not Gertie.
Dogs have off days. Trainers have off days. Skills that are solid in one context can fall apart in a new one. That’s not a training failure, it’s just how learning works. It’s why we generalize skills across environments, and why we keep practicing even after things seem solid.
If your dog has an off day, or if you make a decision that doesn’t pan out the way you planned, don’t let it spiral. Assess what happened. Learn from it. Adjust if you need to. And if you can, find the part of the story that makes you laugh later.
Gertie made a spectacular first impression on our neighbor’s daughter. The Halloween dress definitely helped. Despite what my husband thinks, it’s adorable, not ridiculous. Maybe I’ll do a poll to prove it.
Whatever your dog is working through, whether recall, fear and aggression issues or if you’re facing end of life with your beloved, I can help you.
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