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I am a big believer that most things in life that are worthwhile & rewarding take WORK: one's career, a relationship, health and fitness, spirituality, personal growth... all take WORK, and.... dogs are no different. If we want a super well-behaved, confident, well socialized and well trained dog that we can have an awesome, healthy, enjoyable and meaningful relationship with... well... then... we need to be willing to put in the work to get there.
My dogs, Ralphie and Sawyer, that I adopted from CMPD Animal Care and Control in 2019 are a BIG part of my life:
 If you follow Allegiant K9s on social media then you are aware that my dogs and I do A LOT together: My dogs and I have traveled to CO, NM, UT, AZ, OK, ME, NH, VA, TN, western NC, and SC for hiking, camping and mtn biking adventures together. We stay in hotels and AirBnB locations when we are not camping.  My dogs and I visit coffee shops and breweries. We visit local parks and greenways. We swim and play fetch in dog pools and creeks. Ralphie and Sawyer often come to Allegiant K9s pack walks and hikes with me. They also help me with training in various situations. They are fully trained ON and OFF leash and it is awesome! I think you get the point: my dogs and I have a TON of fun together and they are a joy to bring along on all the adventures; however.... it took work on the frontend and it continues to be work. The work never stops (being a good leader is a 24/7 365 days a year position).
Few notes on my own dogs:
1. I adopted both dogs when they were about 1-2 years old. I did a 5 day "staycation" or evaluation of them first... that was a lot of WORK. I put both dogs through my intensive 3 week training program.... that was a lot of WORK. They graduated the training program but it was only 3 weeks... the WORK continues to fine-tune things and continue to grow. Things improved here and there as time went on but it was work. There were times we regressed, had to take a step or two back and then begin moving forward again. Again... work.
2. I will most likely have Ralphie and Sawyer for 10-13 years (given I adopted them at 1-2 yrs old) if all goes well health wise... that will run me about $40,000- $50,000 dollars in food, regular Vet care and vaccinations, supplements, toys, equipment, extra fees when staying in hotels, etc.... IF they remain healthy. And... they were FREE to adopt and their training was FREE (I know a trainer- LOL). The expense of raising Ralphie and Sawyer (and all my past dogs as well) will take a lot of work training other dogs to support their needs.
3. Even well trained dogs are still A LOT of work: Ralphie and Sawyer go on tons of adventures with me: local hikes and walks, overnight camping trips, mtn bike rides, road trips, etc. They have awesome temperaments and they are well socialized. They are very well trained and very well-behaved, but even with all that... they still require WORK.... bringing them on my adventures will always be MORE WORK than if I just left them at home or... if I didn't have dogs at all. But again... the work is so worth it :)
Want a really well behaved dog that you have an awesome relationship with and can go out an do a bunch of fun things with and know your activities will be enjoyable??? AWESOME! You can have that with your dog.  Just be ready to put in the work to get there and then be ready to continue the work to keep that awesome lifestyle.
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