Rock Falls dog trainer provides puppy wedding love

ROCK FALLS —The groom’s best friend typically is the best man during a wedding, and the bride’s best friend usually is the maid of honor.

But what about the other best friend? You know, “man’s best friend?

Dogs, too, can be part of your special day, and it’s becoming increasingly popular. According to a survey by WeddingWire, a nationwide wedding vendor directory, 38% of couples included their pet in their wedding or engagement. Among the dog duties: ring bearers, flower girls, even best man.

Businesses have responded, too, with no shortage of wedding accessories — wedding collars, ring-bearer pillows for pets, leashes with some bling, and more. Happy couples can get their dog all decked out in dresses and tuxedos, and pet attendant businesses help couples handle their furry friend on the wedding day.

Dogs can also be a great way to take the edge off a bride and groom’s nerves on their big day, helping break the ice with people you don’t see very often, bringing some lighthearted levity to a formal occasion, and adding some fun to photo shoots.

But before you and your partner start making plans to say “I do” with Fido, there are few things you should consider before putting a bow tie on your beagle or a tux on your terrier. Does your dog get anxious? Can it be a bit high-spirited? How does it handle crowds? Sure, every dog should have its day, but you don’t want your pet to distract from your day either. Some dogs just may not be cut out to be part of the wedding party, but for some others, their paws just need a helping hand, some training to help them tweak their temperament.

That’s where people like Vanessa Wahl can help. Wahl, of Rock Falls, is a dog trainer who’s helped a lot of people and their pets through O’So Sharp, which focuses on general obedience and mild behavior modification. She’s a certified AKC Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog, and Star Puppy trainer and evaluator, and an evaluator for Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs for people interested in Therapy Dog Certification.

One thing she stresses to clients is that pet training isn’t a one-way street. Her training philosophy is to also teach people how to understand their dog.

“I love helping people figure out that their dogs are not bad, they’ve just got to communicate better,” Wahl said. “Once they do, they’ll see this switch in their dog, and go, ‘If I would have just done something a little differently,’ or think like a dog instead of a human. It’s really cool once they see that switch, and then dogs can behave so much better.”

Wahl, who’s also a standard poodle breeder, turned her love of dogs and training skills into a business in 2020. She didn’t know of a whole lot of private dog trainers in her area, she said, which led her take training certification classes and turn her talents into a part-time business. She offers beginner and advanced group sessions at the Rock Falls Community Building.

“It was kind of giving people more practical advice on how they can get the behaviors that they wanted,” Wahl said about starting out. “I found that everybody was focused on certain commands, versus here’s how you get your dog to mind. Without having to go, ‘No! Bad dog,’ how do you get it to naturally just mind and behave.”

O’So Sharp is named after Wahl’s maiden name; she married her husband Joshua in 2022. Through her business, she’s met people who’ve made their dogs part of their wedding plans. She’s heard of dogs being part of bridal parties, and some even being ring bearers, she said.

If couples want their dogs to be a part of their wedding, making sure their pet can handle being around a lot of new faces is key. That’s where establishing a sense of obedience is an important safety measure, and it can make both owner and pet more comfortable, Wahl said.

“You’re going to be distracted on your big day, and you want your dog to be comfortable in a situation like that, where potentially they are around a lot of people,” Wahl said. “If you don’t have some of the basics down, this is a really good place to start to see if it’s worth doing for your wedding. A lot of people have pets but don’t get to go to as many places, so asking them to be a part of a big event like that would be kind of tough. If you start with a group class, you’re dedicating time with you and your dog, and it’s fun. We always have a good time in class.”

There can be a lot going on at a wedding — boisterous kids, revelry, music pumping and the dance floor jumping; and if the wedding is outdoors, there can be other distractions, too: a squirrel in a tree or a bird overhead. Getting a dog enrolled in group training can help them learn to deal with distractions like that, getting them acclimated to being around people and other pets, Wahl said. Training tips that Wahl can provide can also help dogs master some tricks and tasks for the big wedding day, such as holding baskets of flowers or a ring pillow as they trot down the aisle.

Another benefit of training: Picking up on what your dog is saying, even when it’s not barking.

“If you’ve done some training before, you might learn some cues that you can pick up on if a dog is real uncomfortable or see certain people that they might not like, or whatever the case could be,” Wahl said. “Whoever you’re asking to help handle your dog for the wedding, it can help make them comfortable and make them aware of what things your dog might do, or cues they might have, to make it go as smoothly as you hope it will be.”

Group training classes are announced on O’So Sharp’s Facebook page and website a few months in advance; signups can be arranged online.

The more you do for your dog, Wahl said, the more they’ll do for you.

“Be open-minded and be ready to tackle some things that you may not know that you’ve done wrong that may be affecting your dog,” Wahl said. “Have fun. Everything carries down through that leash.”

Find O’So Sharp – Training on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@ososharp_vs); go to ososharpdogs.com, email ososharpvs@gmail.com or call 815-213-1293 for more information.