Social media is necessary for any business owner, dog trainers included.  But it’s also a complicated place to navigate and try to figure out if you don’t have a user manual.  I’ve heard some amazingly qualified positive reinforcement trainers say they don’t know where to get started on Instagram, so they avoid posting.  

I’ve certainly had to fumble along and made a few mistakes as I’ve grown my account.  

Maria McNeil is the opposite.  Where I’ve fumbled, she’s gained ground.  Her love for data, the algorithm and down-to-earth posts have grown her account @toosmartdogs to 116k followers. 

Maria is a dog mom to 2 stars of her account, Bodhi, a Merle border collie and Sonny, her black-and-white sensitive soul.  She posts about enrichment and is passionate about helping humans and dogs live their best lives. 

Behind the scenes, Maria is also passionate about helping force-free trainers excel on social media, and while most people tend to gatekeep tips and tricks, Maria shares her knowledge. 

When I asked her to come on the podcast to chat about dog enrichment, she suggested helping force-free trainers on social media instead, and I jumped at the chance! 

I know you’ll love Maria as much as I do, and I am so excited to introduce you to her and her account if you haven’t followed already! You can follow her on Instagram @toosmartdogs 

This episode is brought to you by my book Urban Sheepdog.  I wrote it to help you better understand your herding breed dog, especially those struggling to fit into urban or non-working homes. It’s a part user manual and part love story, and it’s available on Amazon worldwide.  The Kindle edition is now available, so pick it up today and fall deeper in love with your dog.