Australian Labradoodles Bernie and Lizzie McSquare hiking at Catalina State Park. The sniffs on the 50-year trail were particularly good.

Meet the Pack

Tail Waggin' Welcome!

profile photo of Irene, dog mom for Pack McSquare

Hello.

I'm Irene McHugh.

Book nerd, introvert, award-winning blogger, and most importantly, dog mom for the McSquare pack. Dog dad is Matthew "McRuffRuffShy" who is not on social media.

When we adopted our first Australian Labradoodle puppy Bernie, we decided to combine our Irish last names as McSquare. Yes, we are geeks! A year later we brought home Lizzie McSquare. Here’s a link to the full origin story of our unusual last name choice for the pups.

We believe that all dog parents can find time to train their dog. Every dog has daily routines, so the secret is finding time within those routines to practice for five minutes at least five days a week.

When you train consistently, you build a stronger relationship with your dog.

Imagine your life a year after committing to training for five minutes at least five days a week. You and your dog will be communicating more clearly and living more harmoniously.

Look around.

You'll find tips here that help you feel less overwhelmed as you care for your smiling dog and work toward therapy dog certification.

If you're new to McSquare Doodles, visit our About Therapy Dogs Resource Page to learn the answers to the most frequently asked questions about therapy dogs.

 

Some of my favorite blog posts…

How did I learn about dogs?

When Matthew and I decided that we wanted to train Bernie to become a therapy dog, starting McSquare Doodles was an easy choice. I hold a bachelor's degree in journalism, so I love research and writing. I spent 20 years in education, from teaching middle school English to serving as a middle school library specialist, so helping others is in my nature.

Lizzie McSquare gets her learning on at the Level 1 Resolving Conflict in Human-Canine Relationships seminar presented by Mark McCabe with Training Between the Ears at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona in November 2019.

I take my dog education and writing seriously as well. Lifelong learner here.