The narrative on the internet, and pretty much everywhere, is that you should never make your dog uncomfortable. If you glance at FB you’ll find endless arguments and accusations. The common theme is that aversives are never necessary. Pain, fear, discomfort are all bad and trainers that incorporate any of that into their training are also bad. Those trainers are also made to sound as though that’s all they use. This has put those trainers in a position where many

Do you have an excitable dog that hangs up the phone? Or a nervous dog? All the information out there seems to say that during the training process you should keep your dog under threshold. Threshold refers to the point at which your dog starts to boil over and make the decisions that you are working hard to change. Keeping dogs under threshold may sound great, but unfortunately the real world will often throw a monkey wrench in that plan.

I’m a firm believer that heeling your dog can heal your dog. Whatever ails them, heel can help. No, it won’t “fix” all the behavioral issues, but we definitely use it as leverage to help with reactivity, anxiety, nervousness, and anything else you can think of.It can be quite meditative and help dogs really relax in a way that they never can when they are helpless to control arousal and impulses. It also is an amazing way to deepen your

There’s one in every family! That’s not always true..but a fair percentage of people struggle with properly disciplining their dog, and this often results in dogs being unruly, needy, anxious, not listening, or demanding, even to the point of aggression. Being too soft can create a spoiled pooch! We are going to talk about 5 things you can start doing to try to break out of that softy mindset and cultivate a little more respect. Do one thing at a

Dogs jump. Why? Why, why, why? It’s sooo frustrating, right? It might be the most common complaint we hear. Ironically it is also one of the easiest behaviors to stop. I know people are struggling with this. I know owners are trying “everything” and spending months or even years managing their dog (or worse yet paying trainers who don’t know how to stop it or won’t be honest about how to stop it) when we could stop this behavior in

This is probably the number one issue we see with the dogs that come to us for training. Almost everybody is dealing with this to some degree or another. Some dogs get mildly excited by other dogs while some are extremely over stimulated and some look like Cujo at the end of the leash, and we strongly suspect they may kill another dog if they were able to get to it. The thing is, all of these scenarios can result

We see different dogs everyday, and so we have witnessed a lot, but it seems like every day we still continue to encounter new and strange behaviors. I often get questions that start with “why does my dog..” And who knows! Dogs are just weird! Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique and is ONLY available to our paid subscribers. Subscriptions are only $3/month! You can also just sign up to

So many dog owners struggle with dogs that don’t do well at the vet’s office or at the groomer’s. These are some of the most challenging environments, and it isn’t usually an easy fix. But these tips can get you on the way to building something new with your dog and helping them (and you) be calmer and more confident. We talk about arousal (excitement) playing a role in all the stuff your dog does in these places. Whether it

What can you do to help avoid creating a needy, anxious dog? This episode covers the most impactful ways you can alter your routine, your environment, and your relationship to help your dog become the most stable and balanced version of themselves. Love the show? Sign up to access our new exciting Xtra content! This content is unique and is ONLY available to our paid subscribers.Subscriptions are only $3/month! You can also just sign up to make a small donation

Everybody has an opinion on what you should and shouldn’t do with your dog, and how you build a “good” relationship with them. But the problem is they don’t take into account each dog’s specific personality. Also.. most of it is just plain made up garbage with the claimed benefits having no basis in reality. This is because they are missing the thing that actually matters the most, which is YOU get to decide what the rules and boundaries are