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Positive Dog

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Featured Post

Change is hard, but so is staying stuck.

Committing to change can feel overwhelming, scary, and exhausting. But... don't you feel like that anyways? It’s hard not knowing what to do or how to actually help your dog. It’s exhausting trying to make sense of all the conflicting training advice and methods. And when your dog has big behaviors, even thinking about working on them can feel intimidating. It doesn't have to stay that way. Dream Dog is your answer. Consistent, thoughtful training—done at a pace that works for you and your...

Are you the kind of person that checks Yelp before trying a new restaurant? Looks at reviews before booking a hotel? I got you! Check out some of these podcast episodes where I chat with previous students about their transformations! 🎧 Feel trapped at home? Gillian and Veda's Story 🎧 Puppy get kicked out of day care? Listen to Melody and Skeena's story 🎧 Feeling alone and like it's all your fault? Kim and Rebel's Story 🎧 Terrified Puppy to Everyday dog? Lori and Rain's Story 🎧 Resource...

Finn is very afraid of other dogs. But by slowing down, taking our time, and letting Finn drive the process, Finn doesn't just tolerate Seven - Seven became his very best friend 😍 On today’s podcast, we’re talking about what actually made this integration successful—and what matters most when you’re considering a puppy with a reactive dog. 🎧 Listen to Finn and Seven's Story Did you miss the webinar? Want to watch again? The main presentation is first with all of the Q&As at the end! There...

Before COVID, none of us ever dreamed of teaching dog training on-line. "Sure, on-line is fine for games and cute courses, but real b-mod needs eyes and hands on!" Turns out, we were wrong - hands down, no contest, my best results are from my on-line students. But why? That doesn't make sense.... Until you think about it this way. yes, maybe I can provide better "this is what your dog needs" in the moment, while I hold the leash. But in private lessons, you get this HUGE amount of info in an...

Dream Dog is open for enrollment now UNTIL MIDNIGHT JANUARY 23RD! Have you ever heard of limiting beliefs? That quiet (or not-so-quiet) voice in your head that says: “You can’t do this.” “Your dog is too difficult.” “Don’t even dream about the life you want with your dog.” It sounds like: “I'm not good enough.” “I’ll never make the time—this will be just another thing I sign up for and abandon.” “I'm bad with tech.” “Other people are just naturally better at this.” “I’ve already messed my dog...

I'm not a person who makes New Year's resolutions. I probably made a few when I was young and never followed through. Or maybe I listened to something at some point that said those big resolutions are hard on a person's confidence. Or maybe I always have 10 million things on the go and I don't have a lot of space for one more? I'm not sure really, and it doesn't really matter. But setting goals IS important, regardless of the time of year. You might be afraid to set goals... no goals, no...

Have you ever wondered why so many dogs seem to struggle more than they used to? Today, we’re starting with one piece of the puzzle: Where our dogs are coming from. In the past, dogs often came from right down the street.A neighbour’s good dog met another neighbour’s good dog, puppies happened, and those puppies were usually well suited — both genetically and behaviorally — to the environment they were born into. The parent dogs fit into that neighbourhood, that lifestyle, and those...

If you've been following me for some time, you know that I emphatically believe that how we train our dogs is NOT a one-size-fits-all. Trainers on TikTok or wherever you see them might love to tell you that you just need one method - to fix one thing - and your dog will totally transform. The real problem is that most training strategies, general advice and ChatGPT all treat every dog the same. They assume every dog has the same baseline, when the truth is every dog has their own unique...

Did you know that I don't just work with reactive or aggressive dogs? I love all of the big-feelings dogs! If you want to learn how to work with your dog's emotions and arousal, helping them be the best they can be, Dream Dog is for you! Dream Dog is great for helping your dog with: Confidence Worried about novelty, afraid to make mistakes => Feels optimistic, curious, and happy to try Resiliency One hard event can ruin the whole walk or even the day => Easily bounces back from setbacks...

This sweet little face belongs to Abbey. Abbey has been gone for a few years now, lost to one of those diseases that eventually claims the lives of old dogs. Abbey had a great family - two humans who loved her dearly and who gave her an amazing life. One of those humans became a trusted and treasured friend. Back when I was one of Abbey's trainers, I didn't know a lot about dogs like her - those who would bite to protect themselves when they felt threatened. Back then, it was the Cesar Milan...