The most important part of dog training is the stuff that's easy to miss. Pulling on the leash, barking at the door, lunging at a passing dog, melting down over a kid on a skateboard: dogs can do the exact same thing for completely different reasons. One dog is overexcited. One is unsure. One dog has low frustration tolerance. One is terrified. One dog needs instruction about what to do. One dog needs to learn how to ask for help. Another dog needs to learn to walk away. If we treat all dogs...
about 24 hours agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
I'm very often asked if we are reinforcing a dog for being afraid, for barking, for being aggressive. And yes, it is absolutely possible to make all of those things worse if we use food or toys or praise incorrectly. Cue/mark/reinforce right? Ask our dog to do something, say 'yes' and feed a treat. That is how we build behaviours. Training emotions is different. We use food or toys or praise to CREATE a better emotional state, THEN we think about behaviours. It gets complicated though as the...
2 days agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Can you even see the puppy way back there??? Did you know that at first I wondered if Runa was a bit ...ummm... slow? Or maybe I really wasn't as good of a trainer as I thought I was. I wasn't having any success teaching her regular puppy things: down, stay, hand touch. In a session, we wouldn't progress at all. Maybe I was used to border collie puppies and they really are just that much smarter than other dogs? I was confused. Let it all go for a bit - just play with the puppy. Enjoy her....
7 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
It's almost November and 2027 will be here before we know it. Going back through my camera roll, I realized what a whirlwind 2026 has been. When there was downtime, I seemed to create chaos to keep my brain busy. Along with the sad, there was a lot of good chaos. We lost Jubilee. We gained puppy Runa. I retired Caly and started riding Zephyr. Camping trips, work events, family. But then I wondered why I had so little energy left for training. Human or canine, brains love having a job, and if...
7 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
The days are shorter, wetter, colder. Mornings are darker and the couch is looking pretty good right now. If you're like me, this time of year is perfect for walks in the woods then hibernating. I'd be embarrassed to tell you just how much hot chocolate I've had in the last month ... I find it hard to get motivated this time of the year. So if you do too, you're not alone. A lot of us feel that seasonal slump. But because a lot of people are spending more time indoors - this is the best time...
8 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Do you ever spend more time reading or watching videos about dog training than actually training your dog? There's always one more video to watch, one more article to read, and one more expert who says the opposite of the last one. Before you know it, all that "preparing" has turned into staying stuck. In this week's episode of Dogs with Big Feelings, I talk about decision paralysis and why you don't have to know every step before you start. You only need to know the next one or two. Then...
10 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
The number of people I have had crying during a lesson is a lot higher than you might think. Dogs with behaviour challenges are HARD! Even puppies are HARD! It's ok to feel burned out and exhausted. If you are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out, you aren't alone. What if, instead of asking you to do more, I told you that you would get further with your pooch if you actually did less? Most people are doing way too much, trying way too hard, and putting their time and energy into things that...
10 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
Have you seen people running or biking or sledding with their dog out in front pulling and having a blast? Did you know there's also a hiking version of this sport? I had questions!! And Erin answered =) Have a listen. π§ Listen on Apple π§ Listen on Spotify P.S. My free training and live Q&A is on WEDNESDAY! Bring your questions about your dog! π Sign-up -- Christina 2738 Holden Corso Rd, Nanaimo, BC v9x 1n5Unsubscribe Β· Preferences
11 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read
"Stranger danger! Don't touch me. Get out of my house!" Can you hear your dog in any of those sentences? Maybe you've given strangers treats or a ball to help win your dog over? You've asked people to avoid eye contact, move slowly, turn away, not talk to your dog. You know how sweet your dog is when they are with people they trust, and you wish everyone could see that dog. you want your dog to be friends with your friends, family, neighbours. There's a step that most people miss. Before our...
11 days agoΒ β’Β 1 min read