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...
about 13 hours ago • 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. 🎧 Listen on Apple 🎧 Listen on Spotify P.S. My free training and live Q&A is on WEDNESDAY! Bring your questions about your dog! 👉 Sign-up -- Christina 2738 Holden Corso Rd, Nanaimo, BC v9x 1n5Unsubscribe · Preferences
1 day ago • 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...
1 day ago • 1 min read
Have you been told never to tell your dog "no"? That you should always tell them what to do instead? Maybe you've heard that positive trainers don't say "no" at all? Have you caught your dog doing something naughty and wondered, "How do I stop this without being harsh?" I had a chat with Denise Fenzi, a trainer I've admired for more than a decade and whose work has shaped a lot of how I train. We talked about something many of us feel unsure about: saying no to our dogs. Ideally we set up our...
6 days ago • 1 min read
A well trained dog is a way of life, not just a training game 😊 Does your dog pull like mad when you head to the lake, or to the dog park, or where the bunnies live? Does your dog loose their cool when they know you are driving to one of their favourite places? You probably learned self-control games in one of your training classes, yet your dog still struggles to keep it together. Games are a great way to learn, but the real benefit comes when you use those skills in everyday life. Here's an...
10 days ago • 1 min read
I'm a lazy trainer. Runa wanted to visit a person on the beach. I wanted her to stay with me. Recall training is pretty important right now. I also would like to build enthusiastic heeling foundations. As always, we are practicing the skill increasing and lowering arousal. I can do all of this at once! When we understand how and when arousal helps or hinders, and we have the skills to increase or decrease arousal, a single training session can work on many things at once. In the above...
12 days ago • 1 min read
Every week I hear from someone who feels crushed because their dog had a reaction. Maybe they barked at a neighbour, lost their cool at a dog on the street, or had a really hard time with a visitor. “Did we undo all our training? Are we back at square one?” It's OK. Reactions are not the end of the world. Occasional failures are a part of growth. The trap many of us fall into is playing it too safe. When we stay too deep in the comfort zone, progress slows. When we don't push boundaries, you...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Does your dog stiffen over a bone, growl from the couch, or guard a stolen sock? You're not alone. Resource guarding is normal dog communication. It's how dogs evolved to survive, sometimes it is what we bred them for. But sometimes resource guarding strays away from what's just normal, healthy communication and becomes something that's dangerous and problematic for the dog and for the people or the other animals that the dog lives with In this week's episode of Dogs with Big Feelings, I...
16 days ago • 1 min read
See how much fun Riker and Jubilee are having in these videos? That’s what training should look like — joyful, connected, and fun for both you and your dog. Not all training is upbeat and energetic, but it should always feel safe, kind, and connected. A friend sent me a post from a popular trainer whose fix for a distracted dog was to clamp its mouth shut and flip it onto its back. The result? The dog now listens to them and follows them everywhere. That broke my heart. Because I don’t ever...
17 days ago • 1 min read