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...

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...

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...