At the start of a session recently, a student told me: "I'm tired of hearing we aren't doing enough." My heart broke for her — because this family was already going way above and beyond what a typical dog needs to thrive. The problem was that their dog isn't a typical dog. Sometimes the reason nothing is working isn't the training plan, the structure, the enrichment, or you. Sometimes it's the dog — something mental, emotional, or physical that training alone can't fix. In this week's episode...

Your dog has already figured out the rules of your house Hey there, Your dog knows every unspoken rule in your house. If the couch or your bed are fair game, what happens when someone knocks on the door, do we greet other dogs or people on a walk? Whether or not you chose those rules on purpose — your dog knows them. There is no 'wrong' set of rules. The trouble starts when you bring home a dog that culture wasn't built for. A second dog. A higher-drive dog. A more fearful or more protective...

"How many tricks does your dog know?" I ask this question a lot. It's not about the tricks themselves, it's about having a robust history of communicating with your dog - having learned things together. The more "tricks" your dog knows, the bigger your communication toolbox gets. A lot of dogs only know a couple of cues - sit, down, maybe shake a paw or stay. Imagine building a house, but you only have two or three tools - a hammer, maybe a screwdriver and a hand saw. It's going to take you a...