I always laugh when Riker gives me the third degree when I get home—he only does this if I’ve been playing with an intact male dog. He can absolutely smell the difference!

Riker (which is common in his breed) has same-sex aggression. He adores female dogs and struggles with males, especially intact ones. Some of this is trainable, and some of it simply isn’t.

We sometimes want our dogs to be furry humans, but it’s important to remember they’re still animals—still dogs, with instincts and preferences of their own.

So I pick my battles. If I invite a friend over and their dog happens to be an intact male, I’ll likely just keep Riker separate. That’s management, not failure. When it comes time to bring home my next puppy—who will also be an intact male—that’s when we’ll train that piece intentionally.

You don’t have to train everything all the time. Sometimes the kindest, smartest choice is to manage the situation and let your dogs be dogs.

~Christina & Riker

"GOOD BOY!"

3 Steps to Helping Dogs with Big Feelings

⏰ Jan 14th 2026 at 6PM PST

Can’t join live? Don’t worry, you’ll get the recording!

If your dog is struggling, it's not your fault. The dogs of today are often unlike dogs from years ago who would just seamlessly fit into a family's daily life as long as they got a regular walks.

In this webinar, we will talk about why some dogs need... different. Not necessarily more, but different things than you might think they need.

🤔 Understand why your dog struggles so much to do 'normal dog' stuff.

💡 Learn what your dog needs in order to succeed

Come with your questions, or email me your questions ahead of time if you are not able to make it live.

✅ Perfect for puppies, adult dogs, and reactive dogs

✅ Short, fun games you can weave into daily life

P.S. If you’re looking for deeper support and training with a clear plan after the webinar, enrollment for my brand new Dream Dog program will open during the webinar.