Want to prevent reactivity before it starts? Here’s one of the most overlooked skills—learning to watch without staring. Here’s how to tell the difference: 🔹 Watching = relaxed, checking in, less than 3 seconds of direct eye contact, able to disengage 🔹 Staring = stiff, tense, frozen in position, locked-in eye contact, unable to look around, sniff, or connect with you So, why does this become a problem? Because we often miss the early warning signs. 🚩 We confuse "socialization" with letting...

Are you a predator stalking your dog? Or the prey your dog wants to chase? When people practice recall or engage their dogs in play, they often face the dog and move in toward them. Cues are typically reduced to a single word like “come” or the dog’s name, with the tone becoming more forceful if there’s no immediate response. Let’s clear something up right away: a reliable recall doesn’t happen just because you said so. Really. 😊 Your dog doesn't come when called because you’re the boss or...

One of the biggest reasons people end up in conflict with their dogs is because they believe the dog knows exactly what’s being asked—and is simply choosing not to do it. “She’s just stubborn.” “He knows better.” “This breed needs a heavier hand.” Labels like these turn your dog into the villain. And once we decide they’re being “bad,” it suddenly feels justified to correct harshly—or punish. But here’s the truth: More often than not, the dog is confused, overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply...