One of the hardest things for many of us is really resting. And our dogs—especially dogs with big feelings—need real, quality rest too. Our well-meaning go-to is often to do more or to wish we could do more, to beat ourselves up for not doing more. Yes - training is important. But so is teaching our dogs to relax. A dog who is always expecting more is exhausting—for them and for us. And often, that pattern isn’t because we’ve done something wrong, but because no one ever showed us how to say...

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...

This is one of my very favourite types of dogs: an adolescent, intact, field-bred retriever. He’s a great dog, and I hope to have one a lot like him one day. But for him to be successful in life, he needs a different kind of life than the average pet dog. He was bred to work—to do things, solve problems, and use his body and brain. If we don’t teach him how to manage his emotions, how to think before reacting, and how to relax, he’ll keep throwing his body at challenges, hoping something...