04/01/2026
I have had a few horrendous reels come up on my feed that have made my stomach drop.
If your training needs intimidation, risk, and a bloody great ego, its not about helping dogs, its about feeding yourself
Some training content places more emphasis on control, image and authority rather than learning or welfare
These clips are of big, powerful or reactive dogs to show how skilled the trainer is,
and risky situations are used to make obedience look more impressive.
Ive seen things like:
Dogs walked off-lead near/on roads
High-pressure setups used to “prove” reliability
Dogs walked through busy city centres off lead
Strong corrections shown as respect or leadership
These choices aren’t always about what’s safest for the dog, they’re about what looks impressive.
When training becomes a performance, risk increases.
Even well-trained dogs can panic, get confused, or make mistakes.
Removing safety measures doesn’t show confidence, it removes protection for the dog.
A dog staying still or quiet under pressure doesn’t necessarily mean it feels calm or understands. Especially with large dogs, stress can be easy to miss and mistaken for good behaviour.
Good training doesn’t need to look dramatic.
It should be safe, clear, and focused on the dog’s wellbeing, not on proving how tough or skilled someone is.
Control looks impressive.
Care keeps dogs safe.
If hurting or risking your dogs life is how you prove your skill, congratulations, you have mastered narcissism
