The Good Dog Coach

05/09/2024

This is one thing nobody wants to admit or talk about, but likelihood is that the dog you are about to adopt will have some issues for you to work through.👇

There are a number of reasons why this is usually the case:
1. Well bred dogs don't end up in rescue - Ethical and responsible breeders will almost always have their dogs back, no matter how old they are. Good breeders stay invested in their puppies and want to avoid them getting into the wrong hands.

2. Unethical breeders does not prioritise temperament - and they have no interest in their dogs once they can make no more money from them. Whether a first time breeder who doesn't know what they are doing or serial greeders that churn out litter after litter, it is these dogs that find themselves in a rescue when the going gets tough.

3. Well behaved dogs don't end up in rescue - The average age dogs go into rescue here in the UK is 8 months! Just as they start to test the boundaries, puberty like. Often these dogs have received very little training, been given no boundaries and the first owners' permissiveness has crated a dog that is hard to live with. So it had to go.

4. The wrong breed - Buying a dog for looks without an understanding of the breed, people often find themselves overwhelmed and surprised by their working dog's high drive and behavioural fallout from not meeting their dog's needs.

5. The golden goose - Sometimes a change in circumstances genuinely prevents someone from keeping their dog. Whether that is a particularly difficult divorce or the passing of the owner with no next of kin who are willing to take the dog, though these occasions are very rare. Even with the passing of the owner, a well trained dog that is well behaved is far more likely to find a new home within the family or group of friends.

Yes, there are dogs that find themselves in rescues due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances. Sometimes the breeder may not have been informed, other times the rescue may refuse to relinquish the dog to the breeder because the dog is good for their marketing (I know of several cases where this has happened). 🤔

In many cases, however, there will be some problem or other and it is about matching the right dog with the right owner to ensure a happy outcome for everyone involved. 🐾

03/09/2024

September is Responsible Dog Ownership Month, a month to educate about responsible dog ownership. 🐾

For dog owners, every month, every week and every day should be about responsible dog ownership. Throughout this month I will share my top 4 considerations when owning a dog.

My number one has to be knowing about and following the laws that apply to dog owners specifically. If everyone followed these laws, we would see a lot fewer problems, such as the epidemic of out of control dogs causing a nuisance or danger to the public. Unfortunately, many dog owners aren't aware of the laws that apply to them, so I have put together a summary of them for you in this post.

Have a read through the tiles and let me know in the comments which one you didn't know. What can be done to better prepare prospective dog owners? 🤔

02/09/2024

Willow, my Willow, my main girl, my heart, my soul, my everything.

I rehomed her at 5 months old from a family that could not cope with this highly energetic and clever puppy who was running rings around them. And she wasn’t without challenges for me, either.

While early training was an absolute bliss, she was absolutely obsessed with other dogs. Never unfriendly, she’d run up to every dog to play and could be boisterous at times. Recall would be straight out of the window if there was another dog anywhere in sight.

I was working my heart out with her under the guidance of my then mentor, though when she got into a field of sheep in Germany and thought it was great fun being chased by them, I knew I had to seek further education. What I was doing was not working, no matter how hard I worked at it.

Because of Willow I reached out to Danny at , who took me under his wing and it was there that I truly learned about dog training.

Willow transformed into the most perfect pet you could imagine. She is kind, loving, patient and the best stooge dog I could wish for. Because of her calm and inoffensive nature, she is now the first dog I introduce to client dogs that are reactive or aggressive towards dogs.

She can now be completely neutral to dogs and I can even allow her to have a play with other dogs without sacrificing recall. In fact, I utilise her friendliness to proof client dog’s recall from play with other dogs.

She has gotten me through some hard times, pushed me to open my mind to different ways of training and has enriched my life beyond words.

She really is the best girl. 🥹🥰

30/08/2024

Adopting a dog can be a very rewarding experience. While I don’t subscribe to the “adopt don’t shop narrative”, I very much believe in supporting responsible breeders, my own dogs have all been rescues.

Willow was a private rehome and only 5 months old. She was absolutely wild and far too energetic for the family with three young children. I knew she was my dog as soon as they opened the kitchen door and this young little whirlwind came barrelling out, jumping on everything and everyone, running across all the furniture toppling everything in her path.

Winnie was meant to be a foster rehab case, a dog I take in, rehabilitate and rehome. At only 10 months old, she'd been through 4 homes already and was the most severely dog and human aggressive dog I'd come across. In rescue, she would have very likely been put to sleep.

Menace was the last addition and entirely unplanned. He'd been found tied to a fence, left to die, when he was only 11 months old. Kennel guarding at the rescue nobody could get near him and he was about to be put to sleep unless a very special home could be found stat.

28/08/2024

When my Smoky passed away, I was so heartbroken that I could not face having another dog for years. I didn't think I could go through the loss and the pain again.💔

20 years later, my Willow is teaching me that in my effort to protect myself from the hurt of losing a pet, I also denied myself the pleasure of loving them. The adventures we go on, the laughter, the snuggles. Taking on any pet comes with small print: You know you will likely outlive them. The price for loving them is the pain we feel when we are losing them. ❤️‍🩹

Now, looking back, I would not ever sacrifice the richness that comes from having a dog in my life to save myself the pain. Having said that, Willow only just turned 6 this month and I am already living in terror of that day, which I know will come. I hope it is a good long while away and in the meantime, I remember my Smoky and all the other pets I have loved, many of which weren't even mine. The many dogs I have looked after before venturing into dog training that have since passed away. They, too, took a piece of my heart even though I only occupied a tiny space in theirs. 🕊️

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is a chance for us to remember our pets that passed, the lives that they lived and the love they gave. I'd love it if you told me a bit about who you are remembering today in the comments.

23/08/2024

Did you know that while a bit of excitement can be motivating for dogs, excessive arousal can actually hinder their ability to focus? Dogs with high arousal levels often struggle with impulsive behaviours, making it difficult for them to follow instructions in a calm and controlled manner.

Overexcitement can lead to challenges in training, as your dog might become too distracted or reactive to effectively learn and respond. By managing arousal levels, you can help your dog remain focused, making training sessions more productive and enjoyable for both of you.

If you notice that your dog becomes overly excited and struggles to focus, consider working on exercises that promote calmness and impulse control. For personalised advice and support, reaching out to a professional trainer can make all the difference in helping your dog learn!

18/08/2024

Harold was 5 years old when I first met him. He was scavenging, had no lead manners or recall, making walks unenjoyable. 😒

The main priority for our work, however, was to stop him nipping family members and stop his increasing aggression towards visitors.

We got to work on providing him with structure and teaching him impulse control as well as improving his relationship with his humans.

Shortly after, we were able to reintroduce recall training to him and he has been enjoying off lead freedom for several years now. Things have been going so well that his family adopted little Ruxley, a French Bulldog puppy that was much in need of their tender loving care.

All of the work his owners had put into his training enabled a stress free introduction of the new addition. Happy life! 🤩

13/08/2024

My first involvement at the Brailes Village Show, judging the Fun Dog Show and it was an immense success! 🤩

To be fair, it's success was solely down to the gigantic effort of the wonderful Amy at , who is easily the most organised person I know. The show was so much bigger and more popular that I didn't even have a chance to take any pictures or videos, so here are a few taken by Freedom Photography and Kate at Absolutely Barking, who sponsored the Best Catcher class at the show. 🐾

While a thoroughly enjoyable day, it was easily the hardest thing I ever had to do. Meeting so many lovely dogs who all deserved to win, but having only 6 prizes per class, it felt the impossible task. In the end, I sincerely hope that everyone entered in the spirit of it being a FUN dog show and enjoyed the entertainment of it.

One of my favourite elements of the show was talking to everyone and finding out what makes their dog so special to them. This made it very clear to me that everyone had won already and each participant got take home the best prize of them all: Their best friend and companion. 🥰

31/07/2024

Excited to immerse myself in the rich 80-year tradition of the Brailes Village Show!

I'm delighted to sponsor and judge the fun dog show this year.

Can't wait to see all the wonderful dogs and share in this community event.

Join us for a day of fun and festivities!🤩

28/07/2024

When I first started working with Deimos, he was explosively dog reactive due to barrier frustration.

His screeching screams as soon as he laid eyes on a dog made walks incredibly stressful for his owners. He was always hyper and had chewed through a wall at home.

Deimos' owner worked with me on a one to one basis and trained him to a very high level. Reactivity is now a thing of the past and he enjoys his life off lead. So much so that Deimos was the very first clients' dog that I trusted so much I used him as a stooge both with my foster rehab dogs and with other clients' dogs.

I am very grateful to his owners for always bringing him down when I needed a trusty stooge. I am incredibly proud of this team and while our work concluded a couple of years ago, we are still in touch and Deimos continues to be the most goodest of boys. 🥰

26/07/2024

The gang, the team, the three musketeers. 🤝

Today is National Dog Photography Day and I took today as an excuse to take yet more pictures of my lovely doggos: Willow, Menace and Winnie. In the words of Seal in Kiss from a Rose, they are:

My Power - this has to be Menace the muscle. A powerful and driven dog, even his cuddles are violently enthusiastic and he'd live under my skin if he could. While I do sometimes want to shot him, he is nowhere near as much of a pain in the behind as I'd have expected from a Mali. And he is rather gorgeous.

My Pleasure - this won't have been a hard guess for anyone who knows me: My Willow. The light of my life, my sweet, uncomplicated girl. She wants to be friends with everyone and would be the most useless guard dog. She'd probably show you her mummy's safe for a belly scratch... 🤷‍♀️

My Pain - little digger and cuddle bug Winnie, she once was the most human and dog aggressive dog I'd ever met. She still has and always will have a bit of an edge to her, hence the pain. Though I wouldn't want to miss my little sleep on my belly in front of the telly snuggle buddy.

Together, they are my slightly dysfunctional, much loved and always coming up with new ideas to keep me on my toes family.

Have you had to purchase additional cloud storage to accommodate the zillions of pictures of your dogs? Tell me about your favourite shots of your dogs in the comments. 👇

24/07/2024

Odin's owner travelled all the way from London to the Cotswolds to see me with his highly dog reactive German Shepherd.

Walks with him were unpleasant and stressful as Odin's reactivity was severe and explosive. 🤯

Just one session into his training, Odin's dad feels much more in control of the walk, Odin has a job to do and more clarity over what is expected of him and peaceful walks seem more obtainable than the distant dreams they once were.

I am proud as punch of these two and looking forward to seeing them going from strength to strength.

21/07/2024

Stan is a beautiful English Bullterrier that his owner lovingly described as a "wet wipe" because he is scared of everything.

Jokes aside, this made walks really unenjoyable, because Stan would easily get spoked by all sorts of things and try to run home. At home, he'd get frightened by noises from the neighbours and bark excessively. Stan wasn't trying to give his owners a hard time - he was having a hard time. Imagine being scared of your own shadow...

His owner wanted a better life for him because she recognised being loved is not enough. They've had their first session and are now going from strength to strength. I can't wait to see them again and help them towards their achieving their off lead freedom dream. 😍

19/07/2024

Did you know that socialisation and socialising are often confused but mean very different things when it comes to raising puppies?

🐾 Socialising is the act of mixing with others, while socialisation is the process that prepares the puppy for those interactions by learning social norms. For puppies, this is a critical part of their development.

The period between 8 and 11 weeks, known as the "golden period of socialisation," also coincides with their first Fear Imprint Period. During this time, puppies learn rapidly, and both positive and traumatic experiences can have long-lasting impacts on their behaviour. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly believe that encouraging their puppy to interact with as many dogs and people as possible will prevent reactivity and aggression. Instead, this approach can backfire.

For example, taking your puppy to meet-ups or dog parks during this sensitive time can lead to traumatic experiences. If your puppy is overwhelmed by a bigger, rough-playing dog, they may develop a fear of other dogs, leading to space-creating behaviours (fear reactivity) later on.

On the other hand, if your puppy enjoys rough play too much, they might develop frustration when on a lead, resulting in barrier frustration and a hyperfixation on other dogs.

To prevent these issues, it’s important to focus on encouraging neutrality and engagement with the handler rather than overwhelming interactions.

If you want to ensure proper socialisation from the start or if you notice signs of reactivity, please reach out to a trainer with a proven track record!

16/07/2024

🐍 World Snake Day Reminder! 🐍

Did you know that not every veterinary practice stocks anti-venom? It’s essential to know which vets in your area do. Unlike GPs, veterinary practices are service providers, so you can be registered with multiple ones. There are even apps available to help you locate the nearest vet, which is particularly useful when travelling or on holiday.

In the event of a snake bite, remember to keep your dog calm to slow the spread of the toxin. If it’s safe, carry your dog to the nearest vet with anti-venom as quickly as possible. Using apps to find and call ahead to check for anti-venom availability can be a real lifesaver. Stay informed and prepared to ensure the safety of your dog!

14/07/2024

Today is "Dogs on a Lead Day", which was started to raise awareness of the need to respect the lead and not allow your dog to approach an on lead dog. The dog may be on lead because it is elderly, injured, recovering from surgery or because it is in training or needing training. What most on lead dogs do not need is another dog running at them, wanting to "play" and say hi. I have said it many times as has almost every dog trainer on the internet: Don't let your dog approach an on lead dog. In fact, I usually recommend not letting your dog approach other dogs, regardless of whether they are on a lead or not. My dogs being off lead is no invitation for a complete stranger to jump all over them.

While we are talking about leads, I want to add another thought into the mix. Leads are wonderful things. They can do so much, from providing a means of communication with our dogs, effective guidance without conflict to an emergency restraint when needed. Unfortunately, all too often I see leads used only as a means of restraint. This provides an "easy way out" for dog owners - with the dog restrained on a lead, why go through the trouble of training your dog? But oh how much more enjoyable it is to live with a well trained dog. And how much more fun a dog can have when they can enjoy time off the lead to run around and sniff to their heart's content. When you start using the lead as a means of communication rather than a means of restraint, you are halfway there.

So today I'd like to encourage you to respect the lead and learn to use it in a way that, eventually, you won't need it.

12/07/2024

Another very well written post by the Terrierman. Lassie may have saved Timmy from the well, but never did stop chasing motorcycles.

RIN TIN TIN IS DEAD, AND LASSIE WAS GIVEN AWAY

I just read a conversation in which someone said that Lee Duncan trained Rin Tin Tin without an electric collar, so why does anyone need them today?

It's pretty thin logic; a bit like saying the Egyptians didn't need construction cranes and plate glass to build their buildings, so why do we need them today? Why not wait for the miracle of Martians? 🤔🤷‍♂️

Rin Tin Tin was dead in 1932 and the first patent for a very early e-collar was 1934 using a Ford Model T coil as the power source, with a wire running down the leash. The first battery-powered radio collar was patented in 1955, and the first commercial rigs came out in 1968.

The modern e-collar did not show up until the late 1990s and has seen dramatic improvements in the last decade, with vibrate, tone, and a hundred different levels of low stimulation available. Would I put an e-collar on my kids? Yes, and my wife and aged mother too. None could even *feel* the collar at the level of stimulation I train with.

Rin Tin Tin was not trained with an e-collar because they simply did not exist. For the record, neither did talking movies. All but four of Rin Tin Tin's movies were silent films

The original Rin Tin Tin seems to have been a one-off; Lee Duncan could not repeat his success with other dogs, and he was not the trainer for the dogs used in the 1950s TV series.

When I made that point, the response I got back was a Lee Duncan quote. Apparently Lee Duncan, the trainer of the original Rin Tin Tin, said that “…the first step in controlling your dog is to be able to control yourself.”

OK. Agreed. But how is that responsive to the question of e-collars? It isn't. If the notion is that people with e-collars might abuse them, then I would suggest thinking that through. Far more dogs are abused by leashes and flat collars than by e-collars. Are we going to ban all leashes and flat collars?

And why stop there? Are we going to ban swimming pools because kids drown in them?

Alcohol is the greatest threat to dogs, wives, and kids in any house. Are we going to ban all booze?

How about guns? Gasoline? Steak knives? Hammers? Chainsaws? Cars? Aspirin? All are potential tools for abuse. More dogs are killed every year by hammers than by e-collars.

The simple truth is that you cannot start banning tools because they might be abused or misused by a nameless, faceless, someone, somewhere, sometime.

Go down that road and we'll soon be banning chocolate, cheese, and ice cream.

Here's a simple truth: We kill hundreds of thousands of dogs a year in this country because people fail to train their dogs, or because that training fails.

Why does that training fail? Simple: people treat dogs like children, and they do not know how to correct a dog in real time when it is either on-leash or off.

And it's not simply a problem of an owner not having magic skills and an endless amount of time.

Rudd Weatherwax, the trainer of Lassie, could never could get the original Lassie (Pal) to stop chasing motorcycles and so his owner abandoned him to Weatherwax rather than pay for all those Weatherwax lessons that got the dog to stop barking. Yes, Lassie was abandoned because his famous dog trainer failed him!

Today almost anyone could stop both of Lassie's problem behaviors in short order with a bark collar and a modern e-collar, and with levels of stimulation so low you would not even be able to feel the "correction" on your own skin.

If we can do that, why would we not do that?

Steve Jobs said that "Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them."

Bingo.

You give people tools because most people are good and smart and will use them properly. The dim and the evil? They will do their business with rock or rope, water bucket and shovel, as they have since the beginning of time.

Removing tools does not stop the bad; it prevents the good and embraces the status-quo.

And in the world of dogs, the status-quo is a million dogs a year being killed or abandoned because their owners could not get them to stop barking or stop chasing motorcycles.

11/07/2024

Lovely little Wilbur has been home for 4 months after his intensive training. 🤩

His owners had been really worried about the effects of him being gone for a little while and how he'd respond to the training. His excessive barking, separation anxiety and overall naughtiness had become unmanageable since the arrival of their baby and I'd say they certainly have been happy with the results. Wilbur has not only become a joy to spend time with, but a dog to be proud of. I love to get updates like these! 😍

If you want to learn more about my services, drop me a message today.

08/07/2024

What’s yours? 🤔

Let me know in the comments! 👇

07/07/2024

Caring for a deaf dog is hugely rewarding and not as scary or difficult as many might think. We just need to keep some key aspects in mind:

👉 Structure – Keeping a lead on your dog, even indoors, will give you access to guide them and interrupt unwanted behaviour without creating conflict. Crating your deaf dog will ensure peaceful sleeps, both at night and during the day, without worry of startling them.

👉 Engagement – Not being able to use your voice to engage with your dog, be prepared to work a little harder to find out what motivates your dog and build value in engaging with you.

👉 How we communicate with them – Dogs communicate primarily through body language and so it is no surprise that they can learn sign language. As long as you use clear hand signals and are consistent with them, your deaf dog can learn as many commands as any other dog.

👉 How they communicate with us – A deaf dog may not have the full range of communication and may escalate to more obvious forms of communication more quickly.

👉 Proper Control – Teaching a deaf dog a hand signal for recall and to regularly check in are the first steps but not sufficient to allow them off lead in a public space. You need to be able to recall your dog at any point, not just when they check in. The only way to facilitate this is through a tactile recall cue, such as a vibration on a collar.

👉 Approaching a deaf dog – Gently make your presence known. How this should best be done will depend on your dog's preferences. A gentle touch, a stomp to the ground to send vibrations through the floor or gently blowing on them, you'll know which interaction your dog will respond best to.

Have I left anything out? Let me know in the comments. 👇

05/07/2024

Today is Pet Remembrance Day. 🐾🕊️🌈

We always had dogs growing up. From my granddad's German Shepherds to our own dogs and my mum's string of foster dogs that would join us for a while until they could find a home of their own.

The one dog that was with us the longest and had the biggest impact on my life was our miniature Poodle Smoky. He was with us from 8 weeks old and lived to a ripe old age. He was with us for most of my childhood and particularly special to me. He was your dream family dog. Friendly with everyone, humorous and full of character.

We still have a Monopoly game with a scratched up board because when my little sister and I were sitting on the floor playing the game, he'd swoop in and steal the dice. He always had to be involved. Back then, we found it hilarious. He came with us everywhere and was involved in everything. He is now gone for longer than he was alive, he died 24 years ago. Gone but not forgotten, I still cried writing this post. 🥲

In the pictures you see Smoky, my little sister and my mum. Yes, I have a mullet in one of the pictures - I am an early 80s kid, don't judge me! 😆

Who are you remembering today?

02/07/2024

When I started working with Betty and her family, recall was a real issue. Betty, a Chow Chow mix from Cyprus, is a very prey driven and would go after anything that moved, including the family cat. 🐈

With the three kids being actively involved in training and walking her, lead pulling was also a major issue. Her friendly obsession with dogs meant she would suddenly pull, making it unsafe for the kids to walk her on lead. Being off lead was barely a distant dream after she ran off and remained lost for 40 terrifiying minutes on a walk.

Chow Chows are often claimed to be untrainable. Luckily Betty never got that memo and she really lucked out when the rescue adopter her out to this dedicated family that worked relentlessly to give her the freedom and safety she deserves. 😍

Are you struggling with behaviours that prevent your dog from enjoying their life to the full and you from really enjoying every minute with your dog? Get in touch and I can help you! 🐾

30/06/2024

Look at this silly boy Dozer. He loved to sleep in the sun when we were out in the garden, he snuggled into the bucket. Just look how relaxed he was in that bucket. Why would he squeeze himself into that?

Well, I have other dogs running around in that garden If you can hear and always had hearing dogs, you may underestimate how scary it can be when someone approaches you from behind if you didn't hear them coming. Your deaf dog won’t know you (or other dogs) are there and it can be a very startling experience, especially when fast asleep. Remember that a deaf dog could be more likely to snap when startled as they have not learned the full spectrum of communication from their mother. Building a solid relationship based on deep trust is essential as well as making that little bit more effort to make your presence known. With Dozer, I touched him very gently on his rump or nudge the bed (or bucket 🤷🏻‍♀️) he was sleeping in to alert him to my presence when I wanted him to pay attention to me. You could stomp your feet when approaching and your dog will likely be able to feel the vibrations in the ground.

On walks, be aware that while your dog does not hear the lorry coming, they will feel it thundering past, which can be very scary indeed. Bringing structure into your walks, giving your dog a job to do, such as walking to heel and encouraging engagement, will help them to better cope with the vibrations and sudden quick movements.

Don’t keep your dog away from busy areas. Instead, expose your dog to those environments methodically and purposely to get your dog used to it. I have posted about the importance of stress inoculation before – keeping them away from those scenarios just means your dog won’t ever get used to them. If you notice something startling them, take a mental note and make sure to get them used to this particular stimulus in a controlled manner that feels save to them.

25/06/2024

The lead is so much more than a restraint. Effective and correct lead handling skills seem to be a dying art with most trainers not understanding how to communicate via the lead. How then can we expect dog owners to know?

This is a well written piece that will hopefully make you rethink your lead and how you use it.

I have written about quiet hands a lot. Our primary communication with a dog is transmitted through the leash and it's important to understand the mechanics of leash handling.

The way we handle the leash tells our dog that what it's doing is either right or wrong.

Quick hands that sn**ch at the leash communicate uncertainty and distrust. The dog registers that and learns how to tune out the handler. Resistant hands that don't allow for the absence of leash pressure teach a dog to oppose us, as they struggle to escape the constant pressure.

Hands that are used as placeholders on a leash serve no purpose whatsoever. They are just the conveyance that attaches dog to handler.

I have always borrowed a lot from horsemanship. Although not a horseman, as an animal trainer and handler, I share a lot of similarities with horse trainers, not just in philosophies, but in the understanding of how to apply aids the horse registers as a cue to move. I don’t ride. I did very briefly as a youngster, but soon realized I would need an extravagant income to pursue it to the degree I wanted to, and by the time I was 10, I had already outgrown any hope of being a jockey.

But anyway…

Pressure is universal. All living things respond to it in the most subtle of ways. Heat drives us indoors to air conditioning. Our peers drive us to improve. Physical force drives us to move towards or away from pressure.

‘Contact’ is the term used to describe the sensation of the line drawn from the horse’s mouth through the rider’s hand, by reins.

The leash is the same. As I have said many times, it is a conduit for information that flows both ways. If the dog is heavy on the leash, it's generally trying to escape pressure. If the dog is light on the leash, it has experienced the pressure and practices avoiding it.

Dogfolk use collars to leverage control over their dogs, as riders use different bits. Where horsemen rely on reins, dog trainers use a leash and collar, but the basic principles remain the same.

Learning how to control our hands is like learning how to control our mouths. We need to force them to be quiet. It's not enough to make them stop moving, we must train our hands to remain still.

Humans are fidgeters. Constantly snapping their wrists, twiddling their fingers and talking with their hands.

Now put a leash in them.

Now think of what the dog is feeling.

It requires a conscious effort to maintain quiet hands. It requires practice to not sn**ch at the leash and misdirect your dog, and it takes a lifetime commitment to learn that the *absence* of pressure is equal to or greater than in importance, to the *presence* of pressure.

If light contact leads to restrictive or punitive pressure, it becomes a signal to the dog that change is required to relieve pressure.

If that relief never comes, the dog has no way of knowing how to escape it; how to be ‘right’.

Handling a leash quietly enables the handler to control their dog tactfully, efficiently, and without being perceived as a bully.

Dogs are very tactile. Learning how to control our hand movements is a superpower.

Handling a leash haphazardly is a surefire way to teach our dogs to ignore us.