Zen Dog Training

10/21/2025

10/21/2025

Well stated by a colleague.

Expectation is the #1 reason great dogs get returned — not because they’re broken, but because they didn’t meet someone’s idea of who they “should” be.

We say we want a dog — but more often, what we really want is an idea of a dog.

A dog we can take everywhere.

A dog who loves everyone.

A dog who fits seamlessly into the life we’ve built.

But what happens when the dog in front of us doesn’t match the picture in our mind?

Buckley (once Cowboy) is an introverted, deeply sensitive soul — a homebody who thrives on the small and familiar. He’s goofy, loving, and loyal, but he’s not built for bustling breweries, crowded events, or constant socializing. And no amount of training will make him someone he’s not.

His adopter recently shared a heartfelt message — full of love, heartbreak, and honesty. She’s given him structure, patience, and consistency. She even made the painful decision to leave a home she loves so he could have a safer, more supportive environment.

But still, she fears the space between who he is and the life she lives may be too wide to bridge.

And if that ends up being the case — if Buckley needs to come back to me — I’ll welcome him with open arms and make it all work. It’s the promise I made to this family, and to every person who’s adopted one of these dogs — and it’s a promise I’m keeping, which is why I’m preparing for the move to South Carolina. It’s no one’s fault. It just is what it is — a matter of what’s best for him, and what’s real for everyone involved.

Here’s the truth I wish more people understood when it comes to dogs:

We can build confidence.

We can build a sense of safety.

We can build comfort.

We can teach skills.

We can nurture trust.

We can create safety and build confidence.

But we cannot build a dog into someone they’re not.

We cannot change who a dog inherently is.

And if we try, we’ll be fighting a losing battle — with a great deal of stress and frustration in the process.

And when we do try — when we force them into roles that don’t fit or lives that don’t align — the result is often stress, disconnection, anxiety, and eventually, surrender.

Dogs aren’t blank slates for us to mold into whatever version suits us best.

They’re unique, complex beings with their own personalities, sensitivities, and needs — just like we are.

I see this play out again and again in human–canine relationships.
A dog’s true nature ends up colliding with a human’s expectations — and it’s in that collision that so much frustration, heartbreak, and surrender happens.

Not because the dog is “bad.” But because they’re being asked to be someone they’re not.

This is the space between:

Between expectation and reality.

Between what we pictured and what’s actually needed.

Between what we want and who they are.

And this is where so many dogs fall through the cracks — not because they’re broken, but because we struggle to reconcile the dog we imagined with the dog standing right in front of us.

Chapter Ten is a deeply important one.

It’s a call to pause, breathe, and re-examine our expectations.
To see dogs not as accessories to a lifestyle, but as individual beings with their own needs, sensitivities, and truths.

Because the magic doesn’t happen when we change them — it happens when we meet them where they are.

When we do that — when we truly see and honor the dog in front of us — everything changes.

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Paperback, Hardback, and Digital versions of the book:
https://a.co/d/4y3TMN7

Signed and Personalized Editions (with custom bookmark & highlighter):

https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks

10/18/2025

For anyone that's been looking for these. She's just under an hour from Bentonville.

10/13/2025

Are correction and punishment really the same in dog training? Discover the critical differences that can change your approach! 🌟 Learn more about fostering a positive learning environment for your dog. Read the full article here: https://wix.to/hhlwNIK

In the dog training world, there is a lot of confusion around the terms “correction” and “punishment.” Many people use them interchangeably, and that confusion leads to problems: both for the dog and for the handler.

10/10/2025

May we all live something the way Caliber loves his bunny.

10/09/2025

Nothing better than a good dog. 🥹🥹

10/08/2025

So I know a lot of our followers have been dying to know what breed mixes their dogs are. Prime deal days has embark breed identification kits on sale! This is a great price as they are usually around $200. Here is our affiliate link. Happy Talker girl for attention! 😁

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10/08/2025

Great info here.

A veterinarian at a recent veterinary conference has raised alarming concerns about the rampant corporate takeover of the veterinary industry. She reports that veterinarians are inundated with weekly calls from corporations and private equity firms seeking to buy their practices. This aggressive pursuit is drastically driving up the cost of veterinary care and adversely affecting patient services.

"I want to tell you about a conversation that I had with another vet while I was at the conference. This vet, she's the owner of a six-doctor practice. The practice has been in business for over 75 years. She is only the second owner, so it's always been owned by an individual, and she and her husband own it now, and it's a very successful practice.

What she told me is that she's getting older and she's starting to think about retirement, and she has probably eight or ten more years of being in practice. And after I asked her, I said, are people bombarding you? Are corporations bombarding you to buy your practice? And she said, yes, they are. It's constantly, every single week, she has multiple corporations that are approaching her with great offers to buy her practice. And she said what the problem is, is that this practice is worth a lot of money, and the corporations will pay more for my practice than anyone else. And she said, when I go to sell this practice, I would be willing to take a loss to be able to sell the practice to an individual instead of a corporation.

But she said my friend actually just did that. She took a loss for the value of her practice and sold her practice to an individual. And then the individual that she sold her practice to for a loss, basically flipped her practice like you flip a house. That individual only owned her practice for two months, and then she resold the practice to a corporation and was able to make a considerable profit after only owning it for two months.

So this is a huge problem in the veterinary industry. When I'm at this conference with all of these very boutique, artisan, amazing veterinarians that are so passionate about what they do, the biggest thing that they talk about is this corporate takeover of the veterinary industry. Mars now owns so many of the vets, so many of the ERs, and now animal insurance companies. So it's just steamrolling the industry and it really affects the patient care and every step of the process.

So what can you do about it as a consumer? Seek out veterinary hospitals that are owned by an individual. Call them, ask them who owns them. Because the only way that we will change this situation is if the consumer becomes more knowledgeable about the process and gravitates toward veterinary practices that are owned by individuals, so that they're not worth as much money to corporations anymore. This is what we all have to do together, is to support small businesses and small practitioners in order to have better patient care, better outcomes, and more passionate veterinarians that aren't a slave to the corporate industry."

10/05/2025

Great info!!

If You Think Crate Training Is Cruel, You’re Probably Doing Everything Else Wrong Too

Every few days someone tells me, “I’d never crate my dog , it’s cruel.” I understand where that comes from. Nobody wants to harm their dog. But here’s the truth that may sting a little:

Crates aren’t the problem. Your lack of structure is.

If you believe a crate is automatically mean, it usually signals a bigger misunderstanding about what dogs actually need to feel safe, calm, and connected.

A Crate Is Not a Cage — It’s a Bedroom for the Canine Brain

Humans see bars and think prison. Dogs don’t.

Dogs evolved from animals that slept in dens, enclosed, predictable spaces where they could fully let down their guard. The limbic system (the emotional brain) is wired to feel safe in a contained space when it’s introduced correctly. That safety lets the autonomic nervous system shift out of hyper-arousal and into rest.

When I say “kennel” or “crate” in my house, I mean bedroom. It’s the place my dogs retreat to when they want zero pressure from the world , to nap, chew a bone, or just exhale. My German Shepherds and Malinois will often choose their crates on their own when the house is buzzing with activity.

Why So Many Dogs Are Stressed Without Boundaries

Freedom sounds loving, but for many dogs it’s chaotic and overwhelming:
• Hypervigilance: They scan every sound and movement because no one has drawn a line between safe and unsafe.

• Over-arousal: Barking, pacing, and destructive chewing are the brain trying to find control in a world without limits.

• Problem behavior rehearsal: Every hour a dog practices bad habits (counter surfing, jumping, door dashing) is an hour those neural pathways strengthen.

From a neuroscience standpoint, the prefrontal cortex — the impulse-control center — is limited in dogs. They rely on our structure to regulate. A dog without clear boundaries burns out its stress response system, living in chronic low-grade cortisol spikes.

A structured dog isn’t “suppressed.” They’re relieved , free from the constant job of self-managing a complex human world.

Crates Give the Nervous System a Reset Button

Here’s the part most people miss: A properly introduced crate isn’t just a place to “put” a dog. It’s a tool for nervous system regulation.

• Sleep: Dogs need far more sleep than humans , around 17 hours a day. A crate gives them uninterrupted rest.

• Decompression: After training or high stimulation, the crate helps the brain down-shift from sympathetic (fight/flight) to parasympathetic (rest/digest).

• Reset: Just like humans may retreat to a quiet room to recharge, dogs use the crate to self-soothe and recalibrate.

But here’s the catch: PLACEMENT MATTERS!!! My crates in my bedroom are for Little Guy, Ryker and Walkiria, Garage is for Cronos, Guest Bedroom for Mieke and my bathroom is for Rogue and my Canace is in my Shed.

Stop Putting the Crate in the Middle of the Storm

Most people stick the crate in the living room because that’s where they hang out. But think about what that room is for your dog: constant TV noise, kids running, doorbells, guests coming and going, kitchen clatter.

That’s not decompression. That’s forced proximity to stimulation with no way to escape.

If you want the crate to become a true bedroom, give it its own space , a quiet corner of your house, a spare room, a low-traffic hallway, garage , shed. Somewhere your dog can fully turn off. The first time many of my clients move the crate out of the living room, they see their dog sigh, curl up, and sleep deeply for the first time in months.

Why Some Dogs “Hate” Their Crate

If your dog panics, it’s almost never the crate itself. It’s:
• Bad association: Only being crated when punished or when the owner leaves.
• No foundation: Tossed in without gradual acclimation or positive reinforcement.
• Total chaos elsewhere: If the whole day is overstimulating and unpredictable, the crate feels random and scary.

I’ve turned around countless “crate haters” by reshaping the experience: short sessions, feeding meals inside, rewarding calm entry, keeping tone neutral. In a few weeks, the same dogs trot inside happily and sleep peacefully.

Freedom Without Foundation Hurts Dogs

I’ve met hundreds of well-intentioned owners who avoided the crate to be “kinder” , and ended up with:
• Separation anxiety so severe the dog destroys walls or self-injures.
• Reactivity because the nervous system never learned to shut off.
• Dangerous ingestion of household items.
• A heartbreaking surrender because life with the dog became unmanageable.

I’ll say it plainly: a lack of structure is far crueler than a well-used crate.

When we don’t provide safe boundaries, we hand dogs a human world they’re ill-equipped to navigate alone.

How to Introduce a Crate the Right Way
1. Think bedroom, not jail. Feed meals in the crate, offer a safe chew, and keep the vibe calm and neutral.

2. Give it a quiet location. Not the busiest room. Dogs need true off-duty time.

3. Pair exercise + training first. A fulfilled brain settles better. Every Dog at my place get worked at east 4-5 times per day (yes this is why I am always tired)

4. Short, positive sessions. Build up time slowly; don’t lock and leave for hours right away. (I work my dogs mentally for max 15 minutes, puppies shorter, physical activity and play around 20 minutes, when I take dogs for a workout walk around 1 hour walk )

5. Never use it as AVERSIVE punishment when conditioning. The crate should predict calm, safety, and rest. When you are advanced eventually we can use the crate as "time out" to reset the brain after proper conditioning has taken place.

6. Create a rhythm: Exercise → training → calm crate nap. Predictability equals security. ( I have 10 dogs on my property right now so every dog works about 15 minutes x 10 dogs = 150 minutes = 2 1/2 hours. Every dogs get worked every 2 1/5 hours, I do that minimum 4 times per day = 600 minutes or 10 hours. yes this is why I wake up so early and go to bed late lol )

The Science of Calm: What’s Happening in the Brain

When a dog settles in a safe, quiet crate:
• The amygdala (fear center) reduces activity.
• The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis down-regulates, lowering cortisol.
• The parasympathetic nervous system engages: heart rate slows, breathing steadies.
• Brain waves shift from high-alert beta to calmer alpha/theta — the same pattern seen in deep rest.

This is why dogs who have a true den space often become more relaxed and stable everywhere else in life.

The Bottom Line

If you think crates are cruel, you’re missing the bigger picture. The crate isn’t about punishment — it’s about clarity, safety, and mental health.

A dog without structure lives in a constant state of uncertainty: Where should I rest? What’s safe? Why am I always on guard? That life is stressful and, over time, damaging.

A well-introduced crate says: Here is your safe space. Here’s where you rest and reset. The world makes sense.

Kindness isn’t endless freedom. Kindness is clarity. And sometimes clarity looks like a cozy, quiet bedroom with a door that means you can relax now.

Bart De Gols