07/23/2025
"So much of what we call “dog training” is really about relationships—how we listen, how we respond, how we co-exist across species.
Dogs are not just learning what we want. They are feeling us. Tracking our tension, our breath, our patterns. And we are doing the same with them—whether we realize it or not.
As mammals, we share the same basic needs: safety, belonging, choice, connection, regulation, rest. Our nervous systems speak a common language, beneath the words.
When a dog pauses, turns away, or sniffs the ground, they may be saying, “I need a moment.”
When they lean in to contact or soften their gaze, they may be saying, “I feel safe here.”
If we slow down enough to notice, our dogs become mirrors, co-regulators, and even teachers. They help us find our way back to grounded presence—not through force, but through relationship.
Understanding behavior means looking beyond obedience or what dogs can do for you.
It means asking:
What does this being need right now?
What is their body telling us?
And what is mine telling me in return?
This is not just about dogs.
It’s about remembering we are alive—together."
Grisha Stewart
