Training isn’t just about obedience—it’s about creating the lifestyle you want with your dog.
I REGULARLY joke that I am the dog trainer whose dog doesn’t walk well on leash. Do I know how to train loose leash walking? Of course! But that isn’t where we focused our training. Instead, I have taught my dog to run off-leash on the sidewalk while I ride my bike on the street. She stops at each street corner waiting to be released to cross, and she joins me at heel in the street when there are others on the sidewalk we want to pass respectfully.
Consider the things you’d like your dog to be able to do with you, and train for those moments.
🎯 Cross Country Skiing on the weekends? Teach a “forward” command to keep your dog moving.
🎯 Want a relaxed coffee shop companion? Practice settling in public spaces.
🎯 Dreaming of off-leash adventures? Nail recall in low-distraction areas first.
Need a place to start with your lifestyle goals? Reach out!
My bathroom break on our drive to adventures was an opportunity to practice thresholds and impulse control. I had to stop anyway, so adding 30 seconds of hanging out in the parking lot didn’t interfere with our schedule. Meaningful training can happen in small moments.
LOOK HOW GOOD THEY ARE!
This is a huge win - some members of the pack are reactive when people and other dogs are outside of the car (protective energy 👋).
There were numerous contractors working around us today and the dogs were excellent. No one barked or growled at anyone, their sit/stay was super strong, and they were able to relax and were not fixated on any loud noises. We had three guys loading up that truck next to us, across from us were two guys running a chainsaw, and there were others walking about.
I did back tie them today as a courtesy to the crew - it allowed me to safely test their thresholds and ensure their training is sound. Knowing they were secure if someone broke the stay allowed me to add distance from myself and the pack, which can be a challenge for some. Control what you can so you can grow around the factors you cannot control!
Did you know a little exercise before a training session can make a world of difference? Here’s why:
- It burns off extra energy, making it easier for your dog to focus.
- It’s a fun bonding moment that gets your pup in the right mindset.
- It helps relieve stress and anxiety, setting the stage for a calm, productive session.
- It boosts engagement, so your dog is more willing to work with you during training.
Think of it as a warm-up for their brain AND body! A quick game of fetch, a short walk, or even some tug can be the perfect pre-session prep.
I am intentionally working him HARD for his overall training goals. Be mindful of your dog’s capabilities and needs for exercise, and adjust your approach accordingly.
There are downfalls to playing fetch with your dog, and one is hyper-arousal. This is when their arousal and stress levels are increased, making it more difficult to regulate emotions and stay calm.
I mitigate this with Piper by working in some obedience and impulse control work between throws. Requiring commands like sit, down, spin, heel, paw/shake, before throwing the ball can keep them tuned in on you and your request, and in turn, keeps them from fixating too heavily on the ball.
Plus, when you’re training between throwing the ball, each time you throw the ball becomes the reward for their obedience ✨
Does your dog try to eat your hand when they go to eat their treat?
Try holding the treat between your pointer and ring finger. When you’re ready to reward, you push your middle finger forward and that provides access to the treat to the dog. This keeps your fingers out of your dog’s mouth, and also is a great way to hold onto the treat for a few moments without having to immediately give it to your dog.
This is my favorite way to pay dogs with treats when I’m training. And because I do this with my pack of dogs that go on off-leash hikes, many dogs are now satisfied when they touch their nose to my open palm, even if I don’t have a treat, when they check in. That touch has become a reward in of itself.
Looking for that loose leash walking where you can hold your coffee AND two dog leashes with your pinky on the same hand? I got you 😏😏
Reach out for individual, personalized training where I come to you! I’ll show you how to nail the loose leash walking so you can effortlessly walk your pups without losing a drop of coffee (or your patience!)
Neutrality around other animals comes from socializing your dog and teaching them how to regulate their emotions! You are training your dogs to behave a certain way in a certain situation - here, it’s around farm animals.
Few Tips:
🐾 Have control of your dog - on leash is best
🐾 Gradually increase exposure. Start far away and for short bursts of time.
🐾 Keep your dog relaxed - if they are too energetic around the animals and you can’t redirect them, they’re past their threshold.
🐾 Gradually increase duration of exposure and decrease distance from animals as your dog becomes less excited/interested by it
Remember! -
🐾 Learning isn’t linear! You could have some great days training followed by one that seems as though no progress has been made. That’s natural!
🐾 Some dogs may have a really difficult time with this. That means you have other skills to work on before you’re introducing new creatures
🐾 Make sure you’re keeping yourself, your dog, and any other animals SAFE. Be respectful of the life around you.
Working on neutrality can definitely feel complicated!
These pups all knew those animals were there. If the livestock were closer to the fence line, we definitely would have had a harder time. Same if the livestock were more active. Take your wins and your practice when you can! Every small step is still a step forward.
On their way to eat STEAKS and donate over $1,500 to @streetdoghero 🥹
Murphie’s human said he would buy the whole pack steaks and donate $250 to Street Dog Hero if we reach 10k followers by June 30. We did it in THREE DAYS.
A massive thank you to each of you that liked, shared, commented and followed! And a special thank you to Murphie, Micco, Arya, Riker, Reilly, Radley, Denali, Akina, Diesel, Kita, Murphy, Bailey, Frank & Piper’s humans for all donating to this lil’ effort.
Instagram, ya’ll are a wild and wonderful place. Keep lifting up the accounts you love and embrace.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR STEAK VIDEOS BECAUSE THEY WILL BE COMING! But please know, they’ll be slow to cook, as I am headed to the East Coast for two weeks - but as soon as I am back, the whole pack will get STEAKS 🥩
