Yocum Dog Training, Springfield, MO (2025)

10/31/2025

Everyone wants to give their dog more freedom.
That’s the dream.
A calm, balanced dog who can handle life off leash, relax around guests, settle when you need them to, and still be a dog.

But here’s the hard truth…
Freedom isn’t something you give a dog.
It’s something they learn to handle.
Freedom is a skill, and most dogs today haven’t been taught how to handle it.

We pull back on structure because we don’t want to feel controlling.
We skip accountability because it feels “mean.”
We hand out affection, choices, and freedom like participation trophies and then wonder why our dogs fall apart when life gets exciting or confusing.

It’s not disobedience. It’s overwhelm.
A dog without predictable boundaries and believable leadership lives in constant decision-making mode, and that’s a stressful way to exist in a world they don’t even have a frame of reference for.
It’s like waking up in a foreign country with no translator, no rules, and no one showing you what’s safe.

Structure gives dogs language.
It gives them something solid to lean on while they learn how to exist in a world that doesn’t speak “dog.”

Once they understand the rules, then they can safely start making choices, not out of impulse but from stability.
You’ve given them the reference sheet to make safe choices.

That’s what freedom is supposed to look like.
Calm. Grounded. Earned.
So if you want a dog who can think, not just react…
If you want real autonomy instead of chaos dressed as “fun”…
Teach structure first.
Build the relationship.
Show them what safety feels like. Guide their choices. This teaches them to make good decisions, teaches them to think, it gives them context.
When a dog trusts your direction, freedom finally becomes what it was meant to be.
Not a loss of control, but the reward for it.
Partnership. Cooperation. The dream.

10/24/2025

Everyone wants potty training done in a week.
But your dog’s brain doesn’t work on your timeline.

They aren’t being stubborn. They’re learning how to feel, pause, and make a choice.

1️⃣ First they have to recognize that full bladder signal.
2️⃣ Then they learn to hold it.
3️⃣ Then they start to wait for the right place.
4️⃣ Then they understand the pattern: outside means relief, inside means wait.
5️⃣ Finally they learn how to tell you.

That’s not a trick. That’s brain development.

The brainstem senses it.
The prefrontal cortex organizes it.
Structure connects it all.

Potty training doesn’t fail because dogs are defiant.
It fails because we give too much freedom too soon and expect too much too quickly.

Structure isn’t about controlling the dog.
It’s about helping them build control within themselves.

Structure creates clarity.
Clarity creates calm.
Calm creates confidence.

That’s when the brain and body finally work together.

Amanda Yocum | Yocum Dog Training

10/17/2025

The Murky Middle: 💊
Understanding the Space Between Healing and Hiding

🐾 We often hear that medications like fluoxetine, or Prozac, help “balance brain chemicals” for anxious or reactive dogs.
But newer research, even in human medicine, is showing that the story isn’t so simple.
The long-standing idea of a chemical imbalance has never been proven. Recent reviews found no solid evidence that low serotonin is the cause of depression or anxiety.

So what is really happening when a dog is prescribed fluoxetine?

1. Fluoxetine changes communication, not creation

Fluoxetine doesn’t create serotonin. It prevents the body from reabsorbing what is already there.
This can help certain dogs feel calmer in the short term, but it doesn’t fix the system that produces or regulates serotonin.
That system begins in the gut.

2. The gut makes most of the serotonin

Around 90 percent of serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, not in the brain.
The gut microbiome, the network of bacteria, yeast, and other microorganisms, plays a major role in that process.
When medication changes serotonin levels, it also changes the microbiome itself.

Fluoxetine has mild antimicrobial effects, which means it can reduce beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
These species help protect the gut wall, reduce inflammation, and support emotional balance through the gut–brain connection.

3. Why gut health matters for behavior

When the microbiome shifts, it influences digestion, inflammation, and communication between the gut and nervous system.
Dogs may show side effects such as loose stools, appetite changes, or restlessness early in treatment because the gut and brain are adjusting together.
If gut balance remains disrupted over time, the body may struggle to produce and use serotonin naturally.

4. Medication can help, but it is not the whole answer

Fluoxetine can provide relief for some dogs, especially those living in constant overdrive.
But medication alone does not teach calm, rebuild trust, or restore natural regulation.
That happens through structure, movement, and a lifestyle that supports both physical and emotional recovery.

Supporting the gut alongside behavioral work is important.
Prebiotics, probiotics, balanced nutrition, and predictable daily routines help the microbiome stay strong while the dog learns new habits.

The honest truth

Fluoxetine does not create balance. It changes how the body communicates.
That change can bring short-term relief, but it cannot replace the deeper work of rebuilding the system itself.
Real balance comes from healing the whole dog. Body, brain, and behavior have to work together for true stability.

10/13/2025

You can’t withdraw calm if you never deposit structure.

Most people only want to lead when it suits them.
When the dog is reactive, guarding, or ignoring them, that is when they suddenly want obedience.

But leadership does not start in chaos. It is built in the quiet.

If your dog spends the day doing whatever they want or sitting in a kennel waiting for something to happen, there is no reason for them to follow you when things get hard. A dog who does nothing all day is full of frustration.

Snuffle mats and lick mats are fine, but they are not enough. Dogs need meaningful activity like movement, scent work, and problem solving. And they need you guiding it.

The small moments are your daily deposits:
• Waiting calmly before meals or doors open
• Resting where you choose
• Being invited up for affection instead of demanding it
• Walking with you, not ahead
• Practicing patience before and during excitement

Those moments build trust, regulation, and connection.
Leading in small moments will not fix behavior overnight, but it is where change starts.

If you only lead when it is convenient, your dog will only listen when it is convenient.
Fulfillment. Structure. Leadership. That is balance.

What’s in your account?

10/09/2025

It’s all in how you raise them.

I agree with that phrase.
But I hate what people think it means.

When most people say “it’s all in how you raise them,” they’re talking about abuse or neglect, as if the only bad dogs are the ones beaten, starved, or screamed at.
They think raising means not being cruel. And it’s usually after a tragedy involving a dog that attacked a human or animal, implying people raise them with cruelty or teach them to be mean.

But that’s not what raising is.
That’s just not harming.

Raising a dog means teaching structure, calm, and respect.
It means creating rules, boundaries, and limitations that make a dog feel safe.
It means giving affection with purpose, not as a way to soothe excitement.
It means understanding how your dog thinks, learns, and reacts, not just how you feel about them.

Most people get lucky because dogs are incredibly adaptable and forgiving.
They learn to survive in the cracks of our inconsistency.
But luck isn’t leadership.

So yes, it is all in how you raise them.
But let’s stop pretending “raised with love” is the same as raised with guidance.
Love alone doesn’t raise a balanced dog.

10/08/2025

Everyone wants a great relationship with their dog. Almost every trainer tells you to be the most valuable resource to your dog to get there.
But love alone won’t get you there.

You can spoil a dog all day, but if they don’t believe you, they won’t listen when it counts.

Be their safe place.
Bring the food, the play, the affection.
But also bring the structure and the follow-through.

If your dog only sees you as fun, they don’t see someone they can follow.
They see a roommate or a vending machine.
And when you don’t have what they want, they stop caring about what you say.

Punishment isn’t fear or pain.
It’s clarity and feedback.
It’s teaching your dog that no actually means stop.

Sometimes it’s a leash pop.
Sometimes it’s stepping into their space.
Sometimes it’s just following through.

It’s different for every dog, but it has to exist.
Because if you never follow through, your words don’t mean anything.

Love and structure create trust.
Trust creates peace.
That’s balance.
And if youre only ever saying yes your no means nothing.

10/03/2025

Boogie shoes, we hit the street,
A premium walk that can’t be beat.
One full hour, not rushed, not fast,
Training and structure built to last.

Loose leash walking, skills on display,
Calm and fulfilled at the end of our day.
Reactive, rowdy, shy, or bold,
I guide them all with a steady hold.

This isn’t a stroll just to burn off steam,
It is purpose and balance, a dog’s true dream.
From chaos and stress to rhythm and peace,
Only one leash left, come claim the leash.

09/04/2025

The Tail of Two Dogs

Once upon a time, there were two dogs. Both were deeply loved. Both had every need met. But their lives were not the same.

Dog A lived in comfort.
He slept in the bed. He ate when he wanted. He received attention the moment he asked. If he pawed at his people, they stroked him. If he barked, they hurried to respond. If he whined, they soothed him. Walks happened when convenient. Sure he knew how to sit and a few cute tricks, but if he resisted something, he was never pushed.

Dog A’s life looked perfect. But he was never challenged. He was never taught how to handle stress. He had no practice waiting, no practice recovering from frustration, no practice finding calm again after pressure.

So when the smallest shifts came, dinner late, a guest in his spot on the couch, a stranger walking past the yard, Dog A broke under the weight of them. Even tiny changes felt like earthquakes. He whined. He barked. He guarded. He snapped. He paced. And when bigger changes arrived, a new baby, a move, a schedule shift, Dog A did not just wobble. He crumbled.

Dog B lived in resilience.
He was also loved, but his people believed in coaching, not coddling. Lessons were built into daily life.

When he played fetch or tug, the game always included pauses and drops. He learned how to calm himself in the middle of excitement. Around the house, his people set up small obstacle challenges with chairs and broomsticks. He practiced problem-solving and built confidence with their guidance. When guests came to the door, he was coached through calm, polite greetings. He stayed involved without losing control. Inside the home, he practiced distance. He lay down away from his people while they cooked, cleaned, or relaxed, resisting the urge to move until he found calm in stillness.

None of this was about commands. It was involvement, guidance, and rehearsal. Little doses of stress paired with recovery became part of who Dog B was.

So when life shifted, when routines changed, when unexpected noise filled the house, Dog B knew how to adapt. He trusted his people. He stayed steady.

The moral of the tail is simple:
Both dogs were loved. Both had their needs met. But only one was prepared for life as it really is. Life is unpredictable, imperfect, sometimes inconvenient.

Comfort without challenge creates fragility.
Coaching through challenge creates resilience.

Take this with you

If you want your dog to become more like Dog B:
• Add rules into play like fetch or tug so excitement stays balanced.
• Create small obstacle challenges at home to build problem-solving and confidence.
• Coach your dog through calm, polite greetings with guests.
• Practice distance in the house by asking your dog to stay settled while you cook, clean, or relax.

Small challenges today prepare your dog for life’s bigger ones.

09/03/2025

Half-truths do not help dogs.

One side says: “Just give food when your dog lays down. Reinforce calm and they will be calm.”
Food alone is not the answer. Too much food creates anticipation, not peace.

The other side says: “You cannot reinforce calm. A cookie will not turn a Border Collie into a couch potato.”
That is true. No trainer can change a dog’s personality. And they should not.

Both sides miss the truth.

Reinforcing calm is not about changing who a dog is.
It is about shaping a state of mind.

Personality is permanent.
State of mind is fluid.
Dogs can be frantic, fearful, focused, or calm depending on what they practice.

Shaping calm means teaching them how to shift into that mindset instead of living stuck in arousal.

Because high arousal is not harmless.
It creates pacing, barking, reactivity, guarding, destruction, even aggression.

Calm gives clarity.
Calm gives freedom.
Calm gives balance.

Food helps start the picture.
What gets reinforced gets repeated.
But food alone cannot hold it.

Real calm is shaped in daily life.
Affection comes when calm.
The leash clips when calm.
Doors open when calm.
Rules, boundaries, and limitations keep calm the default.

Food begins the picture.
Structure and lifestyle complete it.

Reinforcing calm does not mean changing personality.
It means teaching life skills.
It means giving dogs the ability to regulate.
It means letting them be who they are — and thrive because of it.

Reinforcing calm is not about changing personality. It is about shaping a state of mind.

08/27/2025

The Dangerous Myth: “Dogs Are Not Pack Animals”

Lately, there’s been a surge of claims that dogs aren’t pack animals and that dominance is only situational and fluid. On the surface, those lines sound science-based and progressive. In reality, they’re half-truths stripped of context, misapplied to modern homes in ways that put dogs and families at risk.

This isn’t about nitpicking research. It’s about how these ideas are being sold to the public, dressed up in feel-good words that deny reality.

⸻

1. The science isn’t wrong, but the way it is used is

Yes, dominance can be fluid. Yes, dogs aren’t wolves. Yes, they don’t form rigid, captive-wolf style hierarchies in all situations.

But here’s the problem:
• That science gets twisted into the claim that dogs don’t compete at all.
• It is used to argue that dogs don’t need leadership.
• It tells owners that dogs and humans just naturally coexist without conflict.

That is not science. That is wishful thinking and it leaves families unprepared for the realities of living with a predator in a human world.

⸻

2. Ignoring pack drive is ignoring biology

No one denies prey drive exists. No one denies food drive exists. So why do some try to erase pack drive, the drive to belong, to organize socially, to find position within a group?

Pack drive is real. It exists in wolves, feral dogs, and domestic dogs. It is why dogs seek belonging. It is why they follow, test, or step up to lead if no one else does.

To pretend dogs have no pack drive is to ignore a foundational part of canine psychology.

⸻

3. Dogs today live more like captive wolves than wild ones

Wild wolf families cooperate naturally. Captive wolves, strangers thrown together, competed, fought, and stressed each other constantly.

Now think about our dogs:
• Unrelated individuals forced into tight spaces.
• Removed from their natural jobs.
• Living in an artificial environment with rules they don’t understand.

That doesn’t look like wild harmony. It looks a lot like captivity. Which means dogs today need more human guidance, not less.

⸻

4. Interspecies competition is not imaginary, it is measurable

Those who deny competition exists between dogs and humans should look at the numbers:
• 4.5 million dog bites occur annually in the U.S.
• Over half of victims are children.
• Most bites happen at home, involving familiar dogs.
• The triggers are often space, food, or affection.

This is interspecies competition in action. Ignoring it doesn’t make it disappear. It just makes families less prepared to prevent it.

⸻

5. The cost of feel-good messaging

Why does this narrative spread? Because it is comforting. It tells people:
• You don’t need to lead.
• Your dog will just naturally fit in.
• Structure and boundaries are outdated.

But the cost is steep: dogs confused, children injured, families broken. The reality is, when people step back, dogs step in. Often through guarding, pushing, or unsafe control of resources.

⸻

6. The truth

Dogs are not wild wolves. They are not rigid captives either. They are social, group-oriented predators living in a human-made world.

They do have pack drive. They do compete. They do require structure. They require understanding and fulfillment.

Leadership is not about force. It is about fairness, predictability, and giving dogs the clarity they cannot create on their own.

Denying this reality doesn’t protect dogs. It leaves them, and us, more vulnerable.

08/20/2025

The Game of Life With Dogs

Just like us, dogs need rules, boundaries, and limitations in every part of their life.
We live by them at work, at home, with family, and with friends. We teach them to our kids without a second thought.

But when it comes to our dogs, people often think structure is “mean.” The truth is simple: structure is freedom.

1. Rules are the clear no’s. No stealing food. No blasting out the door. Rules keep life safe and fair.
2. Boundaries are about respect and permission. Affection is invited, not demanded. The couch is shared when you say so. Boundaries build calm and respectful relationships.
3. Limitations are the “how much.” Play ends before it tips into chaos. Excitement has an off switch. Limitations teach balance and self-control.

Put them together and you give your dog a frame of reference for the human world. A dog who knows the rules of the game can regulate themselves, manage their emotions, and live with true freedom.

Just as in the game of life, rules, boundaries, and limitations are what make it possible to actually enjoy the game.

08/14/2025

I see so many people say their dog wakes them up for breakfast.
Sometimes before the sun is even up.
Sometimes more than once a night.

Or the second they open their eyes, the dog is already on.
Bouncing. Recharged. Ready to move their human theough the day.

That is not how our mornings go.

I get up. Move through my routine.
Maybe make coffee.
My dogs are still asleep.

No pacing.
No staring me down.
No “hurry up and feed me” routine.

Since they were puppies, I have worked on this with them.
Taught them that our days have a rhythm and that rhythm feels better than living in constant go-mode.

It shows up everywhere.

Like mealtime.
My dogs eat when we eat.
Right there with us.

I call it social eating.
For them, it is not just food. It is connection.
It is trust.
It is respect for each other’s space.

The other night my husband set our dinner down in the living room so we could watch a show.
Three plates of food, nose-level for three dogs.
And he walked away.

The dogs did not move.

Not because they were told “leave it.”
Because they did not need to be told.

We have built the kind of impulse control where they do not take what is not theirs.
Not from us.
Not from each other.
Choosing not to take it is more rewarding to them than grabbing it.

Dogs are capable of learning this.
You can build it with them.

When you do, you get a dog who is calm, trusted, and able to make great choices on their own.

That is when life with your dog gets really, really good.

This video was badly made lol but it shows me throwing a pork chop around Bear without a leave it cue. Your dog could have this level of internal hold back too.

Yocum Dog Training

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