Wild at Heart Dog Training & Behaviour Consulting

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Wild at Heart Dog Training & Behaviour Consulting

Wild at Heart Dog Training & Behaviour Consulting Emily Priestley, CTC, is a graduate of The Academy for Dog Trainers providing service worldwide.

Emily Priestley, CTC, CDBC has been working with and handling dogs professionally for over a decade. Emily's long career with the BC SPCA has allowed her to have a proven track record, having personally handled over 2,000 dogs. With experience with a magnitude of breeds and all problem behaviours, Emily has worked with dogs who are in desperate need of intervention and behaviour modification. As a

graduate of the world renowned Academy for Dog Trainers and accredited by the BC SPCA's AnimalKind program, Emily is committed to using current, scientific and kind techniques, and continuing education to ensure that you’re in the hands of the most advanced methods out there. Emily is certified as an SA Pro to help humanely and effectively guide you and your dog to recovery from separation anxiety. Emily is committed to providing a nonjudgmental, kind, and supportive atmosphere for both dogs and their guardians and will always be transparent about methods and techniques, allowing you to feel comfortable handing over the leash.

07/04/2025

Your dog isn’t anxious because you are.

This one gets thrown around all the time.
“Your dog feeds off your energy.”
“He's not anxious when I walk him, only when you do.”
“Your anxiety is making your dog anxious.”

It sounds neat and simple. But it’s not true.

Dogs are not emotional mirrors. They don’t become anxious just because you are. They aren’t downloading your mental health through the leash. They are living animals with their own genetics, history, and experiences. Some dogs are just wired to be more sensitive, hyperaware, sound-sensitive, movement-sensitive. That doesn’t come from you.

But here’s what is true: dogs respond to our behaviour.
Not just our feelings, but what we do when we’re anxious.

If you gasp, freeze, tighten the leash, or suddenly change direction, your dog notices. If you start scanning the environment, speed up your walk, or pull them behind you, that tells them something’s up. If you yell at someone to leash their dog or get mad at the situation (even if it’s not at your dog), they pick up on that tension too.

Some dogs are also just harder to hide your emotions from. People say, “you can’t lie to a Border Collie,” and there’s truth in that. If you’ve ever tried to act sweet and calm while hiding the nail trimmers behind your back, you’ve experienced this. You crouch down, speak in a gentle voice, and your dog still slinks away. That’s not mind reading. That’s learning. They’ve figured out that when you act that way, the clippers or ear meds are coming. They’ve seen this pattern before, and they’re responding to it.

Border Collies are especially good at this because they’ve been bred to be hyper aware of their handler. Dogs who are selected to notice subtle movements, posture, voice tone, and small shifts in body language are going to be sensitive. That’s what they were designed for. Sensitivity isn’t a flaw in these dogs. It’s part of what makes them good at what they do. But it also means they’re more likely to respond to little changes that other dogs might ignore.

I’ve also worked with people whose partners have flat-out told them they caused the dog’s anxiety. They say things like, “he’s fine when I walk him,” or “you’re making him nervous.” That’s one, not true. And two, even if it was true, that kind of attitude helps no one. If your partner is struggling with the dog, you support them. You don’t build yourself up by tearing them down. It’s not a competition.

That’s not your fault. It’s human to react. Especially when your dog is struggling or you feel out of control.

And I want to say this clearly: walking a sensitive or reactive dog isn’t the same as walking a “normal” dog. It’s not a peaceful stroll around the block. It’s scanning the environment, adjusting leash tension, managing thresholds, staying aware of escape routes, and sometimes needing to respond in a split second. This is skilled work. It takes practice. And it can be emotionally exhausting. So, if you feel tired, overwhelmed, or burned out, you’re not weak. You’re doing advanced handling as a green dog owner under pressure.

This is where “fake it till you make it” can really help. You can absolutely be freaking out on the inside while staying calm on the outside. You can show your dog that you’ve got it handled, even when you don’t feel like you do.

That doesn’t mean masking or ignoring your anxiety. It means practicing what to do in tough moments so your body knows how to respond. I teach my clients simple emergency response skills they rehearse over and over. Leash moves, positioning, redirection. So when things go sideways, they can act on autopilot. And their dogs feel safer because of it.

And here’s the thing: your anxiety doesn’t disqualify you. You don’t need to be calm all the time to be a good dog guardian. The best trainers I know have off days. You just need tools that work for both of you. If you’re trying, if you’re learning, if you’re showing up for your dog, then you’re doing enough. Your nervous system isn’t a training flaw.

I also recommend that my clients skip days when their dog is already stressed and more likely to react. The same goes for you. If you had a rough day at work, or your nerves are already shot, and you know the walk is going to feel like a battle, skip it. Do something fun with your dog at home instead. Trick training, practicing your emergency moves outside of the problem context, a little scent work, a game of fetch. Not every moment has to be a training session. If you skip the walk, you might not make progress that day, but you’re also not making it worse. Breaks are part of progress. Rest matters.

Anxiety isn’t contagious. It’s not something your dog ‘catches’ from you like a virus. They respond to patterns, tone, movement, and tension, not your internal emotional state by itself.

So, if you’ve been carrying around guilt because you gave your anxiety to your dog, let it go. Your dog has likely learned that your responses predict their trigger, or that your reactions mean something bad is coming, or they might simply not like it when you're triggered. It’s time to pretend to be in control on the outside, teach you and your dog some get-out-of-dodge tricks for those sticky moments, and let go of the guilt.

To get more insight into your herding breed dog, check out my book, Urban Sheepdog: https://amzn.to/4g0o6VT

For a primer on working with a reactive herder, check out Reactivity in Herding Breed Dogs: https://amzn.to/48eQP6w

02/04/2025

You’ve probably heard it before: “Working dogs need working homes.”

It’s a phrase that gets repeated a lot, especially when a dog is struggling in a pet home. But it ignores the reality that not every dog bred for work is suited to it. Some are too anxious. Some don’t have the drive. Some are injured, aging, or simply not a good fit for the pressures of a working environment. And the truth is, there just aren’t enough working homes for all the dogs who need them.

Right now, there are over 8,000 Australian Cattle Dogs and mixes listed on Petfinder. There are 4,500 border collies. Not all of them are cut out for working homes. Not all of them need one. Not all of them would fail in pet homes. And there likely aren't enough working homes for all of them.

If it were true that all working dogs had to be in working homes, how is it that so many are thriving in pet homes right now? Not just surviving. Thriving. Doing scentwork in the city, hiking local trails, learning tricks, competing in sports, building relationships with the people who adopted them. Pet homes aren’t always the problem. Sometimes they’re exactly what the dog needed.

I've said it recently in other posts, but we also see gatekeeping around these breeds. There's a certain appeal, for some people, in owning a dog that’s seen as tough, intense, and too much for the average person to handle. But that kind of thinking doesn’t help the dogs. It creates unrealistic expectations and pushes away the very people who might be willing to learn and do the work.

We also tend to blame pet homes when things don’t go perfectly. They’re told they didn’t do enough research, or that they don’t have the right lifestyle. But many of those same homes are the ones stepping up and taking in the dogs who weren’t placed by breeders, who aged out of working roles, or who were surrendered when things got hard. They’re filling the gap in a system that isn’t working well for anyone, least of all the dogs.

That doesn’t mean every pet home is a match for every working dog. Some dogs simply aren’t a fit for certain homes. But that also doesn’t mean there isn’t one of the 8,000-plus heelers and mixes out there who would be a match. With the right support, the right expectations, and a little honesty, a lot of these dogs could succeed.

Dogs bred for work don’t necessarily need a job in the traditional sense. What they do need is engagement. They need outlets for their brains and bodies. They need to move, sniff, solve problems, and learn new things. That might be scent work, trick training, hiking, food puzzles, or play that taps into their instincts in a safe and healthy way.

That kind of engagement can happen on a farm. But it can also happen in a backyard, a townhouse, or a city apartment with someone who’s paying attention and putting in the effort.

Let’s stop saying all working dogs need one specific kind of home. Let’s start asking what the individual dog actually needs and who’s in a position to meet that.

If you live with a working-bred dog who isn’t in a traditional working home, what do you do to help them thrive? What’s worked for you—and what hasn’t? I’d love to hear how you’re making it work.

If you are struggling with your cattle dog, border collie, Aussie, shepherd or other working dog in a pet home, check out my book, Urban Sheepdog. It's part user manual and part love story, and I wrote it to help you better understand your dog!

https://amzn.to/4g0o6VT

01/04/2025

🚨 Calling all shelters 🚨

Are you working hard to improve animal welfare, adoptions, live release rate and length of stay, but could use some backup?

I’m looking to partner with one shelter that’s ready to level up their systems and outcomes. This would be a pro bono partnership, and I can help with:

-Reducing length of stay
-Improving live release and adoption metrics
-Behaviour support and playgroups
-Housing set-ups and enrichment for all species
-Welfare tracking and quality of life
-Foster program support and training

The ideal fit:
✅ Has staff or volunteers able to commit to bi-weekly Zoom meetings
✅ Is open to feedback and committed to improving outcomes
✅ Works with dogs, cats, or small animals (or all three!)

I have over a decade in shelter and rescue experience, am cerfitied in shelter dog behaviour and am ready to help you tackle your shelter from the ground up!

If you’re ready to dive in, send me a message.

30/03/2025

I didn’t think I’d spend my career fighting for dogs to be allowed to play fetch. But here we are.

Four years ago, I noticed little hints of pet parents being warned about playing fetch. I had clients whose working dogs got no exercise.

“We used to play fetch, but the previous trainer told us to stop so he wouldn’t become a super athlete,” one Aussie owner told me. “The arch of the ball in the air causes adrenaline spikes,” one trainer wrote. “It causes compulsive disorder” is a common theme. “They are addicted”. The list goes on and on.

At that time, I warned that it would spread like wildfire, and indeed it did. Now, the concept that fetch is bad is in most pet households. Why do I care? Because many dogs are underenriched. Most dogs are underexercised. Taking away the one joyful thing they do is terrible. Especially when the claims are false.

Yesterday, I was tagged on a post about fetch. My followers know I’m pro-fetch (because I’m pro-happy and excited dogs). Heck, I wrote a chapter in my book about fetch.

When I saw the post, my heart sank. The post, with the click-bait “HERE’S THE SCIENTIFIC TRUTH NO ONE TALKS ABOUT,” had 900 shares. Then 1000. Now 2.1k.

I’ve tried so hard to stay out of these debates. I just want dogs to be happy, but the world is on fire, everyone is stressed, and we’re all focused elsewhere. But this morning, someone shared it with a cattle dog group. One commenter said, “I play fetch with my dog once a week, and now I’ll rethink that.”

And just like that, my heart snapped in half.

In 2.1k shares, there are countless guardians who will stop playing with their dogs because of that post.

So, I woke up this Sunday morning and found myself here, making this post, attempting to put a bandaid on the gushing chest wound of the assault on happy, excited dogs.

The first claim of the viral post is that fetch mimics the predatory sequence. This is the pattern that all predators use to hunt. They find the prey, then they stalk it. Next, they chase, then grab, bite, kill and consume. The poster says that fetch is bad because “the kill bite never comes” and reports that “the dog is neurologically left in a state of arousal.” I get it. When paired with words like “dopamine,” “adrenaline,” “and cortisol,” it sounds potentially bad.

If we are concerned about completing the sequence, we can rest easy knowing the dog does, in fact, “capture” its ball “prey.” If they want to shake it, they do. They can if they want to hold it with their paws and rip it apart with their incisors, instinctively acting out the “consume” part of the sequence.

But fetch isn’t a broken predatory loop. It’s a modified, learned behaviour that is naturally rewarding, fun to do, and often reinforced with positive feedback and the ball being thrown again.

Not every dog must complete the full sequence to experience satisfaction or neurological "closure." Many have been selectively bred not to complete it (e.g., gun dogs retrieving without damaging prey and herders bred for various tasks). You might see some of your breed’s version come out during fetch, like when a border collie stalks his ball.

There’s no evidence that fetch causes chronic stress. Cortisol spikes during activity, including play, but this is not pathological. It’s a normal response. Studies do not support the idea that fetch causes chronic arousal or leaves a dog dysregulated. Chronic stress is caused by uncontrollable, unpredictable stressors, not voluntary play.

Studies show that predictable, rewarding exercises like fetch can reduce stress when balanced with rest. The claim that “dopamine is not the reward chemical—it’s the pursuit chemical” is a half-truth. Dopamine is involved in wanting AND liking. If dopamine release from play were inherently harmful, food training, nose work, and toy rewards would also be "dangerous" because they rely on the same reward circuitry. But there’s no evidence that normal play dysregulates the brain.

A meta-analysis on canine behaviour problems (Tiira & Lohi, 2015) found that lack of activity is associated with increased problem behaviours, including anxiety and destructiveness. Dogs, especially high-energy breeds, need both mental and physical outlets. Fetch can absolutely be part of that. It’s not "coffee for a child with ADHD”. It’s more like recess for a kid who’s been sitting all day.

While play can resemble predatory behaviours (chasing, biting, shaking), which is why we have stuffy squeaky toys, tug toys, balls, herding balls and candy-coated ways to let our dogs kill things, it’s functionally and emotionally distinct. Play triggers positive affective states in the brain and is associated with dopamine, endorphin, and oxytocin release—not just adrenaline and cortisol. Studies in dogs and other mammals show that play is self-rewarding and contributes to stress regulation, not dysregulation.

We also know dogs can distinguish between real predation, acts of aggression, and sexual behaviour vs play. That’s the whole point of play. It’s like humans playing house when we’re kids. Dogs are acting out the real-life version of what they might need to do, from fighting to hunting prey.

Again, no peer-reviewed studies show that playing fetch daily creates “chronic sympathetic dominance,” weakens immune systems, or causes behavioural burnout. These claims rely on theoretical ideas, not research. In fact, routine play, when balanced with sleep, training, enrichment, and calm time, contributes to emotional regulation and well-being.

On top of all of the fake scientific-washed bu****it, the concept that it makes dogs less focused on their handler is where I really want to pull my hair out. Our dogs are literally focused on us for survival. They are captive animals, rarely getting more freedom than a zoo animal. They rely on us for everything from potty breaks to feeding, and these days, they can’t even sleep where they choose. I’ve never met a dog who is less apt to focus on his handler because of fetch, but if I do, I’ll congratulate him for having some agency in his day, some ability to not care what the human is doing.

In fact, the very act of fetching and retrieving IS directly tied to the “level of synchrony between human and companion animal.” Delgado MM, Stella JL, Croney CC, Serpell JA. Making fetch happen: Prevalence and characteristics of fetching behaviour in owned domestic cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis familiaris). The very concept of fetch is believed to be tied back to days when it was helpful for us to have dogs bringing back animals killed with projectiles, something we still use the behaviour for to this day in hunting breeds.

If you ARE worried your dog is compuslive or “addicted”, know this. NO TRAINER IS QUALIFIED TO MAKE THIS DIAGNOSIS. Especially when the diagnosis is coming because a dog is focused on the ball, jumpy, potentially a lot to manage, Barky, “pushy,” or otherwise doing what excited dogs do. Including not wanting to stop. Imagine, as a kid, if you were running into a playground, excitedly yelling and begging your mom for five more minutes when it’s time to go home, and someone said you were “addicted.”

Compulsive disorder in dogs still needs a lot of studying, but it is likely genetic is often made worse by underlying conditions, like pain. Stress and anxiety usually contribute along with a lack of exercise and enrichment. Your dog enjoying playing with a ball is not a diagnostic criterion. In fact, I use play, including fetch, to help my compulsive disorder clients.

All that to say, the original post will be shared. It will be shared a lot because it sounds real, because it’s clickbaity because it makes people feel like they might be harming their dog. And, as a result, well-meaning people are going to stop playing with their dog.

The last line, “He deserves you—not just the ball”, is what REALLY makes me mad. This gaslighty concept that guardians using fetch are somehow not giving their dogs a relationship, love or connection.

If you don’t want to play fetch with your dog, don’t. If you’re worried about joints or arthritis, I’m not going to tell you to do something that doesn’t feel right. But if you’re like me, and your dogs love games, play and fun, don’t let some post stop you from having fun with your dog.

Update: thank you to everyone who has interacted with and shared this post!

To find out more about your working dog, read my book, Urban Sheepdog: https://amzn.to/4g0o6VT

29/03/2025

One of the most common responses to mismatched dog ownership is, “Well, people should have done their research.”

And it’s true. Research matters. But let’s be real. Most people aren’t out there reading up on fear, reactivity, or aggression until they’re already living it. Until they’re standing in their kitchen Googling why their dog is barking at the window for the third straight hour. Until their kid gets nipped during a game of tag. Until they’re crying in their car after a walk that went sideways. Again.

And even when people do try to research breeds before bringing a dog home, what they find isn’t always honest or useful.

The problem isn’t that people aren’t trying. It’s that most of what they find doesn’t reflect reality. There are hardly any accurate portrayals of dogs like heelers, Malinois, or even huskies, or Jack Russells living in typical pet households. Most of the content either glamorizes the intensity or downplays it entirely. Add in the idea that "it’s all in how you raise them" or that a well-meaning owner automatically equals a well-behaved dog, and it sets people up for failure.

These myths are everywhere, including in popular TV shows and social media accounts that show only the edited version. Even breed clubs like the AKC, CKC, and other seemingly credible sources often skip over the hard parts. So now we're asking people to not only do research but to somehow know in advance that the research they’re doing isn’t good enough. That’s a pretty big ask.

A quick search for “Australian Cattle Dog” pulls up all the usual traits. They’re described as “highly intelligent and trainable,” “loyal and protective,” and “excellent watchdogs.” Some sites mention their “boundless energy” and “strong herding instincts,” with notes like “require regular exercise” or “may try to herd children.” It all sounds manageable if you’ve never lived with the real thing. But in practice, that might mean your dog is biting at your heels, chasing your kids, barking at your guests, and you don’t know how to handle it.

Breed descriptions are often written in ways that gloss over the lived experience of owning these dogs.

“Loyal” might mean they don’t like strangers.
“Energetic” might mean they are bred to cover many kilometres in a day.
“Strong-willed” might mean they don't sit when you ask.
“Protective” might mean reactive.
“Independent” might mean they ignore every cue you’ve ever taught.

That language isn’t just vague. It creates a mismatch between what people expect and what actually shows up in their home. And that gap is where a lot of behaviour problems start.

I’m not saying this to shame anyone. Most of my clients did try to learn about the breed. They thought they were ready. They read the articles. They asked the rescue questions. They thought “smart” meant easy. It didn’t. It doesn’t.

But it raises a bigger question. When this many people are unprepared, even after doing what they thought was the right thing, who’s responsible for that? Is it the person who brought the dog home? The person who sold the dog? The rescue who wrote the bio? The breed clubs who write glowing summaries without mentioning the hard stuff?

What I’m saying is that we need to do a better job, as an industry, of being honest about what dogs are actually like. The full picture. Not just the highlight reel.

Because the reality is, almost no one is looking up “how to manage compulsive shadow-chasing” or “how to desensitize a dog to handling” before they’ve met a dog who does those things. And by the time they’re searching, they’re already overwhelmed, confused, and close to being the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th home that decides to surrender the dog.

So yes, research is important. But it only works if the information people find is clear, realistic, and grounded in what these dogs are actually like.

Let’s stop sugar-coating. Let’s stop assuming people just need to “do better.” Let’s give them the truth and support them once they’re in it.

Read all of my thoughts in my book Urban Sheepdog. You can find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/4g0o6VT or online at Dogwise Publishing.

What would you add to a breed description if honesty was the priority? Drop it in the comments.

28/03/2025

I work with a lot of Australian Cattle Dogs who are struggling to cope in pet homes. And yes, I’ve heard the theory: that the show Bluey is to blame.

There’s truth in the concern. Popular media often misrepresents breeds, and Bluey is no exception. She’s funny, clever, and endlessly charming—but she’s also a cartoon. Real heelers are intense, driven, and relentless in ways that don’t show up in a tidy 7-minute episode. That disconnect matters. When people fall for the character without understanding the breed, dogs can end up in the wrong homes.

It’s absolutely a problem when a show markets a breed like the Australian Cattle Dog without showing what they’re actually like. It’s not OK to promote dogs as family-friendly characters while skipping over the reality of their needs—especially with a breed as demanding as a heeler.

But this isn’t a new issue. We’ve seen it before—Dalmatians after 101 Dalmatians, Chihuahuas after Legally Blonde, Jack Russells after Frasier, Malinois after the John Wick movies.

I’ll never forget a moment from my shelter days: a prospective adopter asked about available dogs, and we told him about a jumpy, mouthy husky mix. He said, “Oh, I don’t want anything like that.”
Then, without missing a beat: “Do you ever get Malinois?”
If you know, you know.
Where did he hear about the breed? Movies.

Pop culture shapes public perception, and dogs get caught in the middle. It’s not going away.

And in the case of heelers, Bluey isn’t the only factor. These dogs are everywhere in “adventure dog” content—camping, hiking, paddleboarding, running off-leash through the woods. They look the part: rugged, smart, no-nonsense. They’re also framed as highly intelligent, which people assume means easy to train. But with a breed like this, “smart” often means ten steps ahead of you, always on, and easily frustrated when under-stimulated. They are marketed online as "red neck malinois", which people WANT.

They’ve also become part of the growing appeal of “working dogs” in general. People are drawn to breeds that “do stuff”—and heelers, like Malinois, get pulled into that image. Owning a "working line dog" is trendy and has become a flex.

Years ago, we rarely saw heelers in BC shelters. Mozzie was only the second one we had in my care during my time at the shelter. Now? They’re showing up more and more, filling kennels alongside other high-drive, misunderstood breeds. They’re striking, they stand out, and they often get adopted by well-meaning people who don’t fully know what they’re taking on.

We also hear “people should do their research” a lot. And yes, research is important—but most people aren’t out there reading up on fear, reactivity, or aggression until they’re already living it. And when they do look into breeds beforehand, they’re often reading breed descriptions filled with euphemisms that sugar-coat the truth. “Loyal” might mean they don't like strangers. “Energetic” might mean never stops moving. “Strong-willed” might mean you're getting dragged down the street. The information isn’t always clear, and it’s rarely realistic.

One piece of advice to anyone finding this before purchasing that puppy: "heeling" means biting the heels. That’s not just a name—it’s the job they were bred to do. A lot of my clients didn’t realize that before working with me, until their dog started nipping at their kids, guests, or their own legs on walks. It’s not bad behaviour—it’s instinct. And it’s one of many reasons these dogs can be so tough to manage in typical pet homes.

That’s why education matters. That’s why honest conversations matter. Instead of blaming media for doing what it’s always done, we can focus on what we can control: helping people understand what these dogs are really like, and supporting those who already have them—whether they got them because of Bluey or not.

Because while I’ve worked with guardians who were overwhelmed after bringing home a cattle dog thanks to the show, I’ve also worked with plenty who weren’t. And there’s no evidence that dogs acquired because of the show are being failed more often than others.

We can also take advantage of the moment. If these dogs are getting more attention, let’s use it to market these dogs into homes that think tough, working dogs are cool.

Because no, they’re not cartoon dogs. But they likely aren't going away, and there are many out there who need homes. With the right support and the right home? They’re extraordinary.

You can read all of my thoughts on working dogs in pet homes in my book, Urban Sheepdog.

https://amzn.to/4g0o6VT

25/03/2025

Got a reactive herding breed dog?

Our popular Reactivity Group Class is back—designed for dogs like Border Collies, Aussies, Cattle Dogs, German Shepherds, and others who struggle on walks with barking, lunging, or over-arousal.

This is a live, step-by-step online course to help you understand your dog’s behaviour and start making real progress.

Starts Tuesday, April 7th at 10:00am PT (runs for 3 weeks)
All sessions are recorded if you can’t attend live

Cost: $399 CAD / approx. $277 USD (Current US exchange calculated at checkout!)

What’s Included:

3 Live Virtual Classes

– Tailored to herding breed challenges

– Learn desensitization, counterconditioning, and solid management tools

1 Month of Support

– Private Facebook group for questions, wins, and troubleshooting

– Weekly check-ins to help you stay on track

Personalized Feedback

– Real-time advice based on your dog’s behaviour

– Support for common triggers like bikes, dogs, and people

Clear Understanding of Reactivity

– Learn why your dog reacts and what to do about it

– Get tools that work without punishment or outdated methods

This class is for you if walks are stressful, your dog reacts to the world around them, and you’re ready for practical tools that actually help.

Register here:
https://wildatheartdogtraining.as.me/Reactive

24/03/2025

Have you ever trained your dog in a way that went against your ethics, just because a trainer told you it was the right thing to do?

I’ve worked with pet parents who don’t align with punishment—people who never imagined they’d use a prong collar, a shock collar, or hurt their dogs. So how do they end up there?

Studies show that people will harm others when instructed to do so by an authority figure. And dog trainers hold a lot more authority than we like to admit. We’re given enormous trust by families coming to us in very desperate times. Often, our advice is taken as gospel—even if it sounds or feels wrong. Even if it goes against everything the guardian believes is right.

Many trainers recognize that power and use it to gain influence, money, and followers.

In dog training, the trainer/client relationship carries a power dynamic that can be easily wielded in harmful ways—especially when a provider doesn’t have the education to solve the issue without punishment, or when they want to validate their own authority… or take your money.

It’s a dangerous combination: authority, desperation, and vulnerability. And when a trainer wants to take advantage of that, it’s all too easy.

The truth?

It’s easy to be manipulated when you’re desperate.
It’s easy to follow bad advice when it comes with a smile and a promise.
But it’s not your fault.

If you’ve trained in ways that made you uncomfortable, know this:
You are, after all, only human.
Forgive yourself.
It’s not too late to do better.

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Videos

Does your dog eat 💩?

Loud noises, sudden movements and the audacity of existence. #reactivedog #dogtraining #anxiousdog #decompressionwalk

❤️

Herding breed owners: crying in waterproof gear 💦💧

Ever wonder why your dog loves shaking and tearing up their toys? 🐾   It all goes back to their predatory sequence—the same one their wild ancestors used for hunting prey. Shaking = breaking the neck of prey, and destuffing = consuming it.  This behaviour is natural and satisfying for them! Instead of being frustrated with toy destruction, provide safe outlets like durable toys, food puzzles, and supervised play.  My dogs demonstrated their instincts on a walk the other day when Mozzie unearthed someone’s lost stuffed penguin! No real penguins were harmed while making this video!   Follow for more insights on decoding dog behaviour! #DogTrainingTips

Why Some Border Collies Herd Other Dogs 🐶 Herders are born to control movement. 🧠 Even as pets, their instincts kick in! 💥 Triggers can be anything that moves: Cars, bikes, leaves... even other dogs! 😱 Stormi loves herding Griff! It’s playful, not aggressive. 😊 She doesn’t even care about sheep!* 🐑🤣 Key is to ensure it’s playful, not stressful for all parties. Redirect and train if needed. Give them something appropriate to herd. Let your herding collie shine! ✨ #bordercollie #herdingdog #dogsofinstagram #dogreel

Stormi has been officially turned into an Aussie by people on the internet who don’t know what they are talking about. Sorry to anyone she’s hurt by branding herself as a border collie or anyone who bought a puppy from her last owner. Turns out you have the wrong breed. 😂 #justkidding #sheisabordercollie #bordercolliescanbemerletoo #dunningkruger

You can also download FREE plans by googling The Academy for Dog Trainers Husbandry Project! We don’t always have time to pretrain these things to a fluent, perfect level, but even if it helps your dog 5%, 10%, 15%, it’s worth it! If you have a puppy, train these things like tricks! Having an understanding vet is HUGE! Today, Griff waited in the car while I brought the vet up to speed, she was so good with him and actively listened to me. All of the staff were so laid back and accommodating for everything I asked for! Thank you @islandtidesvet