Empathy Over Ego Dog Training and Advocacy

19/01/2026

03/11/2025

Pressing Pause — Empathy Requires Rest.
This isn’t goodbye. It’s a pause.

Lately, I’ve been carrying a heavy emotional load — not from the dogs, but from the humans. From the egos, the quick fixes, the people who speak louder than they listen. I’ve watched hateful, hurtful approaches continue to prosper at the expense of the very souls we’re meant to protect. And honestly, it breaks something inside me every time.

Empathy Over Ego was built on the belief that compassion creates change — that kindness isn’t weakness, it’s courage. But even empathy needs rest. Even those of us who speak softly and stand firm for the voiceless sometimes need to step back to breathe, to feel, to find our balance again.

I’m taking time to rest my spirit and remind myself why I started. The website may go quiet for a while, but my heart for the dogs hasn’t dimmed. I will always be a resource for positive, force-free information and assistance — however, whenever, and in whatever form I can be. Right now, that is the resource page on my website.

Current and past clients will continue to receive support. If you have questions, need guidance, or simply want to check in, please don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

This pause is an act of love — for myself, for the dogs, and for the work that deserves my whole heart when I return.

With Love and Light,

Katie Powers

Empathy Over Ego

11/09/2025

Saying less
&
Meaning more ✨️🌄🧘‍♀️🐕

Empathyoverego.me


but they forgot my tattoos

26/08/2025

🙊💥

26/08/2025

😁
EVERY TIME!🫶💕🐕

23/08/2025

I hope you know the simple joy of laying in a field with your dog ✨️

It is magic that not everyone can understand or enjoy.

Grateful for every moment, like this one from 2019, on a cross country road trip with a friend, our dogs and a big blue van 💙

22/08/2025

✨🐾 Apparently, I’m Mary Puppins 🐾✨

Instead of a magical umbrella, I carry a treat pouch. Instead of a bottomless carpet bag, I’ve got a gear bag stuffed with lick mats, long leads and enrichment puzzles. And instead of flying in on the wind, I show up with muddy pink boots, a big smile, and a heart full of love for your dog.

Sue said I was “like Mary Poppins if she had tattoos,” and honestly… I’ll take it. 💜
Here’s to helping dogs and their humans feel understood, connected, and just a little more magical every day. 🪄🫶✨️💕💖🐕

21/08/2025

💡 Training built on empathy, not fear.
If you want a happier, healthier bond with your dog, The Do No Harm Dog Training & Behavior Handbook is a must-read. 🐾💖
Because our dogs deserve kindness, not punishment. 🌿🐕

20/08/2025

Before I was a trainer, I was a dog mom. ❤️

Our dogs gift us with some of the brightest days of our lives — and one of the hardest when we have to say goodbye. Their love is steady, without judgment or betrayal, and that’s why the loss feels so deep.

Today marks one year without my boy, Blade. 💔 He was my shadow, my teacher, my best friend. I like to think of him running free now, surrounded by love, waiting for the day we’ll meet again.

Blade
1/11/11 – 8/20/24 🖤🪽

For anyone walking through pet loss grief, please know you’re not alone. Our hearts carry them always. 🌈

19/08/2025

Being a good dog isn’t about tricks or perfection. It’s about finding the human who sees your goodness without asking you to prove it. 🐾💛

17/08/2025

✨️Imagine if people clutched their treat pouches the way they covet their shock collar remotes.
Imagine rewarding good choices instead of inflicting pain when a dog doesn’t meet our expectations.
Imagine treating dogs as the sentient beings they are — meeting their needs instead of demanding they shrink themselves into the mold of a “pet.” Quiet. Convenient. Seen but not heard.
Imagine a world where humans choose kindness, curiosity, and compassion over control.

I hope for that future.🫶
But it’s hard to picture when so many still press a button to shock their dogs… and then wonder why those same dogs learn to bite or display other behaviors indicating stress.




Here are several rigorous, peer-reviewed studies demonstrating how aversive training techniques—like shock collars, leash jerks, or physical punishment—can cause increased aggression in dogs:

Key Scientific Findings

1. Herron et al. (2009) – Survey on Aggressive Responses to Aversive Techniques

In a study involving 140 dogs referred to behaviorists, at least 25% displayed aggressive reactions to methods such as alpha rolls, dominance downs, muzzling, hitting, kicking, or grabbing jowls.

11% responded aggressively when using choke or prong collars, and 7% showed aggression in response to shock collars.

In contrast, reward-based techniques were rated as successful and did not lead to aggression.

2. Ziv (2017) – Meta-Review of 17 Studies

This analysis concluded that aversive training methods—positive punishment and negative reinforcement—jeopardize both the physical and mental health of dogs.

There’s no evidence that these methods are more effective than positive reinforcement; if anything, the opposite is suggested.

3. Portugal Study – Aversive Methods & Stress in Real Training Contexts

Ninety-two dogs in training schools using aversive, mixed, or reward-based methods were observed using video and cortisol (stress hormone) testing.

Dogs trained with high levels of aversive methods exhibited more stress-related behaviors, had higher cortisol levels during training, and displayed more "pessimistic" cognitive biases (interpreting ambiguous cues negatively).