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One of the things I am most proud of in my life is my ability to speak dog. To be clear, there are many trainers that say they speak dog, but most of them use the term to mean that they can teach a dog commands in a quick and easy way. I cringe at the use of the term…

Imagine you are at your favorite cafe, enjoying a sip of your most beloved beverage, the sun is shining and all is well in the world. You are relaxed and simply present with all that life has to offer. From the corner of your eye you spot Becky walking in. Becky, the one person that you simply can not stand…

Fight and Flight State of the Mind One of the most fundamental ways that a dog lover can become relevant to a dog is with the comprehension of the four state of minds. The understanding that a dog can only have four responses to stimuli is the foundation of being able to communicate effectively with them  These states of mind…

A friend and her dog came to stay with me recently. Her dog’s name is Doodle, she is 14 years old. When my friend spoke to me about Doodle, it was almost always in downcast way: “She’s done. These are her last days. I just want to spend as much time as I can with her.” Being someone that has…

Often times when people bring a dog to training, they expect immediate results. A common refrain is, “wow, 3 weeks of board and train is a very long time”. Can my dog learn how to open doors, sit on command, stop chewing on everything, lunging at people, peeing in the house, jumping on guests, walk without pulling, come when called,…

A theme that comes up a lot when clients start learning about how to better communicate with their dogs is: “I don’t want to punish my dog for doing something wrong”. My answer to that is “don’t punish your dog. Instead teach them pathways to behaviors that you do agree with.” In the human world, words matter. Fully grasping that…

Training for anything takes time. Training anyone takes time. The art of mastering anything, be it a great dish that one loves to make, be it learning an instrument or creating a work of art, it always, always takes time. To achieve a Masters degree in academia it takes a minimum of 18 months, and that is after the 4…

A new client recently told me she has a really hard time with the word discipline. She can’t help it, she equates it with meanness and does not know how to change that. I told her that she could change the wording to coaching, directing, guidance… that gave her pause. She told me she never thought about it like that.…