Blog — training advice

Coming Soon! New online course is coming out in March. I will create an official course description soon, but in the meantime... This online, deep-dive into somatic technology will transform your relationship with your dog and yourself.The first module is five weeks long and focuses on YOU becoming more embodied. This is crucial to your relationship with your dog. The following modules will detail our dog training techniques which are based in trust, connection, and emotional resonance. Please join our Mighty Network, as this will keep you up to date on the latest course offerings. This is also where we...

What does it mean to work with your dog's drive? First, you want to find the thing that most motivates your dog. Think of arousal as the thing that piques your dog's interest, and persistence as the annoying way they obsess over that thing!  Some dogs will have more prey drive, some have more play drive. Dogs with high prey drive will even have a preference for different types of prey, this might be a squirrel, chipmunk, or fluttering of birds. Other dogs are more closely attuned to larger prey like skunks, cats, deer, or even horses!  Many dogs are...

We've relocated! Join the community As some of you know, I have been weaning away from Facebook and looking for a new platform to host our community learning group. Well, I finally found one that I know will be great for us: Mighty Networks! Here we can build community and support each other while focusing on dog training, holistic dog care, and troubleshooting behavioral issues. The focus of Mighty Networks is connecting people who have common interests. We will have our own private "network" that will help nurture the connection we have with each other.   LINK TO JOINWoof!Leah

"Dogs are very sensitive to body language, so the least little tense movement--a change of gait, a slight hunching of the shoulders--can be observed and interpreted as something being amiss. When we're upset, our voices can go up slightly in frequency as well. Dogs get these nuances in ways most people don't.  Masking strong feelings by acting like things are OK may not always work, either: It's quite likely that dogs can smell fear, anxiety, even sadness... The flight-or-fight hormone, adrenaline, is undetectable by our noses, but dogs can apparently smell it. In addition, fear or anxiety is often accompanied...

  Physical compression of space = Emotional compression, which can lead to fight/flight response if your dog feels trapped Trigger points: Front door and other doorways/thresholds, car, bed, crate, fence, barrier, leash, tie-out, etc (all create physical compression of space)   Why this concept is important: Your dog’s threshold (emotional capacity) will go DOWN according to the amount of compression he feels. This can lead to “unexpected” events where your dog acts more aggressive or fearful than he does when not under compression. It’s also important to recognize when your dog is “denning” himself because he’s seeking safety. If you...