Castle is a young and curious pup and in this video we'll be working on a bit of leash training, overall focus, and sharing skills in a distracting environment. Watch as Castle learns to check in, let go of objects, and engage in games that strengthen our bond. Discover tips on how to introduce sharing behaviours and practice neutrality with toys, all while keeping training fun and rewarding.

Chloe's back! She took a few weeks off and you'll see she's more than ready to play and feel good. Both are wonderful because they help me strengthen my bond even further with Chloe, and that will forever pay off in environments where a dog like Chloe might have a hard time regulating how she feels. In her case, dogs and a few other unfamiliar noises or even people can be a repeating trigger that'll result in Chloe barking. However after spending a lot of time with Chloe, I know that a main and underlying issue is that she hasn't yet learned how to fully associate her walks and social settings with relaxation and neutrality. But that's precisely our goal! That's what's going to help us, help Chloe prevent the need to go from 90 to 100%, and instead start closer to 0 or 10%, which then buys us time to guide and coach her through moments where her emotions risk running higher than she can manage.

In this drop-off session with Biscoff and Bear, we prioritize playful moments right before calm ones. This allows us to start building some better leash manners, and overall focus. Do your best to fulfill your dog's energy needs first, then use that momentum to engage in meaningful training and relaxed walks. This approach makes it easier to guide young and eager dogs by first letting them be themselves and then reinforcing calm behaviour they’ll carry into every walk.

Join Chuy and I as we walk through increasingly noisy and busy areas to help him manage his fear of cars and loud noises. Watch how I gauge his reactions, provide breaks, and adjust to his needs to build his confidence and trust. Over time, Chuy has learned to handle more stimuli, and today, he’s doing better than ever. Learn how to help your dog feel safe and engaged on walks!

Dog training, more specifically behaviour modification is not flashy. It's also not something that takes days, weeks or even months. it can sometimes feel like it takes forever to start seeing results, but that's when you want to focus on progress more than anything. Because if you look closely, it's there. In this clip, no Chloe doesn't just ignore all dogs right away. But that's okay, because that's not the goal anyway. Dogs, much like us, feel and care about different things around them. In Chloe's case, she cares and feels about other dogs walking her way. That's something that will likely never change. There will always be some form of feeling there, but that's something that we can relate to as we also have scenarios that mean a lot to us, no matter our behaviour. With practice however, and what I do focus on is Chloe's progress, particularly her ability to make a different/better choice than what she has done in the past. My goal is not for her to simply not feel things, but rather go through those emotions AND be able to overcome them the way she does in these clips. I'm proud of how far she has come this year, and how she's learning that she can regulate her emotions if we set her up in environments where she'll succeed! Well done Chloe! Side note, it's important to also pay close attention to my reaction. While most would be trying to control their dog, I don't. And that's because I've purposely set Chloe up in spacious and calm settings like this where all she needs to worry about is how she's feeling inside, and subsequently the choices she's making (and reinforcing choices I like with my attention/rewards). If I felt like I had to do more than that, that would mean that we're in settings that we're not ready for. Dog training is not about controlling how your dog feels, but rather helping them process their emotions towards better decisions.

In this session I'll continue to work with Boba, as he learns to navigate his concern of people and distractions. Watch as he makes confident choices without needing constant guidance from me. This video highlights the best training approach for Boba, focusing on rewarding his calm behaviours, using distance, and giving Boba the space to make the right decisions.

Let's continue working with Chloe, by helping her become more comfortable around unexpected changes in her environment. Instead of focusing solely on other dogs, I like to expose Chloe and other dogs to various everyday scenarios like kids, cars, and people (contingent on the dog's comfort level), rewarding calm behaviour. By practicing in environments with small, manageable surprises, Chloe learns to handle sudden changes with less anxiety. Remaining calm, and focusing on me instead of reacting. This approach not only helps with dog-to-dog interactions but also builds overall confidence in reactive dogs.

Chuy's transformation is really amazing, as he has worked hard to conquer his fears and learned to start enjoying his time outside. Previously terrified of the noise and distractions, Chuy now takes confident steps, sniffs around, and engages with his environment. Creating safe and positive settings for anxious dogs to thrive is important, highlighting the value of patience, understanding, and the right environments for building confidence.