242 | Is Your Dog’s Training Actually Making Things Worse?
Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive DogsShow Notes
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 Your dog sees something they’re worried about. Their body gets tense. Maybe they want to move away. Maybe they start barking. Maybe everything about their body is telling you: I’m not comfortable here. So you ask them to sit. And they do. Success... right? Maybe. Because your dog may be sitting quietly beside you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything has changed about how they’re actually feeling. Sometimes we get so focused on changing what our dogs are doing that we forget to ask what’s happening to the dog underneath the behaviour. Sit. Stay. Heel. Place. Look at me. Stop barking. Stop moving. And when our dog complies, it can look like we’ve solved the problem. But have we? Or have we simply changed what the problem looks like? In this episode, we’re talking about what can happen when we become so focused on getting the behaviour we want that we stop reading the dog standing right in front of us. We’ll talk about: 🐾 Why sitting doesn’t necessarily mean your dog is calm 🐾 How stillness, silence, and compliance can sometimes hide what’s happening underneath the behaviour 🐾 What can happen when your dog’s body is telling them to move and you’re asking them to stay still 🐾 Why changing your dog’s body position isn’t necessarily the same as changing how they feel 🐾 The important difference between managing your dog and influencing your dog 🐾 Why management and physical control are sometimes absolutely necessary 🐾 What it looks like when your information starts to matter to your dog 🐾 How focusing only on obedience can cause us to miss what our dogs are communicating 🐾 Why listening to your dog doesn’t mean they always get what they want 🐾 The question I want you to ask instead of blindly following a training protocol This isn’t an episode about never asking an uncomfortable dog to sit. It isn’t about throwing away your training. And it definitely isn’t about letting your dog make every decision. It’s about reading the room. What is happening with THIS dog in THIS moment? What are they communicating? What are you actually trying to accomplish? Because there’s a difference between: My dog didn’t bark. and My dog felt safe enough that they didn’t need to bark. There’s a difference between: My dog sat while another dog passed. and My dog was able to experience another dog passing and actually feel okay. And there’s a difference between physically controlling what your dog does and becoming someone who can influence the decisions they make. So the next time you reach for a sit, stay, heel, look at me, leave it, or whatever behaviour you’ve been taught to use, I want you to ask yourself: What am I actually trying to change here? Because sometimes the behaviour that looks best to us isn’t telling us the whole story about the dog underneath it. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox RESOURCES 🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! BeyondObedience.ca/bootcamp 🐾 Take the Quiz! Beyond Obedience Dogonality Quiz 🐾 Read the Blog! Beyond Obedience Blog CONNECT WITH ME! Contact → [email protected] Podcast → Beyond Obedience Podcast Connect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook Community Resources → Dogonality Quiz Merch → Beyond Obedience Store 🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣 Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding. Join Living Beyond Obedience Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership. 👉 Take the Dogonality Quiz Step 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely free CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, October 20th, 21st and 22nd. 👉 Save Your Spot for CALM DOWN, DOG! Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter Shawn Trotter
More from Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 Is having an obedient dog the same thing as having influence over your dog? Not necessarily. Have you ever stopped to think about WHY you're asking your dog to do something? Is it because it's necessary, because it helps your dog navigate a situation, or simply because you expect them to listen? In this episode, I'm sharing a little encounter I had at the feed store with a very happy chocolate Lab and an interaction that made me say, out loud, "Ooh, gross!" And no, this isn't about whether asking your dog to sit is right or wrong. It's about something much bigger. The difference between obedience and influence. We're talking about what happens when we become so focused on getting our dogs to do what they're told that we forget to pay attention to what they're actually experiencing. Because influence isn't about controlling every moment or demanding compliance. It's about understanding your dog, recognizing what's happening around you, and making decisions that help the two of you navigate life together. And sometimes, the most important question isn't whether your dog listened. It's whether you were listening to your dog. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox RESOURCES 🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! October 20th, 21st & 22nd https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp 🐾 Take the Dogonality Quiz! https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz 🐾 Read the Beyond Obedience Blog! https://beyondobedience.ca/blog CONNECT WITH ME! Contact → [email protected] Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast Connect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook Community https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store 🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣 Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog lovers who want to understand their dogs, build better partnerships, and enjoy more of life together. https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and experience the world. https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Step 3: Ready to stop guessing what to do when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, happening October 20th, 21st & 22nd. Today's our final day! https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter http://www.shawntrotter.com
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 What happens when you don’t have a treat? Or your dog can’t have one? What happens when the equipment you usually rely on isn’t available—or when life hands you a situation you’ve never actually trained for? Let me be clear: I use treats. I use equipment. And I train my dogs. This isn’t an anti-treat episode. It’s a conversation about what we build underneath all of those things. In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between teaching your dog useful skills and building the foundation that helps the two of you navigate real life together. Because life with dogs isn’t a controlled training session. Eventually, the loose dog appears. Someone unexpectedly comes through the door. Something scares your dog. Your dog isn’t interested in the food in your pocket. Or you find yourself in a situation you never practiced for. And then what? We’ll talk about communication, influence, relevance, learning to read the dog in front of you, and why I don’t want a treat, tool, or training technique to be the reason this works. Use the treat. Use the equipment. Teach the skills. But build something underneath them. Because when the treat isn’t there, the equipment fails, or life hands you something you never trained for, I still want you and your dog to have each other. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox 🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣 🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! October 20th, 21st & 22nd https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp 🐾 Take the Dogonality Quiz! https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz 🐾 Read the Beyond Obedience Blog! https://beyondobedience.ca/blog RESOURCES Contact → [email protected] Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast Connect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook Community https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Resources → https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz Merch → https://beyondobedience.ca/store CONNECT WITH ME! Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog lovers who want to understand their dogs, build better partnerships, and enjoy more of life together. https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog’s unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and experience the world. https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz Step 3: Ready to stop guessing what to do when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, happening October 20th, 21st & 22nd. 👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter http://www.shawntrotter.com/
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 You're personally invited to join me for my FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! If you've been struggling with your dog's behaviour, feeling frustrated by everything you've tried, or wondering why things just aren't getting better, I'd love for you to join me. We're spending three days together looking at dog behaviour differently, learning to understand what's really happening, and exploring how you can become a more confident partner for your dog. No more guessing. No more searching for the next training technique. Just you, me, and a whole lot of dog talk! CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp 📅 October 20th, 21st & 22nd ⏰ 12 PM Eastern / 1 PM Atlantic 💻 LIVE on Zoom — with replays available! Save your FREE spot here: https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp I can't wait to see you there! Tracy xoxox
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 Have you ever wondered if YOU might be the reason your dog isn't getting better? Maybe you've tried the training, followed the advice, bought the equipment, and done everything you thought you weresupposed to do. And yet, your dog is still struggling. And somewhere along the way, you start wondering whether you're doing something wrong. Whether you're making things worse. Or whether your dog might actually be better off with somebody else. Ouch. That's a tough place to find yourself. In this episode, we're having a conversation that I think an awful lot of dog lovers need to hear. We're talking about the guilt, the second-guessing, and the pressure we put on ourselves when life with our dogs doesn't look the way we imagined. We'll explore the difference between taking responsibility and taking the blame, why struggling with your dog doesn't automatically mean you're failing them, and how a little curiosity can help you start seeing things differently. And I'm sharing one of my favourite questions to ask when things aren't going quite the way we'd hoped: How interesting! Because being part of what's happening doesn't mean you're the problem. It means you have an opportunity to be part of what changes. And maybe, just maybe, you're not the reason your dog can't get better. Maybe you're one of the reasons they can. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox RESOURCES 🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! October 20th, 21st & 22nd https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp 🐾 Take the Dogonality Quiz! https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz 🐾 Read the Beyond Obedience Blog! https://beyondobedience.ca/blog CONNECT WITH ME! Contact → [email protected] Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast Connect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook Community https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store 🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣 Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog lovers who want to understand their dogs, build better partnerships, and enjoy more of life together. https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and experience the world. https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Step 3: Ready to stop guessing what to do when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, happening October 20th, 21st & 22nd. https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter http://www.shawntrotter.com
Hey Dog Lover 🐾 When did living with your dog stop being fun? Maybe you got a dog because you pictured walks, adventures, companionship, road trips, or quiet nights curled up together. But somewhere along the way, life became less about enjoying your dog and more about managing them. Who’s coming over? Which route can we walk? What happens if we see another dog? Can I bring them? Should I leave them home? What if something goes wrong? And little by little, your world together starts getting smaller. In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when managing your dog begins to take over your relationship—and how to start finding your way back to actually enjoying life together. Because the answer isn’t necessarily throwing your dog into bigger, harder situations and hoping for the best. If your world has gotten smaller, start small and build out. I’ll give you some simple ways to start reconnecting with your dog at home, in your backyard, and eventually out in the world—while paying attention to what your dog actually enjoys and building from the places where you’re already successful together. Because the goal isn’t to create a dog who can go everywhere and do everything. The goal is to build a life that you and your dog actually enjoy living together. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox 🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣 🐾 Join me for the FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp! October 20th, 21st & 22nd https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp 🐾 Take the Dogonality Quiz! https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz 🐾 Read the Beyond Obedience Blog! https://beyondobedience.ca/blog RESOURCES Contact → [email protected] Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast Connect → Living Beyond Obedience Facebook Community https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Resources → https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz Merch → https://beyondobedience.ca/store CONNECT WITH ME! Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog lovers who want to understand their dogs, build better partnerships, and enjoy more of life together. https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog’s unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and experience the world. https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz Step 3: Ready to stop guessing what to do when your dog is struggling? Join me for the completely FREE CALM DOWN, DOG! Bootcamp, happening October 20th, 21st & 22nd. 👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter http://www.shawntrotter.com/