How many of you wonder “why isn’t my dog coming when I call him?” Have you noticed what are your first thoughts and reactions about it? Did you ever thought “he just wants to make me angry”? Read more on the blog to find out how changing the way you interpret his “misbehaviour” can be the first great step to long lasting change and deepening loving bond between you.

Is stress-free life about creating a life for dogs or people that will keep them in a bubble without any stress? Or is it about building skills ahead of time so when the stressful situation happens, they are equipped to cope with it?

We can have a training plan in mind but it's the dog who will tell us if the plan is good or not. Don’t be afraid to move back a few steps in your training plan and ask for less at any point. Work with whatever you have in front of you. Looking back at the video you've made, you might realise whose mistake that really was.

Instead of trying to develop an impulse control inside the animal, I much rather prefer to focus on teaching the essential skills that my dog needs. When you teach all of the skills step by step, you teach by adding successes not by eliminating errors.

As partners, you can choose together with your dog what is good for him. Giving him choice and the element of control of his own life is not going to threaten you but is going to enrich his life and make it even more enjoyable. Wouldn't you like to give that to your best friend?

How often do we stop and think about the way we interact with others (including animals)? We raise our voices when we talk with people who we think don’t listen to us. We pull the leash on our dogs’ collars to make them come the other way. We laugh at people, we grin, we give nasty comments without ever thinking what effect it has on them. Even if something works, it doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.

Working with fearful dogs is based on consistency and predictability. Environment plays a huge role and can easily exacerbate fear. The animal shelter environment is very difficult as everything there is different for the dog. That’s why it’s even more fulfilling to watch a transformation dogs can go through in there.

It's not easy to change someone’s opinion as it's not easy to change ours. Trying to win an argument is not the best way to keep the dialogue going. Start from listening and find a mutual purpose, something you can agree on. It's the best way to create trust and find solutions that can work for both.

When your dog is coming to you because he gets a treat for it, you can quickly start to see him not only having relaxed body posture but he can also start running towards you. He starts to give you more and not just enough to get by. In my opinion, in the long run, it’s a more effective way of training.

Many dogs need to wear a buster collar (a cone) at least once in their lifetime. It’s very common to see a dog not wanting to wear it. It doesn’t have to stay this way though! After training, you get a dog that as soon as you get the buster collar out, he runs towards it and puts his head through! Now that’s a party trick right there!

Testing out many reinforcement strategies, going at your dogs’ pace and changing the environment of the training session gives your dog the biggest chance of succeeding in the training.

Learning is a huge passion of mine. Learning about animal training is my two biggest passions coming together! I would love to inspire you to learn more and continue to grow. It's not always easy and there can be plenty of obstacles (time, money, lack of guidance). Fortunately, there are many resources to learn from (much more than mentioned in the video) and I hope you will be able to find a suitable one for your situation.