Blog — Health and Well-Being

The Problem Your dog starts “talking smack” at another dog. My dog reacts. Your dog escalates. Then the neighbor’s dog joins in—and suddenly we’ve got lunging, barking, and a full-blown neighborhood bark party. Sound familiar? The real question is: why does it escalate so quickly—and how do we stop it? What We Need to Understand 1. Dogs read body language instantly Long before dogs get close to each other, they’ve already assessed posture, tension, movement, and intent. This happens in a split second. 2. Dogs are better at this than we are Body language is their primary language. Their survival...

After discovering Canine Resistance Training in 2018 through another trainer, I knew immediately it was something I wanted to explore with my own dogs. At the time, they were already older (10 and 13) but the results went far beyond what I expected. Yes, they became stronger, more conditioned, and physically capable. But what stood out most was the shift in their emotional well-being. Their nervous systems became more organized, more grounded, more fulfilled. My entire training philosophy centers around a dog’s innate desire—and often deep biological need—to do meaningful, constructive work. CRT meets that need in a way that is...

In my last blog post, Dominance Debunked, I discussed how physical force and emotional intimidation can lead to fear—and in some cases, aggression—in dogs. What’s important to understand is that many of these methods, including alpha-style “pack leadership” and even e-collar training, can still produce a dog who appears calm and obedient. But appearance can be misleading. In many cases, what you’re actually seeing is a freeze response. These dogs are what we call fear-compliant. They obey not because they understand or feel confident, but because their nervous system is overwhelmed. They’re operating in a state of fight, flight, or...

It’s widely accepted today that “dominance” as a training method has been debunked. Modern behavioral science simply doesn’t support the idea that dogs need to be controlled through intimidation or force. When pain or fear is used in training, the outcome may look like obedience on the surface—but underneath, it often creates stress, confusion, and insecurity. Over time, those underlying emotions can show up as unwanted behaviors such as submissive urination, anxiety, compulsive habits, hyperactivity, excessive appeasement, or even aggression. Rather than teaching a dog “who’s in charge,” these methods can push the dog into a state of fight, flight,...

Many behaviors that people try to “correct” in dogs are actually completely natural. When we allow dogs appropriate space to express those instincts, they tend to become more stable, balanced companions. Problems often arise not from the behavior itself, but from how we respond to it. For example, I gave my dog a raw bone to enjoy in his kennel. At one point, a client dog ran up to the kennel, clearly interested in the bone. My dog responded by becoming protective—he growled and showed defensive behavior. This is entirely normal. He was in possession of something valuable, in his...