Blog — training

Of course it's normal to get irritated, frustrated, or even feel disappointment when we work with our dogs. Dogs do not speak our language, so it can be frustrating trying to communicate with them. In addition to this, I would say MOST dogs have some quirky behavioral issue that gets on their owner's nerves. Some dogs even have severe emotional traumas that cause them to be fearful, reactive, and even aggressive. The question I want you ask you, is: Can you love your dog exactly the way he is, RIGHT NOW? Can you love your dog with all his flaws,...

Natural Obedience Level One: Working with Your Dog's Drive May 13th thru June 10th, 2023 In this course, we help you learn what truly motivates your dog and how to train obedience behaviors using their natural drive. We use food, toys, and praise to shape the following commands: Sit, Down, Stay, Place, and Recall. This class is for dogs 6 months and older. We will meet once per week for 5 weeks, and each class runs for 45 minutes. While we are shaping obedience behaviors, we will also be working on: Movement, Engagement, and Nervous System Regulation. You will learn...

Natural Obedience: 4 Week Session Starting April 15th   This class takes place at The Chattery. Register here: Natural Obedience 1800 Rossville Avenue, Suite 108 Chattanooga, TN 37408 USA (map) In this four week course, you will learn what truly motivates your dog and how to train obedience behaviors using their natural drive. You will use food, toys, and praise to shape the following commands: Sit, Down, Stay, Place, and Recall. This class is for dogs 6 months and older. We will meet once per week for 4 weeks, and each class runs for 60 minutes. Class dates are April...

Natural Obedience Level One: Working with Your Dog's Drive March 4th thru April 1st, 2023 In this course, you will learn what truly motivates your dog and how to train obedience behaviors using their natural drive. You will use food, toys, and praise to shape the following commands: Sit, Down, Stay, Place, and Recall. This class is for dogs 6 months and older. We will meet once per week for 5 weeks, and each class runs for 60 minutes. This program is designed to give you the tools needed in order to build clear communication, trust, and the ability to...

In my last blog post, Dominance Debunked, I explained how physical force and emotional intimidation can make a dog fearful and even aggressive. The thing is, with a lot of these methods, including alpha-style "pack leadership" and even e-collar training, you can produce a dog who appears obedient and calm. But the underlying state of many of these dogs is actually a freeze-response. These dogs are fear-compliant. They obey out of a sense of self-preservation because their nervous systems are overwhelmed with fight/flight/freeze signals. This is why a dog may "snap" out of nowhere, because they are moving from the...