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Heal Your Dog, Heal Yourself In this increasingly busy world where people are experiencing so much burnout, dogs provide us with an essential connection to our emotional selves. They show us how to stay connected to nature; to live, play, and love in a truly embodied way. For our canine companions there is no separation between mind and body. Their physical bodies and their behavior are true expressions of the present moment. Dogs, like us, suffer in this overly domesticated world. That's why we're seeing so many behavioral issues with dogs struggling to live in the confines of our homes....

  When you listen to your dog, your dog listens to you... But what does this actually mean? Your dog is like an outer manifestation of your nervous system. When you listen to your nervous system and practice good habits of self-care and self-regulation, your nervous system receives cues of safety. When you listen to your dog and respond to their need for connection and co-regulation, your dog receives cues of safety. Cues of safety calm the dog just like they calm your nervous system. Now we have a positive feedback loop. You are calm, your dog is calm, and...

I had the pleasure of interviewing my new friend, Allegra Kaough from The Naked Dog, where we dive head first into Canine Body Language. We then dig into what it means to truly "love" a dog, how to recognize signs of distress in your dog, and why it's so important to create safety for your dog. This is one of my favorite conversations on the podcast to date, so I hope you will check it out! You can also watch the interview on YouTube here:

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with your dog's behavior, but didn't know where to start? Here's a simple solution: Take your dog's "existential food" and hand feed them every day for just a few minutes per day. This means, instead of feeding them out of bowl, you put their regular food in a pouch, bait bag, or even your pockets and simply feed them out of your hand. You can do this while on walks to get engagement and loose-leash walking, or if you have a fenced yard, your dog can follow you around the yard. Now, to incorporate training,...

Our Training Methods and Philosophy on Dogs A positive approach to Drive-Training (no e-collars or harsh corrections) We use the primal instincts built into the canine mind to channel his drive to the owner. Emotional and physical wellness through attention to the WHOLE dog: His nervous system, physical health, mental health, etc. (see Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges) Movement-Based Training: Behavior is movement, and a dog’s movement is dictated by his drive, therefore, if we engage their drive, we can modify their behavior. Relationship-Based Training: The owner is the answer to any stress the dog is facing Play-Based Training for...