Ivory Watier

Welcome to the pack little guy!
Here is a little bit of "leave it!" training with Ace. He is so enthusiastic and responsive with me. Being a lab, he is an eater of anything that looks remotely appetizing... (Or not!!)
His owner is obviously doing a great job with his training!

These two are just the best of buds! Aspen being an Aussiedoodle and Tibby being an Australian Shepherd, they're pretty in sync!

I totally believe in letting dogs be dogs, which is why I don't insist that dogs walk in a heel, ever! Some people may say, what?! Isn't it bad that your dog walks ahead of you? Isn't it a sign of a trained dog that they walk next to you?

The simple answer is: no! The fact is, sniffing has been shown to reduce stress AND stimulate a dog's brain in a similar way to exercise! And the study that the "dominance theory" of training is based upon has been debunked. We don't need to be the "pack leader" and we don't need to insist on walking ahead. The best way to earn your dogs trust is a co-operative, positive relationship.

That's why walks with me only have a few rules. The biggest one being; no excessive pulling. Dogs can use the whole length of the leash to sniff and explore. I encourage (and reward!) dogs to practice a few behaviours that make walks easier for me and safer for themselves and others.

I feel that this approach makes most walks a fun outlet where dogs can be dogs! 🐕