PEAK9 Dog Training

05/23/2026

Have my p**p bags ripped off, and open, ready to go. Can't waste time not scanning my surroundings.
Anyone else have a natural habit that helps their reactive dog?

05/20/2026

Dogs naturally walk faster than we do, and for many of them, their daily walk is the highlight of their day. It’s their chance to get out into the world they love — taking in all the smells, sights, and experiences that make life exciting for them.

That’s one reason I personally don’t train a strict heel or correct my dog with leash jerks for walking ahead. First, I’m slower than Bronx anyway, and second, I want his walks to actually be enjoyable for him. As long as he isn’t pulling my arm out of the socket, I’m happy to let him move ahead, explore, and enjoy what is probably the most exciting part of his day.

Walks shouldn’t just be about control — they should also allow dogs to be dogs.

05/14/2026

What I've realized I love about having a reactive dog is that I need to present. Not scrolling on my phone, thinking about work, listening to music. I am actually just there. Last night I saw the first lilacs starting to bloom, and all the signs of Spring. I get to experience when Bronx wants to engage, play or just offer eye contact. The bond and trust built by being present is real.

This is mainly why I don't make to much video content while I'm with him, but it would also be boring because I advocate for what he needs and not what's convenient for me. I've been thinking about this alot lately. Its another post..

I'm also excited I don't have to wear 10 layers on walks.

Cheers to Spring and Summer!! Minus our May long weekend.

05/03/2026

Dogs are so good at remembering patterns. If we only use our emergency U-turn when a dog or trigger is coming, our dogs remember this. You can see Bronx is looking around trying to figure out why we did this. If I only did it when we need it, it will predict dog is coming at us.
Always try to practice cues when they aren't actually needed. Dogs can learn them easier out of context,and they don't create that predictable outcome of trigger coming at us.

04/28/2026

I unfortunately was suggested a post on Instagram of a large Rottweiler with a muzzle on lunging and barking at a person and dog walking near them. The handler looked as though they had no control. Then it magically shows the Rottweiler in a pub type venue with no muzzle and sitting calmly. With the trainer talking about " the training" and a remote in the handlers hand.

If this scenario is in any way true that dog is not sitting calmly. If they even move they got shocked to s**t.The dog has learnt reacting gets them shocked so they shut down. This doesn't work on why they are reacting in the first place, which should matter.

It looks great, it looks easy, and of course we want our reactive dogs to behave this way. Shock collars are not the way to work with dogs for their reactivity or any training for that matter. There is a reason they are banned in certain Countries.

Easy is not always what it seems.

Reactive dogs do not deserve to be shocked to s**t. Period.

04/08/2026

I am experiencing this right now with my own two dogs. Beneficial info whether you have dogs of different ages now or thinking of adding a puppy into your household with a senior.

Zazie and Kristi chat about how to ensure all the dogs are happy when you have both senior dogs and a younger dog (or puppy) in the same household.

04/08/2026

A great summit to learn more about reactivity

I’m very excited to have been asked to speak at the upcoming Decoding Aggression & Reactivity Summit - April 2026.

My friend Ness Jones has brought together 10+ top experts and specialists with literally hours and hours of educational information and actionable tips on supporting your dog to work through their aggression or reactivity.

Yes, this is a paid product but is well worth the $47 US price tag for the more than 15 hours of education information and actionable tips you will receive.

The 2026 Decoding Aggression & Reactivity Summit will be released on April 19/20 (depending where you are located) and then you’ll gain lifetime access to expert speakers from around the world so you can go back and revisit the material whenever you wish!

Click the link to sign up:

https://www.decodingyourcanine.com/courses/aggression26/?affiliate=CGNKQO

03/13/2026

What I’ve learned from a multi-dog household:

Management is always important.

Both of my dogs resource guard high-value food items—so I manage this by feeding them in completely separate areas, that goes for meals and any extra treats like a licky mat.

Bronx still seems to think he’s a 10-lb puppy and sometimes tries to sit on Brew. I manage that by cueing Bronx off, and making sure Brew isn’t being hurt or overwhelmed.

Something new I’ve noticed twice this week is Brew suddenly redirecting onto Bronx during our leash walks. Because this behavior appeared suddenly, my first step is to rule out pain. Brew is a senior and does have some arthritis, so that’s an important factor to consider.

I’m also paying close attention to what Bronx is doing when it happens. Is he over-excited? Is his energy elevated?

Historically, Brew tends to redirect when Bronx is reacting to a dog on the other side of a fence, so I’m watching closely to see if Bronx’s energy is different during those moments.

What does a redirect look like?

It can be loud—growling, teeth showing, and both dogs going at each other—but with no actual contact. It can sound and look intense, but with these two they typically settle on their own without me needing to step in.

Multi-dog households can be wonderful for many dogs, but management and clear boundaries are always part of the picture. Dogs don’t have to get along perfectly all the time—and that’s okay.

03/08/2026

Sloan my previous Rottie was reactive to vehicles. Mainly motorcycles and semi type vehicles, though on bridges it was any moving vehicle. He lunged and barked when they passed underneath.

This was personally the hardest trigger for me to work with him on as it was mainly when I was driving so what can you do? I tried the parking on a street and counter conditioning when a vehicle went by or tossing treats in the back, but for what time I had I chose management with blocking the windows.

Fast forward to Bronx - I worked with him as a puppy going over bridges mainly because they are loud as you can hear here, and a new potential scary environment. Now he is comfortable with the sounds, not triggered by the moving vehicles and offers his attention to me. I do keep rewarding it, maybe due to the fact of my history with Sloan.

We don't know why our dogs have some of triggers or fears they do, we need to accept them and work with how we able to. That can be training, management or even avoiding it.

They aren't giving us a hard time, they are having a hard time.

02/22/2026

Sniffing is part of our dogs walk. Having them tight on a leash and popping when they want to sniff, that's our human ego's walk.