06/10/2026
All the doggies we work with have their own unique quirks š
Let me introduce you to Jackson. Heās a Great Pyrenees that could walk for miles one day, or tap-out after 2 blocks another day.
Itās our job to help Jackson get exercise, activity and enrichment he needs throughout the weekā¦so how do we convince this 140lb dog to do something he has no motivation to do?
Many of us humans would probably default to thinking about how we can force this walk to happen.
Letās pull him along, push him from behind, or even use our discerning and disapproving voicesā¦
But when we try to control situations like this, itās very easy for frustration to build up and poison the relationship you have with your dog.
So instead of heading down that path of frustration, I considered what Jacksonās breed traits are (centuries of specified breeding to be an independent thinker and action taker!!), and quite honestly, I had to think about the impossible physical logistics (he weighs more than me š
). With that in mind, I started to think of alternative ways to work with Jackson and what might motivate him in that moment.
Some days it looks like this reel, other days it looks like me giving him 5 extra minutes to lie down and think about his decisions. Either way, Iām never fighting Jacksonās choices. Weāre always collaborating together to see how we can make each walk a success š
So if you see Jackson and I in the neighbourhood, and heās plopped down on the sidewalk, just know weāre having our own tete-a-tete on when and where to go next š