SonicCanines

10/11/2026

𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗚 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧-𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦?

I recently listened to an interview with Walter Isaacson Walter Isaacson discussing First-Principles Thinking amongst other very interesting concepts. It got me thinking about how we approach dog training and how often we accept a rule without questioning the reasoning behind it.

First-Principles Thinking means examining our assumptions, returning to the fundamentals, and building our approach from there.

Many years ago, I was taught, “You never do blind crosses.” More recently, I have heard, “You should never use your outside arm unless it’s a threadle."

When I hear “never,” I want to understand WHY and I think we all need to question these absolutes. My question when I hear these absolutes is whether this is a principle of learning or a rule within a particular handling system?

A handling system can provide valuable consistency but we need to understand what a rule accomplishes, when it is useful, and whether it needs to apply in every situation.

The arm signals we use develop through the dog’s learning history and the context in which we use it. So rather than stopping at “You can’t use that arm,” we probably should ask:

• What has the dog learned that signal means?
• Can the dog distinguish it from other signals?
• Are our timing, movement, and position providing clear information?
• What do we observe when we use it?
• If we use the outside arm for something other than a threadle, does the dog understand what it means, and does it provide clear information about where to go?

The same thinking applies when a dog struggles in training. Before deciding the dog needs more encouragement, more repetitions, or a different technique, we can examine what happens before the behavior, what the dog actually does, and what consequences follow we need to as the following questions:

1. Does the dog understand what I am teaching?
2. What have we reinforced or has the correct behavior been reinforced?
3. Are we making the task difficult?
4. Is the environment too overwhelming.
5. Could discomfort, fatigue, or worry be affecting participation?

The principles of behavior and learning give us a foundation for investigating these questions. We can make a thoughtful change, and observe the result. We can then make adjustments including when the results challenge our own beliefs.

For me, First-Principles Thinking means being willing to ask “What is the reason behind this rule, and does that reason apply to the dog and situation in front of me?”

What training rule have YOU questioned and what did you learn?

10/08/2026

Well.... we are on our second full day of rain. Most unusual for us in Florida where we usually have a storm and it stops after a few hours.

I managed to squeeze in a class this morning with our Young Dogs and even got my dogs out for a good walk when it briefly stopped raining. However, the rain has been constant and relentless and more rain is expected from the hurricane in the Gulf.  😮‍💨

The dog trough is overflowing. Probably three times over now 😂. And the dogs are getting antsy again 🫪

10/07/2026

The one constant I am finding with my students training their puppies, is the puppy’s opportunity to CHOOSE to connect with their human. It is by far one of the biggest things I notice missing

We are often so eager to help, to call them back, encourage them, show them the reward, or step in, that we fill the very moment in which our puppy could have offered that connection themselves.

And that choice is powerful! It gives our puppies room to take initiative, express their readiness, and become active participants in learning.

But how much room are we leaving for that choice?

We mean well and we want our dogs to succeed! But sometimes we become so busy creating engagement that we miss the opportunity for our dogs to offer it themselves. That is so important in the development of your young dog. If we are always filling the pause, when does our dog get to take the initiative?

Repeated prompting can become part of the picture our dog waits for. We may unintentionally teach them to wait for another reminder, another movement, or more help before they begin. Try giving a familiar cue ONCE and allow a little processing time. When your dog voluntarily checks in or offers a ready to work behavior, recognize and reinforce that choice.

That small moment matters and it gives your dog an opportunity to participate actively in the training session. And best of all it gives YOU information about their readiness.

Of course, leaving room for choice does not mean waiting indefinitely while a dog struggles. If they are confused, worried, or overwhelmed, make the task easier, adjust the environment, or offer a break. Teach unfamiliar skills with the support they need, then gradually fade that help.

The goal is to give our dogs enough understanding, confidence, and space to say, “I’m ready. Let’s do this together!”

In your next session, notice how often you step in. Could you pause a little sooner? Talk a little less? Give your dog a chance to offer the connection you are working so hard to build?

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do as trainers is WAIT and leave room for our dog’s contribution ❤️

09/30/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 - 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗚? 🧠🐾

During our Zoom last night, we discussed a training habit that is so easy to fall into:

We give a cue and almost immediately step in to help!

We repeat the cue, move closer or help with pointing, reach for food, or guide the dog into position. Often, we do this before the dog has had a chance to process what we asked!

Our intention is to help our dog succeed. Now 'initially' I might help and lure my dog to understand what I might want to train. However, if we consistently lure, help or supply the answer, how much opportunity are we giving them to figure it out?

There is a difference between helping a dog learn and doing the thinking for them.

We want our dogs to understand that “When I hear this cue, this is the behavior that earns reinforcement.” That connection needs enough room to develop. If every cue is immediately followed by another prompt, the dog may learn to wait for that extra information. Then we wonder why they cannot respond without our help!

Building a thoughtful, confident learner starts with how we set up the training:

🐾 Make the task achievable!
Choose a familiar behavior, an appropriate environment, and criteria your dog can meet. Independence grows from a clear learning history.

🐾 Give the cue, then pause!
Allow your dog time to process and respond. Keep your hands and body quiet so you can see and observe how they respond.

🐾 Reinforce the response you want!
Help your dog connect their own action with the reinforcement. Those successful repetitions build understanding.

🐾 Use hesitation as information!
A pause does not automatically mean refusal. The cue may be unclear, the environment too difficult, or the dog unsure. Observe before jumping in.

🐾 Adjust the next repetition when needed!
If your dog is struggling, reset and make the task easier. Waiting indefinitely while a dog becomes confused or frustrated does not build a better thinker.

Thoughtful training includes both support and the gradual fading of that support. Prompts can be useful when teaching something new. The goal is to move beyond them so the dog can respond confidently to the intended cue.

This matters in agility! . We want dogs who understand their jobs and can carry out their trained skills while we handle the course. That independence begins in the small moments of everyday training.

Next time you give a cue, notice what happens during the pause.

Are you allowing your dog enough time to respond or are you already answering for them? Set up the opportunity, give the cue and allow the response to happen.

Sometimes, the most productive thing the trainer can do is wait. 🐾

09/25/2026

“𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗺.”
— Elizabeth Appell

Oh man, I have felt that pain a few times in my life. The first of which led me to leave Australia without a plan. Just an immense pull/drive to leave and never come back. There really was no WHY just an ache to leave! Sometimes pain does not arrive with a carefully mapped out path, a list of sensible next steps or a guarantee that everything will work out.

Sometimes you simply know, somewhere deep inside, that remaining where you are is no longer possible. You have to move forward and you have to blossom either where you are or somewhere else.

I think this is true in so many areas of life and it is certainly true in dog performance sports as well.

There comes a day when the risk of always playing it safe becomes more painful than the risk of trying something harder. When the frustration of remaining stuck becomes greater than the discomfort of changing how we train. Repeating the same exercises in the same environment no longer prepares us for the pressure, distractions and unpredictability of competition.

When protecting ourselves from failure begins to cost us more than stepping into the ring and discovering what still needs work.

Sometimes we remain “tight in the bud” because what we are doing feels familiar. We train the skills we are already good at and we avoid the exercises that expose weaknesses. We stay at the same level because moving up feels intimidating.

However, what I have learned along the way in the many moons on this earth is that growth rarely happens while we are protecting ourselves from every possibility of failure.

That can be uncomfortable. It may mean questioning ideas we have held for years. It may mean admitting that our dog does not fully understand something we believed was trained. What that can also mean is slowing down when we desperately want to move ahead or taking the next step when fear has kept us standing still.

Our dogs have their own version of the bud, too. A cautious dog may need the confidence to move away from us and take an obstacle independently. An over-aroused dog may need to learn that control does not mean losing access to the game. A distracted dog may need help learning how to disengage from the environment and return to the working conversation. A dog worried about failure may need to discover that mistakes are safe and that trying again will not bring pressure or disappointment.

Our job is not to force the blossom open, our job is to create the conditions in which it feels safe enough to unfold. That means building understanding instead of merely demanding compliance.

And as handlers, we have to give ourselves that same grace. Blossoming in agility does not mean never being afraid, never making mistakes or always qualifying. It means becoming brave enough to be seen learning. It means trusting the work while remaining willing to change it and accepting that growth can look awkward before it looks beautiful.

Try the harder course! Train the weakness! Celebrate the small breakthroughs.!!

Growth asks us to loosen our grip on certainty and become curious about what might happen if we stop staying safely inside the bud.

Sometimes the greatest risk is not failing but rather the greatest risk is never allowing ourselves or our dogs to discover what we could become. 🌱

09/23/2026

What a treat to have Sabina Stastna at my field for a private lesson! It was a total pleasure having her here, and the lesson was truly awesome. I set up part of the Tom Mercebach's A3 course from this past weekend. Thank you, Sabina, for sharing your time and knowledge with us!

I hope to welcome her back to Sonic K9s in the future. Stay tuned! 🐾

09/21/2026

🎉 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛 𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗥𝗨𝗡! 🎉

I’m so excited to share that registration is officially open for my Engagement Under Pressure course through CLEAN RUN Online!

Does your dog struggle to stay connected when excitement, distractions, pressure, or uncertainty enter the picture? Whether your dog becomes over-aroused, fixates on the environment or reinforcement, or tends to shut down, this course will help you understand why it happens and it gives you practical exercises to build stronger engagement, confidence, and connection.

This six-week course begins October 7, 2026 through CLEAN RUN Online, and I would love to have you join us!

👉 Learn more and sign up here:

https://www.cleanrun.com/product/engagement_under_pressure/index.cfm

Let’s help your dog stay connected and confident—even when the pressure is on! 🐾

This course is designed to transform your dog into a calm, confident partner who stays mentally connected with you and emotionally regulated when training becomes challenging. Rather than simply teaching your dog to

09/20/2026

After a shakey start yesterday with PRIME (strangely off her food but fine otherwise) and struggling to get in sync, we came back a little stronger today. She had an awesome A2 in this video and even an A3 run.