05/09/2026
There's a lot of different types of working dog handlers out there, and everybody's got their own way of doing things.
Here's mine.
I genuinely believe building a real relationship with your working dog brings out the best in both of you. Most dogs work better when they're bonded to their handler. That's just what I've seen.
My dogs sleep in my bed. They lay on the couch with me. But do they have toys laying around the house? Absolutely not. Toys are a tool. They're for training. Do they have food sitting out all day? No. They're on a strict diet, kept lean and fit, with enough calories to do their job. I don't intentionally starve them or make them work for every meal, but yes, sometimes I'll give them a portion and have them work for the rest. Sometimes they work for their breakfast. There's something to be said for that kind of relationship building.
I'm not saying my way is the only way. It depends on the dog. But the dogs I run? They wouldn't work for a handler who didn't want to build a relationship with them.
Take Revan. Came to me at two and a half years old after multiple homes. He's laying on the couch with me right now. The complaint from his previous handlers? He has no drive. Wrong. He's just not the type of dog who's going to work for you unless you build the relationship first.
Brida, his litter mate, same deal. You have to build the relationship.
Bellum thrives on our relationship. Has it hindered her at times? Yeah, and I've had to adjust how I work with her because of it. But the bond is what makes her go.
Nika — if I didn't have the relationship I have with her, I couldn't get that dog to do anything. All she wants to do is please me and work with me. That's because I put the time in.
And then there's Arya, the as***le. She thrives on engagement with me. She's a heeler — not built like Bellum — but she loves me, and she'll follow me to the ends of the earth and do anything I ask. I'm not sure she'd do that for anyone else without the kind of relationship we've built.
Different handlers do it different ways. This is mine. And these dogs are why.
