05/26/2026
Thoughts for Tuesday!
Know WHO your dog is.
Not what TikTok says.
Not what your neighbor’s dog is like.
Not what the DNA test says.
Who is YOUR dog?
What fulfills them?
What turns them on?
What gives them purpose?
What leaves them content enough to come inside, crash in the crate, feet in the air, completely satisfied with life?
For some dogs it’s tug.
For some it’s a ball.
For some it’s scent work.
For some it’s herding.
For some it’s obedience and engagement with their person.
Every dog is different! Even within the same litter.
That’s why breed preservation matters.
That’s why genetics matter.
That’s why intentionally breeding dogs with stable traits and predictable purpose matters.
And it’s also why random mixes can become difficult for people to understand.
Not because mixed breeds are “bad.”
Not because rescue dogs are “bad.”
But because genetics are COMPLICATED.
You can take two incredible dogs and still create internal conflict if the drives, instincts, structure, or purpose don’t complement each other.
Then people end up frustrated because the dog is frustrated.
A lot of what people call “reactivity” is actually unmet genetic need.
Frustration.
Conflict.
Drive without direction.
The young dog I posted barking for the tug?
That behavior is very misunderstood by a lot of people.
I see a puppy with drive.
A puppy willing to work.
A puppy communicating.
A puppy that needs direction, structure, and productive outlets.
Dogs using their mouths, body slamming, chasing, barking, and rough play are not automatically aggression either. A lot of people have simply never learned the difference between conflict and healthy genetic expression.
That same intensity, properly channeled, becomes obedience, engagement, sport, detection, protection work, confidence, and stability.
The goal isn’t to shut dogs down.
The goal is to teach them where their genetics belong.
