MariDog, New York, NY (2026)

02/27/2026

Good be these two knuckleheads! They would not survive in the wild 😜

01/31/2026

Season 3 of Shrinking just dropped (it's AWESOME) & I got to thinking that therapy and Regulation-First Dog Training have a lot in common.

Harrison Ford's character in Shrinking has Parkinson's and has to figure out how to cope with all the changes it brings.
Watching how he behaves, I immediately thought: that's exactly how a Defender dysregulates.

*There are 4 Regulation Types, each with its own coping strategy.

Defenders (dogs and humans) regulate by monitoring. They scan, assess, track. Their nervous system runs on "if I can see it coming, I can handle it."

So what happens when your own perception betrays you? When the system you've always relied on starts lying?

You can't discharge stress, and you can’t learn because you literally don’t have access to parts of your brain under those conditions.

This is why I don't train behaviors first: I train regulation first.

Because a Defender dog who doesn't trust their handler will never stop scanning. They can't. Their nervous system won't let them.

Your job isn't to correct the vigilance. It's to become trustworthy enough that they can let go of the controls.

Is your dog a Defender? Link in bio to take the free Regulation-Type Test.

Part 1 of 4 — Kineticist, Harmonizer, and Herald coming soon.
  [Shrinking, Therapy for Dogs, Regulation First Dog Training, Behavior Modification, Dog Training, Guard Dogs, Reactive Dogs ]

01/26/2026

1. Obedience training without emotional regulation is suppression, not success. A dog who sits when calm but can't respond when triggered hasn't been trained - they've been suppressed.

What “regulation” means:
Regulation is your dog's ability to manage their nervous system when stressed. It's the difference between a dog who can calm down after a trigger and a dog who stays reactive for hours; between a dog who can think and a dog whose brain has gone offline.

There are 4 main ways dogs regulate themselves:
* Movement: physical activity to discharge stress
* Connection: proximity to their person for co-regulation
* Control: Monitoring their environment to keep free of threats
* Expression: Vocal and physical expression of their internal state

Your dog will lean heavily on 1-2 of these as their primary regulation strategy - this is their TEMPERAMENT TYPE. If you block their main regulation pathway - crating a movement-regulator, isolating a connection-regulator - you create the "behavior problems" obedience training tries to fix. You have to start with TEMPERAMENT TYPE in order to know how to train your dog.

2. You were reading stress signals the trainers ignored.
When you said "something feels wrong about this," you weren't being too soft. You were seeing what the obedience model refuses to acknowledge: your dog was dysregulated, not disobedient. It was confusion, not stubbornness and stress, not dominance.

3. Regulation creates capacity. Obedience is the byproduct.
A regulated dog can respond to cues when stressed because their nervous system isn't flooded. They have capacity. Obedience becomes natural, not forced. But it only works when you understand what regulates YOUR specific dog because there are 4 temperament types, and what calms one dog can dysregulate another.

Link in bio for the free Temperament Type Test - what TYPE is YOUR dog?

[Regulation-First Dog Training, canine nervous system, dog body language, dog stress signals, dog behavior explained, nervous system regulation, dog behavior education, reactive dog support, dog training alternatives, reading dog signals, dog welfare education, ethical dog training]

01/23/2026

I wouldn’t start with obedience training.

Most people try to train the behavior out of their dog: Sit. Stay. Heel. Eye contact. Corrections when they react.

But here’s what I’ve learned: people don’t actually want an obedient dog.

They want an EMOTIONALLY REGULATED dog.

Emotional regulation looks like obedience because the dog can respond to cues. But it’s completely different.

An obedience-trained dog can sit when calm. But the second they get dysregulated - another dog appears, a trigger hits - their nervous system spikes and they stop responding. They can’t access the training, and they go nuts.

A regulated dog can still respond to cues when stressed because their nervous system isn’t flooded. They have capacity. They can handle stress without going crazy.

Obedience & calmness are the byproducts of regulation, not the other way around.

When clients focus on regulation instead of obedience, their dogs make tangible progress within 2 weeks. Most behavior resolves to the owner’s satisfaction within 8-12 weeks.

So if I had to start over tomorrow with nothing but this knowledge?

I’d take the TEMPERAMENT TYPE TEST first.
It tells me WHY my dog reacts the way they do and what their nervous system actually needs. What triggers them - What regulates them.

There are 4 Temperament Types, and each one has a completely different regulation style. What calms one type can dysregulate another.

If your dog is reactive, anxious, or “difficult” and traditional training hasn’t worked this is why.

It’s the first step I take every time.

-First-Dog-Training

01/22/2026

I used to think my dog's behavior problems were because I was “babying” her.

I spent hundreds of hours on YouTube and TikTok looking for training that worked, but most of the info was recycled clickbait with no scientific credibility.

When I tried some of the advice such as leash corrections, I could see my dog didn't get what was happening. When I demanded obedience, I watched her stress signals spike.

Everyone told me I was making excuses. That I was anthropomorphizing. That I needed to stop overthinking and just *do the work*.

But here’s what I actually needed: training that matched what I already knew about my dog.

If you’ve ever been told you’re babying your dog, too permissive, or that you “care too much” — you’re not broken.

You’re just refusing to ignore what you see.

And there’s a reason your dog behaves the way they do. It’s not about dominance. It’s about REGULATION, TEMPERAMENT & TARGETED TRAINING.

Link in bio for the free test that finally explains what you’ve been feeling all along.

01/21/2026

Your 2026 dog goal: having other humans come over without your dog losing their mind.

Here’s why traditional training won’t get you there:
⟢ Most training teaches dogs to suppress the chaos: “sit,” “stay,” “place.” You’re basically asking your dog to white-knuckle through excitement while their nervous system is screaming.

⟢ That’s exhausting. And it doesn’t last.

REGULATION-FIRST TRAINING IS DIFFERENT .

⟢ Regulation = your dog’s ability to handle their own emotions in real time. Not suppress them. Not push through them. Actually manage them.

⟢ When a dog’s nervous system learns to process excitement without tipping into chaos, you get a dog who can be genuinely happy to see guests without jumping, barking, or losing it at the door.

⟢ The difference? One is teaching your dog to perform under pressure. The other is teaching their nervous system to not create the pressure in the first place.

That’s the shift. That’s what changes everything.

Intrigued?

I put together a free guide on exactly what REGULATION-FIRST Training is and how you can get started right away. DM "TYPE "and I'll send it straight to your inbox!

01/19/2026

Having a “reactive” dog is very common… and very stressful. The reactivity. The fear of the next bite. The resentment building. The shame when strangers judge...

You're not alone + it's NOT your fault.

Conventional training (cookies, e-collars) ignores what your dog TRULY needs: TYPE-BASED REGULATION training.   Instead of “reactive” - think of your dog as DYSREGULATED - unable to cope with their environment and triggers.   TYPE-BASED REGULATION training brings your dog’s composure back to the Functional Zone where they can listen and learn. 
If this resonates, welcome to MariDog – where chaos ends + joyful self-regulation begins.
 DM ‘TYPE’ for your FREE TRAINING TYPE TEST.
 

01/13/2026

Your dog's TYPE? It's how they naturally regulate energy + behavior. Defenders control their space. Kineticists thrive on movement + goals. Harmonizers co-regulate with you. Heralds? They tell you all about it.
This flips traditional training on its head + actually fits who they are.
Committing to show up daily for 30 days to share TRAINING BY TYPE – so you can calm those walks, ditch the chaos, + connect deeper with your pup (Defender, Kineticist, Harmonizer, or Herald).
What's YOUR dog's type? Biggest frustration? What do you want more of from me these 30 days?
Comment or DM!

09/30/2025

❤️ Cassie

This mix has:

05/15/2025

RIP my beautiful girl. I love you forever.

05/07/2025

My heart is broken - my very first student and all around BEST BOY passed over to the Bridge today. RIP peace Ike my love - I am a better person for knowing you ❤️

05/03/2025

BOOP!! Happy Saturday everypawdy!!

MariDog

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