09/19/2026
What if the behavior you’re trying so hard to stop is the very thing you need to pay attention to?
When a dog is barking, pulling, growling, jumping, shutting down, or struggling around certain people or dogs, my first question isn’t, “How do I make this stop?”
It’s “Why is this dog doing this?”
Sometimes they’re scared. Sometimes they’re frustrated. Sometimes they’re overly excited. Sometimes a behavior has simply worked for them so many times that it has become their go-to response.
And sometimes we don’t know yet.
I think that last part is important.
Dog training doesn’t always mean immediately having an answer. Sometimes we need to slow down, watch the dog, look at what happens before and after the behavior, and get curious.
I don’t want a dog to behave simply because we’ve made the alternative uncomfortable enough.
I want to understand the dog in front of me and help them learn better ways to navigate their world.
That’s a big part of what Connected Dog Training means to me.
Connection over compliance.