Recently, I’ve been in conversations with dog handlers in the sport world, and one question keeps coming up: how would I use positive methods to teach an “out” for a high-drive dog? For anyone unfamiliar, an “out” simply means teaching the dog to release a bite on an arm sleeve or bite suit. Many...
It seems that the new definition of a “good” dog has shifted into one who can do it all—be social, show excitement, move easily through crowds, patios, breweries, parks, and busy environments without hesitation. And when a dog doesn’t fit that picture, we’re quick to assume there’s a problem that needs to be fixed....
Somewhere along the way, we started measuring a “good” dog by how friendly they are—how eager they are to greet, how excited they get when they see people or other dogs. But that’s not the goal. The goal is neutrality. A well-adjusted dog isn’t the one trying to say hi to everyone. It’s the...