By Sean O'Shea

One of the aspects to keeping our dogs successful (and safe) on walks is the aspect I think that is most overlooked and misunderstood as a training tool...

Space. And how it creates and/or relieves pressure. 

If there's a crazy person loose in the state next to you, you're probably not very worried for your own safety. If you hear he's in your city, you'll be more aware, but not likely freaking out yet. If you hear he's in your neighborhood you're going to be freaking out and likely barricading yourself in your home. If you were outside and he was walking towards you, well, that's real PANIC TIME!!!

That's the magic of space. Get enough space and just about anything scary is tolerable. Get too close to something unnerving and panic sets in. Sometimes all you need is a foot or two to be cool, and sometimes it's a lot more. 

But here's the thing, it's not JUST space or proximity that creates the pressure cooker, it's also observable escape routes (can we safely escape if all hell breaks loose?), and either foreknowledge of the approaching trigger (it's that dog that always goes ape when we walk by), OR displayed behavior that is unsafe or could be unsafe (a barking, growling, pulling, lunging dog who's owner has no control).

All these factors determine the pressure your dog (and often you) feel, and can necessitate more space to keep the pressure tolerable, and your dog successful. 

Walking in an open field by a barking dog at 10 feet might be tolerable for your dog. Walking by the same dog (still at 10 feet) if you're next to a wall and pinned against it might be very different. Walking down your sidewalk and passing a calm, relaxed, polite dog with 3 feet between you might be totally doable. Walk that same sidewalk with a dog approaching that is stink eyeing your dog, tense, and pulling on the leash, and that 3 feet may cause WWWIII. Or, you might even walk by a dog that barks at your dog from across the street, and your dog may be totally cool with it. But if it's that darn Akita (no offense Akita owners!!) that has been hassling your dog since he was a pup, it might be a very different outcome. 

The point is, the pressure your dog feels, and how he reacts is absolutely situational and contextual. You can't expect your dog to have a one-size-fits-all reaction. He's a complex emotional creature, and he's going to determine the level of pressure he feels - and how he reacts - dependent upon lots of factors. (My hope with this post is to help you understand how all these factors can be in play, so that you're aware and not bushwhacked (or confused) by them.)

As you're working through reactivity issues, remember your dog is reacting to perceived pressure/danger/arousal, and your job is to navigate them as best you can in order for you both to be successful. 

Some tips:

-More space equals more comfort. Sometimes just 1, 2, or 3 feet of movement away from the trigger can alleviate the boil-over. 

-Dogs that your dog has developed a grudge with will be the toughest challenges.

-Dogs see and feel being trapped, so be keenly aware of not putting yourselves in no-escape, high-pressure spaces. 

-Dogs see/feel the intent, attitude, nastiness, posturing of other dogs, and act accordingly. 

-Dogs see whether owners have control and whether they are confident or freaked, and act accordingly. 

The ultimate goal is to get you and your dog to the very best space possible, so you're both able to successfully navigate close encounters of the worst kind -  without having to avoid, use a football field length space to keep cool, and not have a melt down when the neighborhood bully starts barking. But as you work towards this goal, remember to utilize all the information above and be aware of all the possible factors in play so hopefully you and your dog can avoid the pressure cooker. 

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By Sean O'SheaOk, so here's an interesting thought. What if even without any actual "training" (meaning all the usual sit, down, place, heel, recall etc) you could massively impact your dog's behavior and state of mind? What if by simply NOT doing or allowing certain things you could make some great stuff happen?Well, the good news is, half of our success as trainers isn't even in the actual "training" we do, it's in all the stuff we don't do or don't allow.Here's a quick list for you to enlist to help your dog and yourself be in a better space:-Simply cut back on all the unearned affection. Play hard to get. Only reward awesome choices and states of mind. Remove the unconscious incessant petting and stroking, make your dog work for his/her interactions. (This is almost always the single biggest contributor to neurotic and poorly behaved dogs.)-Don't allow disrespectful space invasions. This includes jumping on you, pushing you out of the way at thresholds, jumping on your lap uninvited etc. Instead, claim your space by using your body - not to hit or harm - but to have a calm, quiet conversation with your dog that your space is valuable and needs to be respected. For jumping you can do this by placing your knee forward when your dog jumps, so that he gets your knee and not you, and so jumping is not rewarding. At thresholds simply block with your body and then walk confidently INTO your dog's space (and your dog if need be) to move them back. As for jumping on your lap uninvited, simply say "no" and stand up when your dog jumps on you. This will remove him from your space and make this not rewarding. Then remove your dog from the couch. (Bonus points for initially keeping a bubble of space - say 10 feet - around you so your dog works on being more independent and less clingy.)-Don't allow or reward demanding behavior. If your dog is barking at you for attention, for food, to play, or to get access to a door, don't reward the behavior with what the dog is looking for. Say "no" and ignore the behavior. If your dog demands something and you respond you've just taught your dog what works to get what he wants. Be careful not to unconsciously reward/allow this.-Make your dog wait. Simply make your dog wait at moments of excitement or intensity. This could be feeding time, at thresholds, going in or out of the car etc. By teaching your dog to wait for permission from you you teach impulse control, respect, and to look for permission rather than to be on auto-pilot. Conversely, by allowing this you teach your dog to ignore/disrespect you, to be impulsive, and that intensity and excitement gets him what he wants.-Don't baby, console, pet, nurture, smother nervous, insecure, frightened dogs. This will only make them worse. Instead, treat them like normal dogs by asking more of them, challenging them to get out of their comfort zones, give them a firm human to lean on, not a soft one to feel alone/frightened with. The way you view your dog emotionally - as a victim who is helpless and in need of rescuing, or as a dog who's previous rough road necessitates strong leadership for healthy forward motion - will absolutely come out in your behavior towards him, and will be the largest determiner of whether your dog makes positive progress or remains stuck and/or declines. (This is a super hard one for most, due to our innate desire to nurture and help, but the truth is, true help rarely comes in the form of pity, coddling, and feeling sorry.)-Don't make your dog responsible for replacing that which you should be getting in the human world. One of the biggest advantages trainers have is being in an emotionally neutral space when interacting. For many owners, their dogs have become a place of solace in a world they often feel unfulfilled in. Oftentimes dogs are replacing the absence of friends, family, lovers, or simply feeling alienated or lonely in the human world. Although we might find using our dogs as an emotional crutch as helpful, this ultimately presents you in a needy, weak state that will cause pushy dogs to become more pushy, nervous/insecure dogs to become more nervous, and neurotic dogs to become more neurotic. The ultimate outcome is often the development of protective or aggressive or reactive behavior. By treating your dog like a dog - in the very best and positive sense of the phrase - you'll set you and your dog up to be in a much more balanced space.Once again, this is all the non-"training" stuff you can do (or not do!) that will help your dog's behavior tremendously. Just being aware and acting on these simple recommendations can change things DRAMATICALLY!!So even if you're not going to do any actual obedience work and teach commands, you can still make some major changes simply by first doing no harm.P.S. Now if you'd like to go even further and make bigger strides, change behavior more significantly, create reliability, and have a deeper, more healthy relationship with your dog, you can visit my website and watch the free do-it-yourself training videos. They're easy to follow and will help you make some amazing stuff happen. www.thegooddog.net______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'Shea

Even with all the high falutin training tools and time tested training approaches, there's still one factor that is the wild card. The one factor that can often override tools and techniques: the animal in you. 

Even though we like to think of ourselves as operating from (and in) a higher place - a place of intellect and complex problem solving - when it comes to living and interacting with our dogs, even great tools, techniques, and smart minds can be overridden and ignored when there's an animal to animal imbalance. 

Here's how it works: Your dog is taking in all the information you're sharing. You're asking him to heel, to place, to recall, to listen, and if you're using good tools and techniques, you'll share consequences for your dog breaking established and known rules. But all these commands and consequences are only part of the conversation you're sharing. 

You're also sharing who you are fundamentally. The animal in you, all the time. 

And if the animal in you is softer/weaker (nervous, insecure, anxious, fearful, unsure, overly-soft, lacking confidence, or emotionally needy) than your dog's animal (who might be confident, assertive, pushy, strong-willed, secure, certain), you can run into serious problems. 

Sometimes the imbalance is that the human is seriously compromised in the elements listed above, and the dog takes advantage, and sometimes it's simply a matter of poor luck. This occurs when a seriously assertive dog shows up in your life. And of course there are all sorts of degrees in between. 

Dogs, like kids, will push what are obviously weak boundaries - because we're all programmed to push them to see how strong/dependable/safe they are. The parent can't be weaker than the child, attitude wise, and expect to have the child listen, respect, or adhere to the parents rules and guidance. And so it is with dogs as well. 

All the best parenting tips in the world won't create a respectful relationship if the parent isn't able to muster a believable, fundamental strength and balance that the child can buy into. Same with our dogs. 

When I see owners who struggle with dogs that flourish with other handlers, (and if the owners have been sufficiently educated on tools and techniques), I know that there's an imbalance that the dog is perceiving. A fundamental animal to animal imbalance. 

And that's the final, and usually the most challenging frontier. To do the hard work of resolving and shoring up our own inequities - the stress, the anxiety, the lack of self-confidence, the uncertainty, the worthiness issues, the emotional holes that make us needy - so we can present a believable and strong enough animal to our dogs, so that listening to us makes sense. 

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By Sean O'Shea

pro·pa·gan·da

\ˌprä-pə-ˈgan-də, ˌprō-\noun

Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population toward some cause or position.

Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (perhaps lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or using loadedmessages to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented.

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A few days ago I posted a fairly detailed training video featuring our recent work with Gus, a 125 pound aggressive Tibetan Mastiff. The video chronicled both the owner's journey as well as ours. At the beginning of the video we shared how the owner had already sent Gus to multiple trainers around the country, and although they had professed to be equipped to deal with serious behavior issues, they weren't able to help Gus or his mom. (One trainer even had to have Gus picked up the same day he had been dropped off for a multiple week board and train because his behavior was so overwhelming.) So his mom was understandably nervous and skeptical about trying another trainer. But she was also having to contemplate some rather dire choices regarding Gus' future if there weren't some answers to be found. Later in the video we detailed Gus's behavior when he arrived - growling, multiple bite attempts - as well as our training approach. We listed the tools (prong collar, e-collar, dominant dog collar etc) and our approach/methodology/thought process. The goal of sharing a video with all this detail is manifold. One is to give owners with serious dogs hope about the possibilities out there. Another is to advocate for/make others aware of the tools and methods we've seen in direct hands-on experience that have helped transform dogs and empower their owners. And lastly, to give tangible information about the process so others trainers and owners can leverage our experience to help advance their understanding, techniques and success. So we shared the video yesterday and received a bunch of awesome responses and praise. A lot of it was for Gus' owner not giving up on him and continuing to look for answers, and others were simply uplifted by the video showing the challenges of a troubled dog - especially one with Gus' history and danger potential due to sheer physical size -  finding some real help. And then in the comments under the video I received this from Ashlee R:

"This is disgusting. He had a distrustful aggressive dog in an unfamiliar situation and STARTS with an ECOLLAR?! Then forcibly crate trains (crate training is supposed to be slow, and an enjoyable and safe process for the dog). Even when he is walking and working on 'heel' not ONCE does he reward the dog for heeling. He just says the word and ignores the dog. This is not relationship-building positive dog training. This poor dog is being emotionally suppressed. It's called learned helplessness. That is not training. He will be returned to his owner with more problems than ever before. This 'trainer' needs to stop. He's seen one too many episodes of the dog whisperer and has an incredibly uneducated, archaic and inhumane methodology for dealing with dogs.  As an animal behaviorist certificated from positive and scientifically backed methodologies, this makes me very sad. If you think that this is dog training, I suggest you research what actual canine ecologists and evolutionary biologists have to say on the subject. Find a methodology backed my professionals that have PHDs in canine behavior. Google Ian Dunbar, Sophia yin, ray coppinger, Patricia McConnell and more. This is just pop science that does more damage than good. Remember, the dog whisperer is a TV show. It is edited. They pick and choose the dogs that go on air. Real animal behaviorist would have a field day with all of the things this man is doing incorrectly."

Now here's the thing, I get this message ALL the time! Yes, the names change, and the order or a few of the details are different, but all in all, this is a sort of copy and paste propaganda comment/message/email. They all tend to say about the same thing. The dog is being suppressed. Learned helplessness is occurring. This isn't science based training. This is dark ages stuff. This is abuse. The inevitable Cesar Millan references. The dog is only responding because he's afraid. The dog will be a ticking time bomb and be returned home in worse shape then he arrived. And then of course there will be a list of revered trainers/behaviorists/doctors that should be studied/followed instead. 

Me and every trainer I know that is doing great work, real work, saving dogs lives and transforming real problems receives this email or message, or some form of it, all the time. 

And typically I just ban and delete this stuff. It doesn't even register anymore. But as I was reading this particular message I realized I was incensed. Not for me and my work, or the Gus video, but for you. You the dog owning public. You the folks with troubled dogs, trying to make sense of all the conflicting information. Trying to make informed decisions for your dog through the morass of rhetoric, mudslinging, and fear mongering. Trying to make decisions that could ultimately be the difference between your dog staying in your home or being re-homed, getting help with issues or staying stuck in them, and of course, even life or death. 

I don't intend to be dramatic, but when you're dealing with real dog issues - serious reactivity, resource guarding, separation anxiety, dog aggression, human aggression etc - not finding suitable and effective answers can mean dire outcomes. 

So this is why I'm writing this. There's a battle being waged currently in the dog world. A battle where the Purely Positive/Force Free folks purport your dog’s welfare to be the priority, but the reality is unfortunately something very different. It's a battle that prioritizes dogma over dogs. Ideology over actual welfare. Agenda over answers. It's a weird thing to see a large group of folks, who present themselves as dog lovers, leading a charge that ignores tangible reality in favor of a belief system, and sacrifices dogs in the name of science and academia and supposed higher morals. 

But here's the thing, you'll never see these folks - not the well-respected and highly-lauded trainer/authors, not the veterinary behaviorists, none of these folks with credentials coming out their ears - show real-life work and real-life results with truly challenging dogs. It simply doesn't exist. They can't show results. They never have. Not with serious dogs. 

You have to ask yourself why this is? 

This is maybe the most important piece of information to take from this post. The glaring absence of results, the absence of evidence.  

And in this day and age of everyone having a video camera on their phone, if these folks and their methods are so revolutionary, if they work so well, if they're so cutting edge, so humane, so scientifically stunning, how come they don't have any evidence showing all this great work? 

Because it's all talk. Convenient, well-crafted, smart-sounding, intellectually stimulating, brain-twisting, heart-tugging talk. Talk that is based on manipulating data and cherry picking the science that supports their cause, while ignoring that which doesn't. Talk that is completely devoid of reality and results, as well as true care, for dogs or owners. (The knowledge of Pure Positive/Force Free trainers recommending even mildly challenging dogs to be put down is legendary, and heart breaking in the dog training world.)

So I write this to help you folks out there who are trying to make sense of this stuff. The folks who show up here after having spent tons of money and time on methods and tools that haven't yielded any results. Those of you who have heard only horror stories about prong collars and e-collars, and how correcting your dog will create more aggression and compromise your relationship. Or those of you that have never heard about us, or trainers like us, or balanced methods and tools. People who aren't even aware of these possibilities or options, and who end up suffering unnecessarily or putting their dogs down or re-homing them simply because they haven't had the luxury of information. 

I write this not to drum up business or celebrate our training victories, but to simply do my part to try to tell the truth. To try to balance out the imbalance of the rhetoric. There's a battle going on for sure. My goal is to try to help share information and results and to pass that help on to you. I don't care if you hire us, hire someone across the country, train your dog yourself, or even if you prefer the Purely Positive approach. (It's actually great for training certain behaviors, teaching new things, and can be helpful for cupcake dogs.) My goal isn't to get you to buy-in to my method and approach or even balanced training as an approach. My only goal is that you have the luxury of all the information out there, that you get to see all sides of the story fairly presented, so you can make a decision that is informed and that resonates with you. A decision that isn't based solely on cleverly-worded propaganda. Propaganda that leverages the PERCEPTION of science and academia while ignoring real-life results and real-life success. I want you to be able to make whatever decision feels right and makes sense, but I want you to have both sides of the story before doing so. 

The propaganda machine has been doing an awesome job of trying to shame and scare those (both trainers and owners) that use a balanced approach into hiding, into being afraid to tell their stories of success. They use fear to scare owners - that you will destroy your dog and your relationship, or that you’re just a bad person. They use fear to scare trainers - they show up in hordes on trainer's FB pages and blast them for being cruel and barbaric. They spread information all across the Internet about how barbaric these tools and trainers are. (Who hasn't seen the famous embedded prong collar picture that is supposed to show the damage a prong collar can do to a dog in training - meanwhile that was a prong collar that was left on a dog for months, if not years to create the same results embedded harnesses and flat collars create.)

I typically try to steer clear of the controversy and madness, but felt it necessary to jump in here. It makes my blood boil every time I see dogs and owners struggling and being sold a bill of goods that aren't helping them. Ultimately the decision is up to you. And like I said earlier, I'm okay with whatever decision you make - really, I am. I just want to make sure you're aware of all the information out there, and are able to weigh it and process it and then come to whatever decision feels right for you and your dog. 

I guess the entire point of this blog post is just to make sure that dog owners are aware that the propaganda machine is at work. That there is a movement and agenda that is out there working overtime to affect your feelings and choices, and that this movement cares more about its movement than it does you or your dog. So just make sure you're an informed consumer, and not being swept along a river you didn't even know was trying to pull you and your dog in. 

P.S. And for those who have been following Gus's story, ironically yesterday when I posted the Gus video his mom also sent a detailed update email (he’s been home for a good chunk of time now) later that day. Here it is for those that might be curious about what was said earlier in this post (learned helplessness, fear training, suppression, and ticking time bombs never looked so good!), and to give you a different perspective, the owner's perspective:

Hi guys,

This is long overdue but have been very busy here at work.  We are seasonal so the summer season is 24/7 for us until October.

I don't know where to start, and how to express the amazing transformation of my world with gus, but here it goes.

When we left Los Angeles, we drove straight through to Abq, 13 1/2 hrs.  We stopped for a couple of potty breaks, and never had to use the e collar.  He heeled like a cream puff.  

We checked into our hotel, The Marriott in Abq. and entered into the elevator. (This is the first time he has ever been in an elevator)  I was ready to pop him if he made any moves, and then the door opened on the floor just before ours. We were standing in the corner of the elevator when 3 men entered. I broke out into a sweat, but Gus, he paid no attention to the strangers who entered into this small box with him and his mom. The men just admired how well behaved Gus was.  As we arrived on our floor, I let out a big sigh of relief. I was so proud of him. I placed a towel at the foot of my bed on the floor for him to place and sleep all night.  He slept with his collar on just in case.  When I woke up the next morning, he didn't move at all!

When we arrived in Red River, our home, I got right to work.  No days off, no resting, no play days.  

I wasn't sure how he would react once back at home, if he would test me, ignore my commands or what. We practiced our recall for 20 minutes in the house. I had to pop him a couple of times, but got him back into place. He's fully aware that I have the power now, and he has to obey me.  

At this time, I didn't have a crate that he could fit it, so I contained him the living room.  I know I know.  While I was out of the house,

I put him in his place command position on his bed, (Not mine) and hours later he was still on his bed.  

Day 2, we walked 2 1;2 miles up to the ranch. He was in again, a perfect heel. If he fell out of his heel, maybe a head forward or behind, all I had to say was heel, and he adjusted without a pop.  

When we arrrived at the ranch, we went to the meadow, and practiced recall.  Excellent!  We did this for maybe 30 minutes. I was about 50 ft away from him and

most times he didn't move until called. I am so estatic with this, because before training, when I called for him, he would just look at me and ignore me. Now I have

control over him on recall.  We do this every day, You would be so proud of both of us.

I am so proud of his improvement when walking him. People around town have noticed a tremendous difference in his behavior.  When we walk, he looks up at me in a way

that I have never seen before. It's like he's asking, OK mom, what do you want me to do now!  It just melts my heart.

He doesn't charge the fence when dogs walk by, he doesn't go crazy in the car when dogs go by. (All stuff he used to do!)

Two nights ago, I brought him out to the lobby of the hotel/restaurant. I was very careful and very aware of his posture, demeanor around everybody. I told him to place and he remained there. It just keeps getting better and better. I don't know how to thank you for literally saving Gus's life, and mine. I am eternally grateful to you and your wonderful staff for not giving up on Gus, when others did.

For those of you who think you cannot leave your precious baby for 3 weeks at this facility for board and train, it will be the most difficult thing you will have to go through. You think, oh my god, my dog has never ever been away from me, he won't survive.  He will and so will you. If you have any hesitation because of this, please do your dog and yourself justice, let Sean and his team help you. You will not regret it.  

I can go on and on but I think I've said enough for now. 

I will be taking videos of our walks and sending them to you.  

Also, I have asked a few friends of mine to write a couple of testimonials on Gus. 

Keep up the incredible work, you have saved and changed so many lives, I wish there were more people out there who cared as much as you do.

Love to Sean and the team

Priscilla

PS  Can I use the e collar forever, and how long do they last?

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By Sean O'SheaSo many folks have great intentions. They want to love, nurture, and enjoy their dogs, but somewhere along the line they get off track. They may not even realize that they're using their dog in place of a child, or an outlet for the love they're aren't comfortable sharing with people, or they simply go on "love auto-pilot" because it feels good.And with some dogs you can get away with this with little fallout. But with the wrong dogs - those that are already prone to insecurity, anxiety, and difficulties dealing with stress, or extremely pushy and entitled dogs - you can hit the wall. Hard.For these dogs, when given too much affection, love, and freedom, with not enough rules, structure, and guidance, they crash. They become highly anxious (separation anxiety is common), are unable to comfortably deal with stress or pressure (you'll see lots of reactivity in the house and on walks - barking and reacting to everything), you can get overprotective behaviors (growling at guests and others), you can get resource guarding (of people, space, food, or toys), and you might even get serious aggression in the form of biting (could be your typical fear biting where they pounce when you turn around, or more overt and proactive).This happens, because many dogs are already prone to elevated stress and anxiety levels. Once you remove the comfort of a believable authority figure and dependable structure and rules, the stress and anxiety levels go through the roof. These already vulnerable dogs now have the perfect ingredients and environment for serious trouble. And behavioral issues are almost always guaranteed.These dogs now become highly insecure, highly stressed, highly anxious, bratty, unsure, nervous, pushy, you name it.Why? Because we all (dogs and people) depend on dependable guidance. Dependable rules. Dependable accountability. Dependable structure to lean on. But who needs it most? Those that come with already compromised experiences, those without great genetics to lean on, those that are already vulnerable.This is how our good intentions can lead us and our dogs into unfortunate places. Mistakenly believing these guys simply need our softness - or because we simply enjoy sharing softness and what it fulfills in us, and/or that discipline is much harder work - we leave them feeling the opposite of what we want: Alone, scared, worried, dependent, unsure, insecure etc.Because we won't do the hard and sometimes uncomfortable work of sharing with them what's expected of them, and how to cope and behave - because we won't guide them and show them - they will do their best to figure it out in their own. And let me assure you, for already stressed, anxious, nervous dogs, figuring it out on their own is the worst sentence you can give them.This is how we create doggy train wrecks.Instead, if we'll walk the path of balance, doing the hard work of sharing disciple, structure, and rules - and if we'll truly lead them as much as we love them - we can create dogs that excel instead of struggle. Dogs that consistently improve instead of slowly falling apart.Hopefully this helps explain how our good intentions of helping often turn into hurting. How by way of "love" we often sentence dogs to struggle and suffer.______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaWe've all heard about or have had dogs that have had a negative past. Perhaps they were neglected, perhaps they were chained to a tree, perhaps they were starved, perhaps they were yelled at or hit for perceivedinfractions. As dog lovers this can be a hard one to wrap our heads around, and an even harder one to let go of.I've seen many, many owners who have become so invested in their dog's story of abuse that it's taken on a life of its own. It becomes a very big part of the dog (and the owner). And it often colors and informs all of the ways the owner interacts with the dog.Because of the abuse story, the owner wants to avoid the dog ever experiencing anything unpleasant. They want to protect the dog from the world. They want to ensure the pain is done.This often looks like: babying the dog; coddling the dog; being overly permissive with the dog; refusing to share rules, structure, or discipline with the dog; spoiling the dog; being overly affectionate with the dog; being overly emotional with the dog etc.And while I get and appreciate the motivation behind these choices, the truth is that more dogs have been harmed long-term by all of the above actions than they have by abuse.Abuse happens and once the dog is removed from the situation, the abuse is over. Yes there can be issues to work through - perhaps challenging ones - but it's the mindset of owners who can't let go of the abuse story (and thus are unable or unwilling to share what the dog truly needs) who lock the dog into a lifetime of abuse by way of neglect. Neglect of the dog's true needs.Yes, even dogs who have had terribly negative experiences still need structure, rules, guidance, and accountability. Well actually, here's the real truth, they usually need these things even more than other dogs. Their world's have been so devoid of what they need that they are often a mess. And the best gift you can give a struggling, confused, overwhelmed, and frightened dog is not more of the same - the best gift you can give them is the deliverance from those painful states.The game changer emotionally for owners is to start to look at dogs with these stories and realize that the real pain, the ongoing, long-term pain of abuse, is caused and perpetuated much more by us not being able to move forward than it is the actual abuse itself. And that by moving forward, and by treating the dog like a normal dog, with normal needs - of structure, leadership, rules, and accountability - you actually take the first step towards removing the pain, the first step towards a love (and motivation) that can heal, rather than harm.Beliefs and stories are powerful. They affect our thoughts and choices and actions. So be sure the story you're telling yourself and others about your dog is one that serves him or her. A story that helps them recover and thrive, rather than remain stuck in the muck of the past.P.S. On a personal note, I've seen far more dogs harmed by a lack of training and healthy lifestyle with their owner than I have all the abuse cases combined.P.S.S. And just to be clear, the only reason I didn't include love and affection in my prescribed suggestions for helping troubled dogs, is because that's the easy part. The part that comes natural. And it's the the one aspect I never seem to have to coach folks on doing more of. Always less and more selectively. :)______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaI think it can be easy to miss this key component of success with your dog. Many folks confuse the state of arousal with excitement, happiness, or a dog being a dog. But here's the thing, arousal, when you're trying to get your dog to make his best choices, is usually the enemy.Check out this analogy. A perfectly nice couple of guys go the football game on Sunday. These guys have nice jobs, nice families, are well respected, and well liked. Good people. Once they get on the road to the game they start to get excited. They pump some loud music, start talking a little louder, and are getting excited about the game. They both notice the little lift they're feeling. Almost a little high, a little care free, a little, just a little I-don't-a-damn attitude creeping in. It feels good and a teeny bit dangerous. But just a teeny bit.They arrive at the game, grab their seats, and are swept up in the energy of the crowd and the anticipation of the game.And then, kick off!Boom, the adrenaline stars to flow, our family men's voices become louder, the excitement more intense, and now we've got some physical gestures as well. We're pumping hands and standing up periodically to add emphasis and show our commitment to the moment.Next thing you know, someone in front of our lovely gents says something inappropriate. It isn't directed directly at our guys, it's just a general silly outburst, but due to all the excitement and arousal our guys are feeling, their better judgement lapses for just a moment and one of them shouts back at the other commenting gentlemen. It doesn't take long for a shouting match to erupt, and soon enough there's an actual physical altercation. No one is seriously injured, but the whole thing is pretty ugly, and both our family men and the other man who made the initial comment are all secured by security folks and later handed over to the police.Now how did we get here? How did our nice, respectable, good guys end up making such bad choices and getting themselves in so much trouble? Arousal. They didn't even see it coming. It was like a a slow storm that gradually enveloped them and next thing they knew they were acting like they wouldn't normally act, talking like they wouldn't normally talk, and getting into behavior that they wouldn't normally get into.It's the same with our dogs. Only our dogs don't have the same social pressure we do to comport ourselves in a certain fashion. (Because they live within a human structure not a dog structure.) And they tend to move into this space of arousal very, very quickly. We humans tend to need more ammo and time to get lifted up (not all of us though!), but our dogs are like hair triggers. They only need a little push to go boom! And many dogs live in the state of arousal most of their lives (always on edge about every little sound, every new passerby, every dog that barks etc). So pushing them into a higher state of it is very easy.This is why we focus so much on the structured walk/heel, thresholds, duration place command, state of mind training overall, and correcting inappropriate overly excited/aroused/trigger happy behavior - both in the house and on the walks. These are all geared towards removing/combatting arousal. All these exercises or interactions are to calm the mind, slow the mind, relax the mind.What we're shooting for is much more than obedience work, we're shooting for creating the mental landscape of more calm, more relaxed, more chilled out, and definitely less arousal. Because if we create all these elements, we create an environment for our dogs to make their best choices, share their best behavior, and be their best selves, without needing constant supervision or management. Eventually it becomes more of a default.Just remember, the dogs you see out on walks that are all fired up, barking, pulling, spinning, biting the leash, or the ones you see in the house (yours perhaps??:)) that bark at everything that moves, anyone who walks in, or any change in the environment, are very much like our nice gentleman at the football game who got themselves into trouble. They're likely suffering from arousal stemming from not enough help from us about what to do with it.They're stuck at the never ending football game.Let's help them find their seat, relax, and watch in a more civilized (and enjoyable for all) fashion.P.S. Arousal and excitement do have their places. Play and fun time, or high action work like frisby, fetch etc are all great times for letting it all hang out. Just make sure you have both worlds to offer your dog. :)______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaYesterday we had a super reactive and dog aggressive dog go home after a three week board and train. His owners had gotten to the point of not walking him because his behavior had become so volatile and dangerous. (He has redirected with multiple bites in the past.)His past training experiences had asked him to simply not pull on the leash and be respectful of that boundary when out walking. The problem with that approach for this dog (and most of the guys we see here) was that it allowed him to be (and remain) in a semi-aroused mental state at all times. Even though he wasn't pulling on the leash, he was far too disengaged from his owners, far too engaged with all things in the environment, and allowed to move and make choices on his own constantly. These factors caused him to be in an already too intense mental space when he would actually see a dog. By the time his owners would try to correct him, he would be too worked up, and the corrections would only make him worse. And he would explode.Instead of doing a loose leash walk, we asked this dog to be in a very specific heel position.Our desire to have dogs in an immaculate heel has nothing to do with tradition and everything to do with state of mind leverage and management. By asking for a very specific position with very specific rules, we cause the dog to remain tuned into us, he has to use all his mental energy to stay in position rather than use that mental energy to focus on trouble, and he has to practice extreme impulse control. This position also causes the dog to be more deferential and respectful of the handler who is asking for all this hard work and holding the dog accountable. (And that's an awfully good thing with reactive dogs!)Think of it like a mindset scale of 0-10. 0 is a totally relaxed dog, and 10 is an explosion. The loose leash walking approach was causing this dog to be cruising around in a constant state of 5, 6, 7 - just revved up and on the precipice of trouble. The mental distance between 5, 6, 7 and 10 is not very much. Once this dog would get an eyeful of another dog, he would hit 8 or 9, his owners would correct, and BOOM, explosion time! But when we walked him in our structured heel, he cruised around at a 1, 2, or 3. This meant that when he saw a dog, we had a ton of mental/intensity cushion between where he was at and the explosion point. He might lift up to a 4, 5, or 6 at worst, but that's a very manageable state where a dog can still receive information and make positive decisions.That means our structured heel created the cushion for us and the dog to never see the explosion point. This is why we're such sticklers for the structured heel. By leveraging this command and all its rules and benefits, we manage to keep reactive dogs as close to 0 as possible. It's also why these owners remarked that they've never had such an amazing walk with their dog before. We passed dog after dog yesterday, and their reactive guy just cruised along. If he got mildly interested in a dog (started to move up the intensity scale) they corrected immediately and brought him right back down instantly. I don't think he ever went above 3 or 4, and boy is that saying something!!Without keeping his mindset at a lower, more relaxed place, this dog (and his owners would be set up to fail again and again.)If you have a reactive dog, the trick is to aim for 0, you'll probably never actually get it, but if you do a good job of working towards it, you'll never see 10!______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaThere's a lot of talk in training circles and with owners about "fixing" dogs. I think a lot of this started with the very successful show Dog Whisperer. And for all the good that show did (helping folks to see their part in the their dog's issues, the value of some simple concepts like exercise, disciple, affection, and rules, boundaries, and limitations, as well as inspiring a whole generation of dog trainers), it also had some other, less favorable impact on the dog owners and dog trainers.The show and its producers had a great main message - that message was far more about personal growth and development, and the impact and value that has on your dog and relationship - but it also had another message or agenda.That message was that of magic.That this one person, because of his amazing abilities and finely honed skill set, could take a dog, regardless of the intensity of the issues, and transform that dog. Completely.This was something that every dog owner and trainer wanted to buy into. That if you cultivated your skills and your mind, to a high enough degree, you too could affect change on that level and magnitude - and that completely.But here's the problem, to imagine or believe that a dog - this incredibly complex and emotionally nuanced being, with whatever genetic material and baggage it comes with, and whatever prior experience baggage it comes with and whatever personality/individuality it comes with - to be something that can be transformed into something completely different than what it is and what it contains, is a disservice to dogs, owners, and trainers.What I've seen is a preponderance of owners and trainers that put unrealistic pressure and expectations on themselves and their dogs.Because this message was packaged and presented so well on the tv show, many of us have been infected with the complete "fix" belief.But imagining dogs can be "fixed" (and by fixed I mean back to it's original state/issue-free) is like imagining that you, with all of your past experiences, traumas, challenges, personality, attitudes, and genetics, could be perfect, or issue-free. You can do as much therapy, self-help, and personal work as possible, and you can make enormous strides, and transformations, but you will still be you. You will still have your quirks. You will still have your tendencies. You can become your very best you, but it will still be you. And you won't be perfect or fixed.And that's the truth with dogs as well. It's not a negative, or a letdown, it's simply a reset about reality and having appropriate, and healthy expectations. Expectations that don't put unrealistic pressure on you, your, dog, or your trainer. (I see SO many trainers who feel they have to deliver magic in every session or they've failed.)Can you get a dog who likes to run away to recall every time? Yes. Can you get that counter-surfing dog to stop surfing? Yes. Can you get the resource guarding dog to stop resource guarding? Yes. Can we make amazing, wild, mind-blowing transformations in problem dogs, and can some of these changes happen quickly? Absolutely! I see it every day. But while some of these issues might be resolved, these dogs aren't fixed. They haven't had their individuality - genetics, experience, personality removed and replaced - no, they've simply been made a better version of themselves. And that should be the goal (and expectation) in both the dog owner and the dog trainer - to make the dog the very best version of himself that is possible. No magic, no fixes, just the progress and transformation that comes from dedicated, consistent work and focus.The truth is, some dogs will be able to make more progress than others, and some will have more limitations than than others. And that's just like it is with us. We're all individuals, and that's both the beauty and the challenge.None of us - our dogs or ourselves - get "fixed". We can only hope that through hard work and focus to be the best versions of ourselves.______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaIf you're struggling with behavior issues with your dog, know that I feel for you. Not just because you're dealing with behavior issues, but because it's so hard to make sense of what training and trainer to trust. There are so many conflicting opinions and approaches, so many diametrically opposed points of views - I just feel for anyone trying to make sense of what's best and what and who to trust.Every time an owner shows up to work with us, I know they've probably spent hours upon hours trying to decide what to do and who to trust - with the ever-present worry of making things worse and/or not making any progress at all.I know how hard it has been for me to find my way, to figure out what I believe and what makes sense, through all the conflicting noise and near-religious zeal many in the dog world take in regards to training - and I've had the luxury of being immersed in it for years. So for the average owner trying to make sense of all of this, I know it's rough.On one hand you have some folks saying you will ruin your dog if you use this tool or that approach, and on the other you have people saying if you don't use this tool or that approach you won't get anywhere. (And I'm making some very big simplifications and generalizations here - the real story is far more confusing, difficult, and scary to navigate.)The upshot is that I truly feel for you and I cheer anyone on that is trying to make sense of the dog training world and find solutions for their dog's issues. The main reason I make videos is so folks see what we do and what it looks like - rather than talking about what works or doesn't, I'd rather show you what we find to work. Of course that doesn't mean it's the only way - there are millions of ways to successfully train a dog - it's just what we believe in and what we've found works best for us and our clients.My suggestion is this: in this day of video on every phone, trainers should be easily able to show what kind of results their work produces. If not, it would give me pause. Personally, I'd want to see what they do, not just hear about it. If a trainer has serious opinions on aggression (dog to dog or dog to people), fear, or any other serious behavior issue rehab, they better be able to show proof of their philosophy and approach. If they have big opinions and zero evidence of the efficacy of those opinions, something is fishy. (There's lots of talk about science based training, and using rewards only to rehab serious problems - but unfortunately I don't see these people showing serious dogs making serious progress. If the program works so good, it should be easy enough to show.)So do your research, read up, get as educated as you can, and perhaps most importantly, look for proof of results. When you see a trainer regularly making great progress, that's a pretty good sign. And if you can't find someone in your area you trust, or you're just unsure, you can always email us for a recommendation and we'll do our best to help point you in a good direction. (thegooddog.la@gmail.com)It's a jungle out there. Hang in there.---------------------CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaThe dog that pulls to the tree, goes from one side of you to the next, stops to sniff the ground or bush, slows down or speeds up randomly, is the same dog that feels it's ok to bark, lunge, spin, and drag you when he sees another dog on a walk.If we allow our dogs to practice the habits of being disconnected, disrespectful, pushy, and acting on whatever impulse that comes across their consciousness, we can't be surprised when they do what we've trained them to do: listen to their impulse rather than us, use pushiness to get what they want, and to feel stressed because of a lack of believable leadership and information from you.The problem is many owners see these little moments of pulling, sniffing, disregarding as innocuous, benign, not important. But this is THE big enchilada, this is where it all either goes good or goes bad. This is where you create the magic or you create the tragic. (Lol, that's dramatic but it has a nice ring to it., :)) But because owners either want their dogs to have freedom (read: do whatever they want) so they can be "happy", or because they're simply not aware of what they're creating, they allow this negative foundation to be created.I always tell clients that we win or lose the dog reactivity battle not around dogs, but long before we see them.We tackle dog reactivity issues by teaching our dog to relax into a structured walk, not simply by trying to correct them around dogs. Trying to address reactivity only around dogs - in other words, only when it's happening, when your dog is already stressed out, at their worst, and with zero prior relationship/state of mind building - is absolutely a losing (and unfair) strategy. You don't win (and can't win) that battle without prior leverage. Trust me.So how do we create the leverage needed to successfully fight the battle of reactivity? We do it by creating positive state of mind leverage long before the heat of battle. We do it by seeing the little moments adding up to the big moments. We do it through the structured walk. We do it by having our dog walk in a relaxed heel, with zero pulling on the leash, zero pulling to trees or bushes, zero sniffing, and zero targeting/intensely staring at other dogs. We do it by creating the right mindset habits in our dog of looking to us for guidance and permission, and being respectful, relaxed, and trusting us to be in control of the world.If you set up your walk in this fashion, seeing the value and leverage of the small details and the small moments (listening rather than ignoring, patient rather than pushy, relaxed rather than stressed) as crucial building blocks towards good behavior, AND if you'll see giving your dog the gift of peace of mind and comfort that comes from leadership and structure as bigger gifts than being stressed, anxious, and bratty from the lack of it, you'll see some profound changes in your dog's behavior on walks.Remember, you fight and win the battle of reactivity not on the battlefield, but long before the actual fight. :)P.S. Of course you can (and should!) release you dog to pee and sniff in your release/okay. Your dog will still get to do all of his doggy stuff, but when done on a permission basis, not a pushy basis, the same activity will be working for you, not against you.P.S.S. If you have one of those cupcake, dream dogs, that are angels, who don't get riled up by other dogs, and do so without structure or rules, rejoice! This message isn't for you! You're one of the lucky few. :)______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy! 

By Sean O'SheaNot every dog likes, feels comfortable, or enjoys the company of unfamiliar dogs. And not every dog likes, feels comfortable, or enjoys the company of unfamiliar people. It's easy for us to have expectations and beliefs about how dogs should be, what they should enjoy, and what should make them happy. But when we don't honestly take into consideration (and honor) our dogs actual individual personalities, demeanor, limitations, and preferences, we do our dogs a massive disservice, and we put them at risk for possibly getting into serious trouble.I get many questions from folks and see many clients who have a vision of what their dog should like and dislike, and what a dog needs to do to be fulfilled. Oftentimes this vision is at odds with what their dog actually enjoys or feels comfortable with.The dog who is uncomfortable and insecure with other dogs having to endure another day at the dog park, and often getting into scraps or all out fights because of it. The dog who is uncomfortable and unsure around people having to be "social" when guests or over or a party is happening - being tense, growling, snapping, or worse. The dog on a walk who is shy and insecure having people come up excitedly to pet and engage with him while his eyes are wide with fear and his body tense and ready for fight or flight.These are super common situations that many dogs find themselves in. Often it's because people feel their dog should like other dogs or people, that they need this interaction or "socialization" time, and sometimes just because people don't know better. But our job as our dog's leader and guardian is to protect and advocate for them. To understand and prioritize what's best for them rather than what's best for us and our wishes or beliefs. We need to be honest with ourselves about our individual dog, what his limitations are and what helps or harms.There no shame in saying my dog doesn't like other dogs, or that he's not safe playing with dogs he doesn't trust. There no shame in putting your dog away in his crate when you have guests over if your dog is terribly uncomfortable with that situation. There's no shame in saying no to folks who want to pet your dog on walks if your dog doesn't enjoy the interaction, especially if he's tense or possibly dangerous. In fact there's not only no shame, but putting your dog's comfort and safety first (and other dogs and people's as well) is actually your primary job and responsibility.Don't let others pressure you to compromise your responsibility or let them question your decisions. If you know your dog and you know what's best for him, than do it, and don't let others influence you. Social pressure, especially when it comes to our dogs is a heavy one. Stand firm, and challenge yourself to be assertive in the face of pressure. (It's good practice for life in general!)Of course we want to always be improving our dogs and their ability to cope with their world and to thrive in it, but we also need to temper that desire with reality. Be sure you're being realistic and fair to your dog. Don't put him in situations that overly pressure him, make him terribly uncomfortable, and possibly put him at risk for making a bad choice. Tune into your dog, be honest, and understand his limitations and honor them. And most of all, give you and your dog permission to always do what's best for you both, regardless of what mythical doggie stories suggest, or what others request.Your dog is an individual, be sure to treat him that way.______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaIf you have a multi-dog household, and are experiencing tension, squabbles, or all out fights, the reason is almost always lack of leadership, structure, and rules. This results in doggy chaos. When dogs don't have a strong pack structure in their house - meaning if they're not 100% sure who's in charge, what's allowed and not allowed, and that someone will effectively enforce the rules - they can quickly become stressed, anxious, pushy, bratty, possessive, worried, fearful etc.As you can imagine, dogs co-habitating in this fashion are going to be ripe for trouble and fighting. If you've ever read The Lord Of The Flies (I know this is going back a long way for most of us!!) you've got a great example of the psychological and behavioral breakdown that occurs when structure, rules, and authority are absent. Just replace all the kids in the story with your dogs. :)When structure, rules, and authority are removed, stress, anxiety, and fear start to manifest. Why? Because of survival instincts. Social creatures understand that the absence of structure, rules, and authority mean danger, risk, and fear, and that puts everyone on edge. It also creates the opportunity for personality traits that might have remained managed or suppressed in the presence of authority (dominant, bratty, possessive etc) to surface and blossom when that authority pressure is removed.So understanding this dynamic it becomes clear that in order to create a harmonious household with multiple dogs (and of course this applies to single dog homes as well!), we need to make sure that we clearly and consistently share STRUCTURE (place command, thresholds, structured walk etc), RULES (no jumping on people, no harassing or pressuring other dogs, no possessive behavior etc), and AUTHORITY (sharing believable and valuable consequences for unwanted behavior etc).The absence of these elements creates the opportunity for chaos and unhappy, stressed out dogs. (And kids!!)Remember the end of the story, when the boys where finally rescued? They immediately reverted back to their normal, courteous, polite, thoughtful, and civilized selves. Why? Because they had to - and also because they wanted to.For those of you not familiar with the book, here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Flies-William-Golding/dp/0399501487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407085329&sr=8-1&keywords=Lord+of+the+flies---------------------CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available - check out the teaser below! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v2NwJq8BX4

By Sean O'SheaIn the world of training and rehab work, few things have such a profound impact and cause such profound transformations in dogs as does duration Place and Down commands.Because this all appears so deceptively simple, and it's not exactly action packed, it's easy to dismiss the incredible value and impact duration work can have on all manner of canine behavioral issues.Let me see if I can help explain what's really going on behind this exercise. Most dogs live in a state of almost constant reactivity and alertness to all stimuli in their environment. The bicyclist, the skateboarder, the mailman, the squirrels in the yard, the construction across the street, the neighbor kids running around and playing out front, the family kids running around and playing inside, the dog next door barking and beckoning, and on and on. All of these goings-on cause our dogs to be constantly on edge, tense, concerned, worried, wound up, and freaked out. It's akin to your dog being an overworked stock broker working on the floor of the NY stock exchange - overstimulated, and stressed out. And the more fundamentally nervous/insecure your dog is the more susceptible and vulnerable he/she will be to these stressors.And here's the thing, just like us, when stress in an ongoing, never ending merry-go-round, behavior issues are bound to develop. For us, it might be excessive drinking or eating to cope, or just general irritability, unhappiness, and anxiety - we snap at our kids or spouse or co-workers. For our dogs, they too will attempt to cope, they will attempt to turn off the noise and discomfort - but their approach - barking, fence fighting, chasing, biting, nervousness, obsessive behavior, will only make them worse.But just in time, in comes duration work!With duration work we're actually patterning our dogs not to care about all the noise in the world. We're desensitizing them and conditioning them to disregard and let it all go.How can duration Place and Down create this? It only works when these commands are trained to be completely non-negotiable. Once these commands are solid enough, and our dogs learn that pushing against them doesn't get them anywhere, they will finally relax and surrender into the exercise. This takes patience, repetition, and almost always corrections to be able to override the more intense emotional state. The training will actually begin to override our dog's knee-jerk desire to respond to whatever is provoking or making them exited or uncomfortable.When we train properly, we actually teach our dogs to prioritize our requests over their initial impulses, and over time, the training and patterning will cause the actual emotional feeling that originally was paired with the stimulus in the environment to change. Your dog will actually start to not care or worry or be stimulated about many things he cared, worried, and was intensely stimulated by.We like to refer to duration work as enforced meditation. And if you think about meditation for humans, it's goals are virtually the same: to teach your mind to disregard the incessant noise of your thoughts, and simply let them appear with no reaction, and then disappear, leaving you relaxed and calm and peaceful. We're looking for the same effect on our dogs. We want them to hear or see what originally bothered or excited them, and let it simply occur without them feeling the need (or initially the ability) to react to it. By conditioning this over and over, we teach our dogs to be relaxed observers of their world rather than stressed participants to all of it.Over time, through duration work, and other training, we condition our dogs to exist at a much lower stress baseline in general - and when your dog is relaxed and less stressed in general, he will make much better decisions - even without your help or guidance. And that my friends is the promised land!I know it seems to good to be true, and far too simple to have such a profound effect on your dog's life, but take it from someone who works with highly anxious, highly stressed, severely dog-reactive, dog aggressive, and human aggressive dogs constantly, it's an absolute game changer and godsend. But remember, the magic only happens when the commands are 100% non-negotiable, non-flexible, and the dog completely surrenders and relaxes into the exercise - eventually even in the face of intense triggers.So give it a shot, and let me know what kind of results you get. I think you'll be amazed at what this simple exercise will give your dog.P.S. If you would like to get a start on duration work, here is a link to our free how-to Place command video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo______CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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 By Sean O'SheaWhen leadership is soft and rules are negotiable, the ability to push against and resist that which our dogs are unsure about, afraid of, or simply dislike, generates more uncertainty, more fear, and more dislike of the situation. It intensifies and magnifies whatever the issue is.The lack of believable, dependable, non-negotiable rules and leadership forces our dogs to attempt to sort out uncertain and unnerving situations on their own. (It can also create empowered little brats that quickly learn that resisting allows them to get away with whatever they wish!) For our dogs, the feeling of being the most powerful presence in their world - in a world that often is overwhelming, confusing, and scary - can be a deeply frightening place to find themselves, and one that is the cause of much anxiety, stress, and bad behavior.Resistance is simply the knee-jerk reaction to something our dogs are uncomfortable with or dislike - an attempt to quickly create comfort in their world - but often this resistance is short sighted, superficial, and ultimately harmful. Because this resistance is much more about the avoidance of problems rather than the resolving of problems, it is up to us as their guides to help them move past resistance that doesn't serve their long-term welfare.The bratty dog who successfully resists offers more brattiness in the future, the nervous dog who successfully resists offers more nervousness in the future, the aggressive dog who successfully resists offers more aggression in the future, the fearful dog who successfully resists offers more fear in the future. This successful resistance reinforces that the dog is alone in this uncomfortable situation, that he needs to sort out on his own how to create comfort, which creates more stress due to the added layer of multiple options/decisions/indecision.Think of it this way, when you have to be up at the crack of dawn to catch a super early flight, your alarm goes off, you immediately jump out of bed and get to cracking. No hemming or hawing, no let me hit snooze for the hundredth time, no putting off. Why? Because it's non-negotiable. There is no wiggle room or flexibility in this situation. If you're late, you miss the plane and incur all the consequences that go along with that choice. The lack of ability to resist creates an immediate and negotiation-free (read: stress-free) response. Conversely, on a day where you're trying to create a new habit of getting up early, so you can get more done with your day, but you only have your own guilt as a consequence, you're much more likely to hem and haw, and snooze it up. This ability to resist or negotiate creates more resistance, negotiation, and stress. In both situations you equally didn't want to get up early, but in the first example where resistance isn't possible, your make the better choice straight away. Another example is the child who doesn't want to leave a store he is enthralled with. When the child protests and is met with negotiation from the parents, his awareness of the lack of non-negotiability in this moment ensures the parents will receive tons more resistance and negative reaction from their child who senses the opportunity. The parent who has patterned their child to understand that rules and decisions are non-negotiable will see the child immediately adjust his or her desires and easily comply. (Same with dogs!) What you will also see is a lack of stress and anxiety in the child due to the comfort that certainty of non-negotiable rules and leadership (parenting) create. Yes, he still wants to stay in the store, but he has learned that his desires have to be curbed when requested. We all quickly learn whether resistance gets us more of what we want in the moment, and if it does, you can rest assured we will use it.Back to the dogs!When our dogs are unable to resist, due to believable, consistently enforced rules and leadership, they are compelled (through us guiding them in healthy directions) to find new and better ways of coping and behaving, even if it is uncomfortable at first. Left to their own devices they will almost always choose the easier but often less healthy route that offers immediate relief from discomfort but also avoids long term transformation. The real magic is in the patterning of non-negotiable rules and leadership consistently, rather than just attempting to enforce here and there, which creates more resistance and challenge due to lack of consistency and believability.Because our dogs aren't always able to understand how best to move through our world, and because they often can get stuck in behavior that doesn't serve them, it us up to us to provide the atmosphere of believable, consistent, and non-negotiable leadership and rules that our dogs can emotionally lean on, depend on, and derive comfort from.Our leadership, when consistently shared and believable, can actually help our dogs learn to deal with and accept things that are scary, unnerving, and uncomfortable. We can actually help them override their initial negative knee-jerk response to a problem or challenge, and help them develop a better, more healthy response. And that my friends is where the magic is!Remember, the leader (or parent) who can't be trusted to lead when faced with resistance creates mistrust, insecurity, and ultimately more resistance.CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy! 

By Sean O'SheaWhen you lavish your dog with constant attention, praise, and affection, and you not only allow your dog to be constantly near you, but you reward and reinforce it, you're very likely creating separation anxiety issues.Our dogs can often become like drug addicts. They get used to an intensity and consistency of emotional interaction and physical closeness, and then when you're not present they go through withdrawals of physical and emotions pain and discomfort.Our dogs don't know what's being created, they just react to what feels good in the moment. In the same way they will eat ten pounds of food and need a vet visit, they will also take on all of the petting, the holding, the treating, the needing, the following, the longing and loving glances from you - simply because it feels good in the moment - and they will put themselves in harm's way simply because they don't know any better.Because our dogs are unable to understand the gravity of what's happening, the responsibility for striking that balance and creating a healthy environment and relationship falls on you. Your job is to do what's right for your dog, even if that sometimes means denying yourself what feels good for you in the moment.Just as you advocate and ensure that your dog doesn't run into the street, doesn't play with dogs that are dangerous or unbalanced, doesn't eat toxic plants or food, doesn't become dehydrated from lack of water, and doesn't sit in a car that is too hot and dangerous on a sunny day, you also need to ensure and advocate for him that he doesn't become emotionally and physically unhealthy due to too much love, too much affection, and too much of you.What feels good and rewarding to you just might be hurting your dog.______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy! 

By Sean O'SheaOftentimes I see dog owners allowing tons of monkey business to ensue on walks - their dogs are pulling continuously on leash, darting here and there, marking this and that at their discretion, and all in all being disconnected, disrespectful, and stressed out - but then when their dog sees another dog and starts to freak out, the owner tries to address/correct their dog by vainly tugging on the leash, talking or yelling at them, and getting frustrated.This is the "address the dynamite rather than the fuse syndrome" and, as you can imagine, trying to stop the explosion is way harder than trying to put out the fuse. :) This isn't how you want to go about getting rid of reactivity issues on the walk!The trick to fixing this stuff is actually simple: it's all about setting the proper tone and state of mind before you encounter the target or trigger, not once you're in the heat of battle. Dogs who are allowed to pull you through thresholds, pull on leash, veer to trees and grass to pee and sniff when they choose and, in general, disregard their owner, are being taught that they are in charge. This creates stressed-out, fearful/anxious and/or entitled/empowered nervous wrecks who feel unsafe and overburdened with the responsibility to figure their world out.Not a fun place to be for your dog.And this is where dog reactivity on-leash comes from: Frustration or fear (and sometimes a combo of both!) from a lack of believable guidance. Dogs with believable leaders, enforced rules, and structure are confident, relaxed, and comfortable dogs. And dogs who are confident, relaxed, and comfortable aren't stressed and reactive! :)So let's have a look at a few very simple steps to change the dynamic of stressed and reactive into one of calm and cool.Here's your no monkey-business/reactivity/stress/anxiety prescription:1) Dog waits patiently at thresholds (with zero pulling) for permission to move through. (Watch my "Thresholds" video HERE.)2) Keep the leash short but not tight, always leaving a small amount of play. The short leash helps you keep your dog out of trouble AND allows you to know the instant he becomes disconnected. (Watch my "Walk" video HERE.)3) Oftentimes a firmer conversation/correction for bad behavior/poor choices at the top of the walk will set the tone for a much more respectful and deferential walk. Setting the tone with a firmer consequence for a smaller infraction can be counter-intuitive but highly effective.4) Never use constant pressure to hold your dog back from pulling. Instead you use corrective leash pops with instant release to give your dog information and allow him to be responsible to hold himself in position. Let your dog tell you the right level of leash pop needed. If you pop at a level two and the behavior persists, you're likely using too mild of a correction, so try a level four. Again, let your dog tell you what works.5) If leash pops aren't breaking through and your dog is continuing to be intense and pulling, brisk 180's when your dog gets out in front of you (walking the opposite direction while holding the leash firmly to your chest with two hands) can be a very helpful conversation. Always only use as much pressure as needed. Helpful video HERE!6) Never allow pulling to trees/grass/flowers etc for marking. Instead you release your dog to pee and sniff when you decide. It makes no sense to your dog if you allow him to pull and disregard you 90% of the time, and then expect him to listen during the 10% when it matters to you most.7) Manage and cultivate a healthy/positive state of mind by using the leash pops to address/correct your dog at the split second he begins to escalate or become excited when he sees or hears a dog. Do not wait for the explosion - correct your dog when they are at a 1, 2, or 3 and you will never see a 7, 8, 9, or 10!8) Use space as a buffer with oncoming dogs. Don't put your dog into "the pressure cooker" with another dog. The closer your dog gets to another dog the more the pressure increases. If your dog is nervous - like most reactive dogs are - the closer you get the less safe he feels. If your dog is bratty and excited, the closer you get, the more his frustration/excitement increases. In either case the less the space the harder it is for you and your dog to be successful. (Note: Super naughty, spazzy, bratty, reactive dogs coming towards you need more space than sedate and relaxed dogs do.9) Focus on creating polite, courteous, and relaxed behavior at all times, and this will become your dog's default state.Remember, if you will proactively create a relaxed, respectful, and stress-free state of mind before the bombs start falling you'll have a very good chance of avoiding the explosions of reactivity altogether. :)______________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Click Here to learn more about Sean.Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy! 

By Sean O'Shea from The Good Dog Training and RehabilitationWhile I'm a big proponent of using and leveraging the very best tools available for you and your dog to be successful, the reality is that the greatest tools in the world mean nothing if your head, heart, and energy aren't in the right place.The greatest tool you have at your disposal is always yourself. Your mind and your intention. If your emotions and outlook regarding your dog (and yourself) are out of balance, you will both likely struggle, regardless of what tools you use.If you have an out of balance dog and you're: still babying and spoiling because it feels good/fulfills your need to nurture, feeling guilty for working long hours so you only share freedom and affection when you get home, shunning structure, training and discipline because it feels yucky or un-enjoyable, being too soft with a firm dog because that's simply who you are, substituting dog relationships and connection for human relationships and connection, or using your dog to fill unattended to emotional voids and needs, you and your dog will likely still struggle.The way you feel about yourself and the world, and the way you think about your dog and his training and lifestyle is what fuels the tools and your training strategy to either be powerful and transformative, or to be superficial, unconvincing, and powerless.Whether you're aware of it or not, your human animal is having a constant, 24/7 conversation with your canine animal about who you are and what role you wish to play in his life. You cannot tell your dog 23 hours of the day that he's your little cuddle bug and that you're his doting mommy or daddy and then on your walks where he misbehaves and acts likes a monster try to tell him you are the big pack leader. :) That ones not going to work. We have to give our dogs more credit than that.Every moment is valuable. You build credit towards good behavior by creating believable leadership long before you're going to need it when the chips are down. If you want to turn behavior issues around and get your dog into an awesome space state of mind wise, you have to cultivate a believable energy, and a believable presence your dog is able to buy into and follow as an ongoing lifestyle - not just in the moments you need it or that are convenient.These awesome creatures have a special knack for highlighting and exposing our personal gaps, camouflaged shortcomings, and internal struggles. How awesome is that? You live with your very own personal therapist. :) That's the awesome challenge and opportunity of dogs: you can't fool them with tools or a momentary decision of commitment or fortitude, no, they're looking and waiting for the real stuff. Your best stuff. If you want them to change they're ready for it - just as soon as you are ready to change yourself.So remember, the tools are important, no doubt, but it's your presence, your intention, your emotional balance, your energy, your decision to treat and view your dog like a dog, your force of will and desire and determination, and the constant conversation that your human animal is having with your canine animal that fuels and empowers the tools and the training strategy to actually create the possibility for transformation and change.____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

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By Sean O'SheaHey guys, I often get asked about introducing new dogs to your house/pack. There are many approaches to create initial introductions (walking together for example), but I wanted to share my best secrets for creating long-term, full comfort when new dogs are freely interacting and living together.What are those secrets? Ready for it? Time, structure, and leadership. (I know, I know, you we're probably hoping for something more exotic, but this stuff is simple. :))Dogs want and need to know a few things so they can be comfortable. They want to know what the other dog is about. Does she mean me harm? Is he someone I can trust? Am I safe? Do you belong here? What's your story? Are we going to be friends or enemies?It's your job as their leader to create the environment and the state of mind, throughout your pack, which will allow positive, tension-free relationships to flourish.Most of the issues I see that go down with new dogs being introduced to each other in the home are totally avoidable and stem from dogs being let loose far too quickly, in a chaotic, stressed, nervous, and excited state to figure things out on their own. Dogs in these states are ripe for the fighting and bad-choice-making. And here's the thing, once dogs have had a serious squabble you've got a very good chance of a grudge and long-term distrust being created. That means lots of trouble and tons of work to even attempt to resolve it and create harmony again.So instead of chaos, here's what I recommend:-Don't be in a rush. Take as much time as needed. This could be two days, two weeks, or two months. It all depends on the dogs. But I want to make sure you understand the time parameters I'm suggesting as possibilities.-Teach all dogs in the pack the basics: Walk politely on leash, be polite at thresholds, wait calmly for food, have a rock solid "place" command, be polite around humans and their space.-Get ALL dogs (not just the new guy!) used to being consistently in a good, relaxed, obedient state. Crazy, disobedient, "out of their tree" dogs are just asking for fights with the wrong dog.-Be aware of whether you have a resource guarder in your midst. This can be guarding you, guarding food, guarding toys, guarding space etc. If you have one of these guys, you will have to be hyper-conscious about removing points of competition and contention, and may have some heavy-duty management in your future. (I recommend working on the guarder and your relationship to remove as much of this as possible.)-Have dogs learn to simply exist around each other. Being in "place" is a great way for dogs to very comfortably get used to each other's presence without the pressure of having to make decisions about each other. (Decisions = stress. Stress = bad choices.) Consider mutual "place" commands as a low-impact meet and greet. You can slowly add more movement with one dog at a time and gauge the reactions to see your progress.-Be patient! And when you think you've been patient, be patient some more. :) You're going to have these dogs for a long time, there's no rush to create magic instantly.-Be aware of if you have a nervous, insecure, or just plain scrapper in your midst. These guys need way more time than the average dog to relax and trust. Add a few more of my "be patient" reminders to your list. (Note: some dogs with serious fighting issues might not be safe around other dogs even after a protracted introductory period. If you're unsure get a pro involved to help you assess.)-Keep excitement, affection, and chaos to a minimum during the initial period. All of these things can create stress, competition, tension, and fights.-Use crates to ensure all dogs are safe when unsupervised. Do not leave dogs alone together who are new to each other. Many things in the home can trigger excitement, stress, competition, and ultimately fights (doorbells, delivery people, squirrels etc) even in your absence.-Use crates to have dogs simply get comfy around each other. You can crate dogs near each other and help remove novelty, uncertainty and concern. But you have to ensure that that all dogs in the crates are practicing awesome behavior. If one or more of the dogs are stressed, barking, whining, carrying on, trying to escape, panicky, demanding or bratty, then you've got a recipe for disaster brewing. (Imagine living next to the worst neighbor in the world and how stressed, angry, and unhappy that makes you feel. Same goes for your dogs.) If you can't ensure great behavior, crate in different rooms.-Walk the dogs together. They don't need to be right next to each other to benefit from the walk together. As they show more comfort in each other's presence you can slowly close the distance.-Don't feed new dogs close to each other. Food, like affection creates competition and stress, and by now we know what that leads to :)-Be careful with play and toys. As you get more comfortable, remember that dogs who are cool with each other in one context and environment can lose their cool when excitement and competition (toys and play) are introduced. Watch for tension and serious intent and address/diffuse it quickly.-Here's the big Kahuna: Dogs are constantly assessing each other and you. If one of the dogs (doesn't matter if it's the new dog or your long-time dog) sees the other dog or dogs misbehaving, being bratty, out of control, pulling on leash, barking/being reactive at other dogs on the walk, demanding attention from you, guarding space or objects, barking in the house incessantly, able to push into your personal space, and that you the human do not have control of and over him, you have another recipe for disaster brewing. Just like you see a dog that is out of control and say "good grief, what an annoying, out of control, dangerous, pushy, little so and so" so do the dogs in your life. If you won't create and demand polite, respectful, comfortable, courteous behavior, then you can be almost guaranteed that one of your dogs will. Take control, create a respectful, calm, and polite environment and all the dogs will feel more comfortable and they will thank you with nice, non-fighting behavior.Ok, so it sounds like a giant pain in the butt that's going to take forever, but it's not really that bad. It's a little pain, and it does take a little time, but it's so worth the pay-off of long term comfort and safety with your dogs. Of course there are many dogs that you could throw all this out the window, you could turn them loose instantly and have zero issues...forever! But unfortunately I get all the calls for the dogs where it didn't work out that way. :)If you know you've got a dog that isn't perfect and has some issues, follow these recommendations very closely, be super patient and prepared for a longer haul. Watch the dogs to see how the comfort level looks, and then you can assess where to move from there. If you have an easy dog and you're bringing a new dog in, use these recommendations as well, and watch your dogs. They will tell you (absence of tension, staring, side-eyeing, growling etc) when they feel comfortable and ready for more freedom and interaction.Just remember, it's so much easier and takes far less time (and money!!) to create a great relationship with new dogs from the get-go than it does to try to undo nasty tension and animosity down the line. :)----—CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Read more about us by visiting www.thegooddog.net/aboutOur groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price – click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaWhen you start working on dog training or changing behavior issues with your dog, you gotta remember it's a process...for both of you.You've both got bad habits that are likely deeply ingrained - they need time to be addressed and replaced.You're both learning new skills/mechanics - they need time to develop and be mastered.You both have emotional associations/triggers that cause you to feel a certain way in certain situations - these need time to be addressed and desensitized.You're both learning new ways of thinking and feeling about each other - you both need time for this process to crystallize.You're both unsure about the changes to your normal lifestyle/world - you both need time to adjust and become comfortable.Change is hard for all of us. Attempting to reverse negative habits, learn new techniques/commands/behaviors, think differently, address and desensitize fear and anxiety (in both species!), and create new thoughts and feelings about each other takes much practice, care, and time.It will likely be bumpy. It will likely be hard. You will likely go backwards. You will likely feel hopeless. You will likely feel silly. You will likely feel overwhelmed. You will likely lose your cool. You will have great victories and challenging defeats. But if you keep on trying, keep on pushing, you will get there!So please remember to give you and your dog the time and space to develop, to learn, to become the new and better versions of yourselves. This especially applies in the beginning, when all of the habits, fear, worry, lack of coordination, and uncertainty are at their strongest.You're both learning and growing and becoming better - enjoy the process. :)----—CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Click Here to visit our website.The Good Dog Training and Rehabilitation 4867 Bellflower Ave. North Hollywood, CA 91601 (818) 441-1837Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price – click HERE to order your copy!

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