Dog training is not about “fixing” your dog.

A phenomenon that's often astounded me is folks waiting until major problems arise before "getting dog training". And, when they do, it's often coupled with the mindsets that : it's the dog with the problem, it's the dog who needs "fixing", and it's only the dog who needs "training".

"Dog training" often runs synonymous with "dog fixing", which is not what training is about.

"Training" is equipping. It's understanding them (and ourselves) better, "prepping", and **developing**... both ends of the leash. Partly to prevent problems from arising in the first place, but also to better interpret ways they're communicating with us and build towards sharing a life in the real world together. "Real world living".

In order to do this, we also have to prepare ourselves. We can't teach anything unless we know how to speak the receiving party's language, and - with dogs- this goes far above and beyond anything verbal. Learning how to communicate with and read our dogs, developing healthy attachments and associations, learning what their needs are and meeting them, building *relationship*, relevance, and the bond. Becoming a source of guidance and information they feel safe, secure, and comfortable looking to and following.

Our training approach is "holistic" in nature, meaning we speak to and develop the *whole dog* and *whole scenario*. The whole dog meaning: the mental, emotional, physical, and the energetic aspects of the dog. The whole scenario meaning we're working with the contributing ingredients involved in the dog's common, day-to-day environment, as well as speaking to and developing the dog's "parent", "teacher" (we're always teaching, every moment of every day), and provider... their human. Working with the *individual* dog, the individual human the dog is looking to, and all they bring to the table: fear, anxiety, trauma, sensitivity, confidence, esteem, etc. (which is why we call this work "inadvertent life coaching"... it truly is). This is the missing link in a great many training programs, which is often why a wall and a ceiling is often hit. We are always sharing information with our dogs... especially when we're not speaking at all. This is greatly impacting how safe they feel looking to us, is forming what we represent to them (anxiety? imbalance? fear? not having our sh*t together? How are we consistently showing up and what type of energy are we consistently showing up with?), and will influence the nature of this beautiful relationship.

Problems arise when we don't learn what we need to learn in order to provide what we need to provide.

So much discomfort and confusion could be avoided if we educated and equipped ourselves, and allowed our dogs to teach us, as well. To be a part of this conversation.

Dog training isn't just about "fixing", it's about preparing, equipping, and developing.