Focus On Fun Dog Training

22/10/2026

I watched a video today that made me wince.

A woman had her Rottweiler on a prong collar.

And she kept popping that lead.

Her dog winced too.

Finally, he sat.

And what did she do?

Looked away...

And started talking to the person beside her.

Not one bit of praise.

Then her private trainer appeared.

He'd apparently been watching from his car.

He asked what her dog was doing now.

The dog had got up and was sniffing around.

So she told him.

Had she given the dog permission to do that?

No.

He gave her a bit of a blast about paying attention.

Her reply?

"But I forget."

That poor dog.

And an owner who believed all she had to do was correct him.

I won't mince words...

I'm very against prong collars.

But the moment that stayed with me wasn't just the corrections.

He sat... and she looked away.

There was a choice she could have encouraged.

A moment to let him know he'd got something right.

Gone.

And that's what I find so sad about training that focuses on correcting mistakes.

The dog is constantly being told what NOT to do...

Instead of discovering the JOY of making good choices.

I'd much rather have a dog who WANTS to cooperate... than one who's worried about getting it wrong.

Patricia... feeling sory for the Rotti... Brewer ❤️

20/10/2026

Off leash and aggressive...

I've never yelled at a dog like I did that day.

Three dogs were charging towards us...

Buddy, Clippa and I were walking the K**b.

When we reached the arena, I put Buddy on a flexi lead.

I've no idea why I'd taken it that day.

I'd never used one on that walk before.

Usually, the dogs were off leash.

But something made me think it was a good idea.

We were halfway across when a black and white dog appeared from the bush.

Then a large black dog.

Then another black and white one.

They seemed to be heading towards a car.

Nothing to worry about.

Until the first dog reached the car...

Turned...

And spotted us.

He came charging straight towards us.

Ears flat.

Hackles up.

Lips curled back.

Teeth showing.

And the other two joined him.

I called Clippa behind me.

Buddy was on my left.

I asked him to drop.

He didn't.

But he stood absolutely still.

And then...

I ran at that first dog.

Yelling like a banshee!

When he tried to dodge around me, I moved with him.

Keeping myself between him and my dogs.

He turned away.

But now the Rottweiler was getting close to Buddy.

So he got the same reception.

The third dog hung back.

Apparently, the crazy woman was giving him something to think about.

Then the first dog came charging back towards Clippa.

And off I went again.

By now, my adrenaline was through the roof.

Two women appeared from the bush and called their dogs.

Two went back.

And I kept my energy focused on the aggressive dog.

Yelling at him to get going!

I was too angry to speak to the women.

And just so thankful Buddy and Clippa were safe.

We continued our walk.

And I kept thinking about that flexi lead.

That extra length had given me room to move.

Of all the days to take it!

Spooky.

But what stayed with me most was Buddy and Clippa.

Neither had tried to join in.

They hadn't tried to run away.

They'd stayed where I'd asked them to.

Well... almost, Buddy. 😂

It must have been frightening for them.

It certainly was for me.

Patricia... hoping that never happens again... Brewer

19/10/2026

The dog should just do what I want... Really? 😂

So many people don't want to use treats when training their dogs.

And I wonder why.

Because unless you're some sort of Disney Princess...

with a magical invisible frequency...

that has blue wrens landing gracefully on your shoulders...

while your dog gazes up at you...

weeping tears of pure joy just to be in your presence...

you might need to offer something your dog actually wants.

So why not a treat?

What's so terrible about that?

I've heard people defend shock collars.

And prong collars...

And slip leads.

Apparently, making a dog uncomfortable...

Or even hurting them is acceptable.

Yet mention food...

and suddenly we have objections.

The dog shouldn't need treats.

He should just do it because we said so.

Well.

I'd much rather give my dog a reason to WANT to join in.

And if a little piece of food helps me do that...

I'm struggling to see the problem.

Patricia... still waiting for the blue wrens... Brewer 😂

16/10/2026

Her puppy rejected her!

A lady asked me for advice today.

She was feeling rather heartbroken.

She'd brought home a puppy from a very large breed.

And at just six months old...

He'd fallen in love with her partner.

She fed him.

Her partner played with him.

You can probably see where this was going.

But that wasn't the only problem.

Her puppy was biting her.

She described it as attacking her... dominating her.

So I asked a few more questions.

He pulled like a train.

So she'd stopped taking him for walks.

She'd managed to show him how to sit.

But beyond that, she didn't really know how to show him what she wanted.

Yet she was quite sure he knew when he was doing something wrong.

So she corrected him.

Got cross with him.

Sometimes grabbed hold of him.

And I started to wonder what this puppy was making of it all.

We talked about how he might be feeling.

Perhaps he was worried.

Frustrated.

Perhaps being grabbed was making things worse.

She understood the frustration part.

Because she admitted she'd become angry herself.

By the end of our conversation, she agreed she needed help.

And I was relieved.

Because here's what stayed with me.

She'd wanted a puppy so they could enjoy life together.

Yet already, walks were off the list.

She felt rejected by him.

And the time they spent together was becoming increasingly upsetting.

He was only six months old.

15/10/2026

Being able to press a button on an e-collar...

Or pop a leash until a dog submits...

Doesn't create Trust or Confidence.

And it certainly doesn't create a dog who WANTS to work with you.

Here's Buddy at 10.5 weeks old.

No corrections.

No special equipment.

Just a puppy who has discovered that making good choices is FUN. ❤️

14/10/2026

Some dogs have an OFF switch. Radar's is missing. 😂

He has a whole neighbourhood to keep in line. 😂

You see, dogs don't all come wired the same way.

Take Spud next door.

Happy to sleep all day.

A walk, some dinner...

And back to sleep.

But Radar?

Radar has no time for that.

He's got responsibilities!

If he could explain his day, I imagine it would go something like this...

That dog over there needs frightening away.

And that bird shouldn't be in our yard.

Someone's coming through the gate.

Better let him know who's running the place.

Oh, my humans are sitting down.

They need entertaining.

A bit of jumping on, perhaps.

Or a lap of the house at full speed.

Actually... I'll get my ball.

And keep giving it to them.

They LOVE that. 😂

Meanwhile, Spud is still asleep.

Living with Radar can feel like a full-time job.

You're always watching...

Stepping in...

Trying to keep things under control.

And the more his behaviour depends on you controlling him, the more you'll have to keep doing it.

That's the hamster wheel.

But here's something worth thinking about...

What if Radar could learn to control himself?

12/10/2026

Signed up for dog training. Apparently not.

When I was 25, I started a weekly dog class in our local town.

It went so well that a local obedience club grew from it.

About 20 years later...

I decided to join.

Well.

That was an awakening.

Our instructor was Betty.

A lovely lady.

Yet her idea of a lesson left a bit to be desired.

There were about 15 of us...

marching around with our dogs.

Betty called the directions.

Turn left.

No, the other way.

Then another left, a right...

and eventually, stop.

Sometimes Betty got her lefts and rights muddled.

Which kept things interesting.

After four weeks, I went to speak with the people running the club.

Their answer was basically...

Betty was all they could find.

To be fair, we had a few laughs.

The dogs got some exercise.

And I think we'd improved our marching skills.

But that was about it.

Have you ever attended a dog-training class that left you wondering what you'd actually learned? 😂

09/10/2026

It looked so easy from the sidelines...

When I first started dog agility, I thought...

This looks like fun.

People who love dogs.

Obstacles for my dog to negotiate.

A sport I knew I'd love.

How hard could it be?

Well.

There was something I hadn't given much thought to.

What if my dog didn't WANT to jump that jump?

I could stand there asking.

The jump could be right in front of us.

But my dog still had to CHOOSE to go over it.

And that's when things got interesting!

You see, agility is a bit like obedience on steroids.

No leash.

Other excited dogs all around.

And somehow, you and your dog have to work together through all those distractions.

At speed!

Over jumps without knocking the bars.

Through tunnels, over the A-frame, along the dog walk...

And then there are those weave poles!

Watching a dog weave at speed still impresses me.

But here's what agility taught me...

You can't MAKE a dog want to do something with you.

And that applies just as much to everyday life.

You might simply want your dog to come when called.

Or enjoy a walk without everything else being more interesting than you.

You can ask your dog to respond.

But you can't tell them to trust you.

Saying "be confident" won't make them feel confident.

And willingness?

You can't command that either.

That's why I start with JOY.

When dogs discover that doing things with you is FUN, they become engaged, keen and WANT to keep trying.

Every enjoyable experience builds Trust.

Every success builds Confidence.

And every time your dog chooses to join in, you're strengthening something far more valuable than obedience.

A Powerful Connection.

And here's the lovely thing...

You don't need an agility course to create it.

Just a few minutes having FUN together.

Patricia... *it looked so easy from the sidelines*... Brewer 🐾

28/09/2026

Mondayitis... this might help :-)

A man on Facebook asked what he should use to tie his dog up to his caravan.

Apparently, he only had a lead.

Well.

He asked for it!

Someone recommended a 10-metre plastic-coated cable from Kmart. Only $8.00.

Then we had...

A retractable lead...

a horse lunge lead...

wire rope...

parachute cord...

clothesline.

A chain got a mention too.

Someone suggested a dumbbell.

And then this...

“Rubber coated wire twather run.”

Whatever that is. 😂

But the prize for the hardest to follow went to this one...

“We bought a large dog collar with a click release and slide our dogs leads onto that then attach the collar to strut on bottom of our van”

I might need a diagram.

If I'd answered?

Just put up a fence.

There you go.

One more answer for the collection.

And that's what struck me.

You can have plenty of answers...
and still be missing the pieces you need.

It's much the same when you're asking about barking...

or pulling on the lead...

or a dog who won't listen.

Someone tells you what worked for their dog.

You give it a go.

Yet if it doesn't work for yours...

what did you miss?

Was it the right starting point?

Did you need to do something else first?

You can have 950 pieces of a 1,000-piece jigsaw and still be unable to finish it.

Another handful of pieces won't help much if they belong to a different puzzle.

So if you've collected a mountain of advice...

and you're still stuck...

there may be something important you simply haven't been shown.

Sometimes you don't need more advice.

You need the right missing piece.

Send a message to learn more

31/07/2026

You did everything they told you.
You were consistent. Patient.
You used treats.
Hired trainers.
Searched the internet.
Asked AI
And still…
Your dog won’t come when called.
Still barks, jumps, pulls, loses it on walks.
You’re frustrated…
And the worst part?
You’re starting to believe it’s you.
But here’s the truth:
You’ve been following a GPS that leads nowhere.
The advice you got — it is missing the most important piece.
💛 Because real change doesn’t come from trying to gain control.
It comes from a Powerful Connection—built on Trust, Confidence, and Joy.
That’s what turns chaos into calm.
That’s what makes your dog want to listen.
And in this FREE video, I’ll show you exactly how.

See the link in the first comment below.