Beyond Obedience

Beyond Obedience The BE Podcast is here: Listen now:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tracyfranken I am so excited you are here! Hey there!

Do you long to have a happy, confident dog you can take anywhere and everywhere? Are you worried your reactive, fearful dog may hurt someone - or something else? Do you have to “prepare” yourself just to take your dog for a walk around the block? I will help rebuild trust and confidence for you and your dog, to have the calm, joyful life with your dog that you always imagined. I’m Tracy, a retired

vet tech turned dog trainer, mom, wife and all-around dog lover. I have had dogs all my life but when my first dog bit my friend, I was so horrified and ashamed. I immediately turned to dog obedience training books and classes, but it didn't help. This time my dog bit someone very familiar to him and in that moment I knew - this wouldn’t be fixed with simple obedience. I finally realized the key to building confidence in my dog was understanding him on a deeper level. Tossing treats and teaching tricks wasn’t going to cut it. After years of research, trial and error, and discovering a method and a lifestyle of living with dogs based on understanding, respect and communication and not obedience, I'm excited to share what I've learned with you! Now I have a pack of “just good dogs” I trust to take anywhere. Our lives are calm, peaceful, fun and most of all inclusive. My goal is to help you to establish routines that build confidence, develop effective communication strategies, and how to address fear-based behaviours and techniques for enhancing social skills- without spending countless hours and dollars on dog obedience training that just doesn't work. If you are ready to have a happy confident dog you can trust to take with you everywhere, Beyond Obedience is for you! Grab your leash and collar because we are about to jump in! Be sure to check out our website:

https://beyondobedience.ca
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and of course, subscribe to the podcast! https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast

Happy National Dog Day!!! Hope you are celebrating in the most dog-like way possible! Go sniff something together! 🐕
08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day!!!

Hope you are celebrating in the most dog-like way possible!

Go sniff something together! 🐕

“Outside exists, y’all.”I know… I have absolutely fallen into the trap of believing I needed to constantly create enrich...
08/23/2026

“Outside exists, y’all.”

I know… I have absolutely fallen into the trap of believing I needed to constantly create enrichment.

New games.

Clever setups.

Elaborate activities…

As if my dog’s happiness depended on me becoming a full-time cruise director.

But then… How interesting.

The world is already interesting to your dog.

A park.

A trail.

A beach.

A patch of grass.

A pile of leaves.

A fallen tree.

One smell on the side of a suburban sidewalk that your dog believes is the discovery of the century.

You don’t need acres of land.

You don’t need to manufacture more.

Sometimes, the shift is simply slowing down enough to notice what is already there.

And in my house, I don’t love bringing outdoor shenanigans indoors.

Hunting, seeking, and searching belong outside.

Inside is quiet time.

If you’ve been carrying guilt about whether you’re doing enough for your dog, you are not alone.

Let’s get curious about what actually fulfils the dog in front of you.

Listen to Beyond Obedience, Ep. 232: “Are You Doing Too Much for Your Dog? When Enrichment Becomes Another Job.”

Outside exists, y’all. How interesting…

Tracy xoxox

What is your dog learning about you… in all those tiny, everyday moments?When something unexpected happens.When they’re ...
08/17/2026

What is your dog learning about you… in all those tiny, everyday moments?

When something unexpected happens.

When they’re unsure, excited, frustrated, or overwhelmed.

Your dog is learning about you in hundreds of tiny little moments , eventually answering the bigger question:

“What can I expect from this person when I don’t know what to do?”

And friend… that has a whole lot more to do with leadership than whether your dog sits when you ask them to.

Obedience equals leadership?

It does not.

If I had to choose, I’d prefer solid leadership over solid obedience. Full stop.

And no… leadership does not mean being perfectly calm and Zen all the time. I am a human being, after all. 😂

Sometimes clarity is quiet and patient.

Sometimes clarity is energetic.

Sometimes it’s the “I mean it” voice when something truly matters.

The key is contrast.

If you’re usually steady, predictable, responsive, and clear, your dog can notice when something has changed and pay attention.

Predictability doesn’t mean responding identically every time.

It means your response makes sense in context.

That’s partnership.

That’s trust.

That’s leadership.

Listen to Beyond Obedience, Ep. 229: What Is Your Dog Learning About YOU?

And if you’ve been wondering about Fearless Framework, beta pricing ends August 18th.

Send me a message and we can chat about whether it’s the right fit for you and your dog.

Tracy xoxox

What if we stopped asking: "Is he friendly?" And instead, we got real and said: "Does your dog like to be touched by ran...
08/05/2026

What if we stopped asking: "Is he friendly?" And instead, we got real and said: "Does your dog like to be touched by random strangers?" 😉

Because a dog can be completely friendly and still not want hands all over them. Especially near their ears, face, or sensitive areas : those are intimate parts of their body!

I witnessed this with my GSD, Gunther, at the local Feeds and Needs store. Plenty of noise and eager hands, but one staff member didn't rush in. She crouched down quietly and waited for him to notice her.

Eventually, Gunther looked over, sniffed her… and gave her a little kiss.

That's connection without pressure.

Trust isn't something we convince a dog to give us. It's something they discover in us, one ordinary interaction at a time.

Listen to the podcast, Episode 227. 🐾

Beyond Obedience, Ep. 227: Stop Trying to Make Your Dog Trust You

Tracy xoxox

"Maybe I should have never gotten this dog."It’s the thought that feels like a betrayal.The one you whisper in the dark,...
07/10/2026

"Maybe I should have never gotten this dog."

It’s the thought that feels like a betrayal.
The one you whisper in the dark, or while you're scanning the street for triggers…
The one that makes your chest feel tight with a weight you can’t quite name.

If you’ve felt this, I want you to take a breath.
You are not alone.

Most of the time, that thought isn't about the dog at all.
It’s the sound of a nervous system that is simply… exhausted.

We spend so much time being hypervigilant for them.
Predicting. Managing. Scanning.
Trying to carry the weight of every emotion and every outcome.

In this week’s podcast, I’m sharing something that was really hard for me to record.
I’m talking about my own journey with Apollo: and the moments I felt I had failed, even as a trainer.

We’re normalizing the conversation nobody wants to have.
Because having a regretful thought doesn’t mean you don't love them.
It just means you’re human.

Let’s talk about it.

Beyond Obedience, Ep. 220
Listen now on your favorite platform.

Tracy xoxox

"I have a cookie! Look at me! Look... at... me..."Ever stood there wiggling a treat while your dog is halfway up a tree,...
06/21/2026

"I have a cookie! Look at me! Look... at... me..."

Ever stood there wiggling a treat while your dog is halfway up a tree, completely oblivious?

You could be wearing a prime rib suit and it wouldn't matter... they’ve already chosen the squirrel. 🐿️

We’re often told to "be the bigger squirrel": be more exciting and more valuable than the world around them.

But here’s the thing...

You can't out-squirrel a squirrel.

Trying to out-compete the environment is a losing game that leaves us feeling invisible and exhausted.

What if we stopped fighting for attention and started joining their curiosity instead?

🐾 More treats / More commands / More frustration
✅ Shared digging / Moving rocks / Real partnership

Curiosity isn't a behavior problem to be fixed... it's an invitation to connect.

In Ep. 214, we talk about the "Follow the Dog" shift.

It’s about moving from being a drill sergeant to being a partner in their world.

How interesting would walks feel if you weren't fighting the environment, but exploring it together?

Beyond Obedience, Ep. 214

Have you ever tried "joining" your dog's curiosity instead of trying to stop it?

Tracy xoxox

Is your algorithm sending you those "disturbing" cartoon ads for dog gear too? The ones with Disney-eyed dogs and snarly...
06/11/2026

Is your algorithm sending you those "disturbing" cartoon ads for dog gear too? The ones with Disney-eyed dogs and snarly equipment? Honestly, they upset me.

They’re selling a lie, that the "perfect" harness fixes your walk.

Spicy truth bomb: The tools don’t matter.

Wait... she says with a sigh...

A tool is just leverage. It can't create trust or connection. The goal isn't finding equipment to keep your dog near you... it's becoming someone they actually WANT to stay near.

And in the kindest, wittiest way possible? You are the biggest tool in your toolkit. 😉

The work is internal. It’s about the shift in YOU.

Let’s TALK. What tools have you tried that didn't live up to the hype? Tell me the "what was I thinking?" stories!

Beyond Obedience, Ep. 211: Why Tools Aren’t The Solution.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/beyond-obedience-dog-training-dog-behaviour-training/id1727953772?i=1000771675370

Tracy xoxox

Is it actually aggression?I know how heavy that word feels.And let’s be real: aggression is "a thing." It exists. But I ...
06/10/2026

Is it actually aggression?

I know how heavy that word feels.

And let’s be real: aggression is "a thing." It exists.

But I see so many dog owners struggling because they’ve been taught to label everything that looks scary as "aggression."

And here is the danger: when we mislabel fear or overwhelm as aggression, we reach for the wrong tools.

We reach for "fixing."
We reach for "control."
We reach for "obedience."

But what if, underneath the lunging and barking, your dog is actually just struggling to feel safe?

How interesting would it be to look past the label?

When we understand what is actually happening underneath the behavior, our goal shifts. We move away from trying to suppress a "bad" dog and toward building a partnership with a scared one.

We stop being their warden and start being their guide.

Because you can’t "control" your way into a trust-based relationship.

If you looked underneath the label today, what do you think your dog is actually feeling in those hard moments?

Let's TALK in the comments.

Tracy xoxox

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