07/20/2026
POV: you listen to your trainer and prioritise relationship over commands.
Meet Asher and Nora, an incredible puppy and handler duo. Asher is just four months old, and this was our third session together.
One of my favourite things about working with them is that they aren’t chasing flashy tricks or perfect obedience, instead, they’re investing in the most important thing of all: their relationship.
Starting with that foundation, we’ve progressed from the backyard, to quiet parks, and today to an incredibly busy park. But you’d never know that we haven’t once worked on typical obedience.
For the first time, Asher had bikes and scooters flying by, dogs barking and trying to get to him, kids running past (and getting very close), and time after time, he chose to check in with his mom.
We’re not pretending distractions don’t exist, and we’re not asking him to ignore the world around him. We want him to notice what’s happening, feel calm and neutral about it, and genuinely want to reconnect with his person.
When you prioritize the relationship, everything else starts to fall into place. Recall becomes more reliable, loose leash walking gets easier, and more importantly, navigating distractions and overwhelming environments becomes so much clearer.
None of this happened by accident, or just because he’s a “good dog”. It came from hundreds of tiny moments where Nora consistently showed up, rewarded the right choices, and built trust with Asher.
She has been incredibly patient, incredibly consistent, and seeing it all come together is just the best feeling. 😭❤️
