08/05/2026
I promise you, if you give your dog the opportunity to make itās own choices off-leash on a trail, youāll realize really quick, that many of the dogās anxieties are actually are own.
I call these āSit Spotsā.
I used to do them with my students all the time. Weād start off with barely a successful 5-minutes the first week of school. By the end of year I had the students observing for 45 minutes and discussing for 15.
Some of my kiddos had to be taught that boredom is a luxury and a skill.
With every seasonal change though, the curiosity became more in-depth, the sit spots became longer and the kids nervous systems started healing⦠so did mineā¦
I started to realize the more successful environments and opportunities people (dogs) are given, the more often they will make the right choices for their own needs.
At the end of the day, we all have the EXACT same basic needs.
So I realized, if I give dogs the opportunity to follow my expectations in their own way and time (like I did with my students), earning their loyalty and trust would be a lot easier if I just let them show me their expectations.