Ahead of The Game Dog Training

05/21/2026

Let’s talk about the “magica hand.”

Well meaning people reach out their hand so a dog can sniff and make friends. For some dogs, that is fine. For others, it is the fastest way to get bitten.

A reaching hand can:
• Feel invasive
• Reduce distance
• Corner the dog
• Predict restraint

Some dogs have learned that biting makes the hand go away quickly.

A better option:
Allow the dog to approach if they choose.
Ignore them until they initiate affiliative behavior.
Watch body language carefully.

And if:
🚫 You are unsure about what you are seeing
🚫 There is a bite history
🚫 Handling is not necessary

Walking away is the safest choice.

Preventing bites is often about reducing unnecessary pressure.


Dog Illustrations by The Drawables, Owned By: Liz V.

05/07/2026

Great points here! Behavior change plans are much more successful if we arrange the environment to prevent rehearsals of the behavior we want to change!

We do odd things.

We want behaviour to stop while unintentionally allowing it to be rehearsed everywhere else.

We focus heavily on the moment the behaviour appears, but much less on everything leading up to it.
The excitement beforehand.
There’s repeated rehearsal.
The environmental intensity that never changes.
And the inconsistency between situations.

They can be the exact reasons nothing changes.
Because behaviour is not isolated to just one moment.

Dogs learn from patterns.
From repetition.
From emotional outcomes.

That’s why behaviour change can sometimes feel so incredibly frustrating.
The issue is often much, much bigger than the single moment we are trying to stop.

Sometimes “nothing works” because the behaviour is still being strengthened in ways we don’t initially recognise or we miss when the same behaviour shows in a different setting.

Training the exact moment is not always the same as changing the behaviour.

04/30/2026

ATG has a new Demo Dog!!

Meet Pinewood’s Phantom Ryder aka “Ryder” - our 5 month old Standard Poodle pup. 🐾🐾

He fits into our family perfectly and Anchor approves!

Thank you Pinewood Poodles for this beautiful boy! We 💙 him!

04/07/2026

It’s 💯 percent OK to comfort your fearful dog! How awesome that they look to you for reassurance!

If your dog runs to you when something scares them, that's not weakness. That's exactly the way it should be.

There's a persistent idea floating around that a dog who seeks their guardian during stressful moments is "too dependent" or "not confident enough."

That the goal should be a dog who handles everything independently, without needing you at all. And I get why it sounds reasonable on the surface.

Independence sounds like confidence, but why does your dog need to handle everything on their own?

When we are anxious, nervous or scared we seek reassurance, comfort and support - but we are told in our dogs that's a weakness.

It's not about confident dogs.
It's about control.

The research on the secure base effect in dogs (Horn et al., 2013) shows that dogs use their guardians the same way young children use a parent: as a safe base from which to explore the world.

When that base is available and responsive, dogs are actually more willing to explore, more confident in novel environments, and recover faster from stressful experiences.

The dog who checks in with you, who moves toward you when something feels scary, is showing you that the bond is functioning.

Their nervous system has learned that proximity to you means safety.

That's the kind of bond we want.

What we often see in dogs who don't seek their guardian during stress isn't confidence.

It's a dog who has learned that seeking comfort doesn't work, or that closeness brings more pressure, not less.

Your dog coming to you when they're scared is one of the clearest signs that you've built something really beautiful with them

That's not a problem.
That's the whole point.

Save this for the next time someone tells you that comforting your dog is being "too soft" on them.

03/20/2026

Muzzle’s get a bad rap- time to lose the stigma!

03/06/2026

02/21/2026

This! ⬇️

02/03/2026

02/01/2026

This is so important!!

Why Pain Must Be Part of Behavior Conversations

Behavior is often the first sign that something isn’t right.

Before a limp appears.
Before diagnostics show clear answers.
Before anyone thinks to ask about discomfort.

When pain goes unrecognized, training plans can stall, behavior can escalate, and dogs can be unfairly labeled as stubborn, difficult, or aggressive. No amount of skill-building can override physical discomfort, especially when that discomfort is chronic or unpredictable.

Addressing behavior without considering health limits outcomes.

Ethical behavior work doesn’t mean diagnosing medical issues, but it does mean collaborating with the professionals who can assess them. Working alongside a client’s veterinarian helps ensure behavior plans are realistic, humane, and safe for everyone involved.

Ways behavior professionals can support productive vet collaboration:
▪ Share clear, objective observations (what the dog does, when it happens, and what changes it)
▪ Note patterns related to movement, handling, arousal, or recovery
▪ Encourage clients to describe behavior changes, not just symptoms
▪ Ask if pain trials, referrals, or additional diagnostics might be appropriate
▪ Stay within scope while advocating for the dog’s welfare

When trainers, behavior professionals, and veterinarians communicate, dogs get better support and families get clearer guidance.

Behavior doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Neither should our approach to helping it.

01/31/2026