Best Paws In Town, LLC

09/14/2025

Your Dog Is Your Mirror by Kevin Behan presents a radical and profound thesis: a dog's behavior is not a result of dominance hierarchies or purely operant conditioning, but a direct reflection of its owner's emotional state. Behan, a renowned dog trainer, argues that dogs are uniquely attuned to human emotions through a non-conscious, energetic connection. The book posits that problematic behaviors like aggression, fear, or anxiety in a dog are often manifestations of the owner's own unresolved emotions, stress, or internal conflicts. By learning to manage their own emotional energy and achieve a state of calm assertiveness, owners can fundamentally transform their dog's behavior. It's a transformative approach that frames dog training not as a process of commanding an animal, but as a journey of mutual emotional healing and deep, non-verbal partnership.

10 Detailed Key Lessons and Insights

1. The Principle of "Emotional Projection"
The core concept of the book is that dogs are mirrors. They absorb and reflect the emotional energy of their owners. If an owner is anxious, the dog becomes anxious. If the owner is calm and confident, the dog becomes calm and confident. The dog's behavior is not viewed in isolation but as feedback on the owner's internal state.

2. Behavior is Energetic, Not Just Cognitive
Behan moves away from the standard model of training (reward/punishment) and introduces an "energy model." He suggests dogs are primarily responding to the flow of emotional energy in any given situation, especially from their trusted human. A dog pulling on a leash, for example, is often caught up in and amplifying the owner's frustrated or tense energy.

3. "Prey Drive" is the Foundation of Cooperation
Instead of seeing prey drive (the instinct to chase and bite) as something to be suppressed, Behan re-frames it as the fundamental energy for all positive engagement. He argues that the goal of training is to channel this raw, primal energy into cooperative play and work with the owner, transforming it from a disruptive force into the basis of a powerful bond.

4. The Importance of "Calm-Assertive" Energy (as a State of Being)
While this term is also used by other trainers, Behan's approach is deeply internal. It's not about acting dominant but about genuinely achieving a state of inner stillness and confident intent. This calm-assertive energy acts as a "grounding wire" for a dog's nervous system, allowing them to feel safe and secure enough to follow a leader they trust implicitly.

5. Dogs Resolve Our Emotional "Unfinished Business"
A profound insight is that dogs often act out the emotions we suppress or haven't processed. For example, a dog with leash aggression might be mirroring its owner's own unconscious fear of confrontation or past trauma. The dog's behavior presents an opportunity for the owner to recognize and address these hidden emotional patterns within themselves.

6. Play is the Language of the Bond
Behan emphasizes unstructured, energetic play (especially with toys that engage prey drive like tug ropes) as the most critical training tool. Through play, owner and dog learn to communicate non-verbally, synchronize their energy, and build trust. A dog that plays freely with its owner is a dog that sees the owner as a partner.

7. The Dog's "Issues" are the Owner's Portal to Growth
Rather than seeing a "problem dog" as a burden, the book encourages owners to see it as a gift. The dog's behavioral challenges are pinpointing the owner's areas for personal development. Working with the dog becomes a path to greater self-awareness, emotional maturity, and personal healing.

8. There is No "Alpha" or "Dominance" in the Way We Think
Behan completely rejects the simplistic alpha-dog/dominance theory. He argues that leadership isn't about being the "pack leader" through force or status; it's about being an emotional anchor. The leader is the one who provides a sense of safety and direction through their own stable energy, not the one who wins a struggle over resources.

9. The "Car" Metaphor: You are the Driver
A key metaphor in the book is that the owner is the driver of a car (the relationship) and the dog is the engine (the raw emotional/prey drive energy). The owner's job isn't to suppress the engine but to learn to steer it skillfully. Problems arise when the driver is nervous and jerks the wheel (inconsistent energy) or is afraid of the engine's power.

10. Training is About Relationship, Not Commands
The ultimate goal is not a robot-dog that perfectly executes commands for a treat. The goal is a deep, harmonious partnership built on mutual understanding and emotional synchronicity. Commands are merely the vocabulary that emerges from this strong bond, not the foundation of it. The relationship itself is the reward for both dog and human.

BOOK: https://amzn.to/3K4UBax

You can ENJOY the AUDIOBOOK for FREE (When you register for Audible Membership Trial) using the same link above.

08/07/2025

07/26/2025

Education is important….

The tea on "Teacup" poodles

07/22/2025

🤩

Some more hats just came in today!!! Come get them soon!!!😎😎😎

07/19/2025

A totally customized box of themed toys and treats for your pup—every month.

05/24/2025

🐕 Do you know what pain in dogs looks like ?🐕

Every dog is an individual and how they express pain and discomfort can vary but here are some of the common things we see in dogs that are uncomfortable. If you suspect your dog may be in pain please seek veterinary advice. For more information on how we can help with the multidisaplinary and multi modal approach to pain management drop us an email [email protected]

05/24/2025

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐥𝐞𝐠 (𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲) 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞?
That is called pacing.

In a normal four-beat and two-beat gait, dogs will lift the opposing foreleg and hind leg when walking. See the photograph pictured below.

When pacing, a dog will lift the foreleg and hindlimb on the same side when walking or trotting. Typically the two legs on the left hand side will move at the same time, and when they are down, the two on the right side will move together.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞?

Dogs may pace if they are tense for whatever reason. This may include stress, anxiety, frustration. Once the dog relaxes, then they should reset in to more normal four-beat or two-beat gait and stop pacing.

Regular prolonged pacing could indicate a physical issue such as:
🐾 Pain, and musculoskeletal problems
🐾 Compensating for another issue elsewhere in the body, resulting in a significant adaptation in their gait
🐾 Tiredness and physical fatigue

If you notice regular pacing in your dog then I would recommend an assessment by an experienced canine physiotherapist.

If you're interested in learning more about canine gait and links to gait & behaviour, I'll be doing a talk for Rebecca Hanlon on The Dog Witch: Whole Health for Healthy Behaviour platform on 13th June.

www.knowyourdogdevon.com

If sharing this information to help others, please share from this post directly rather than copying and pasting. Thank-you.

Rebecca has kindly shared a promo code and a link in the comments so that you can have a free month as a Dog Witch member. The code is DOGWITCHMEMBER.

05/15/2025

😍

Due to the success of our last Rabies discount days, we are doing it again. Call or text to hold your spot now!

05/02/2025

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Take advantage of this limited time special pricing!

05/02/2025

Thank you

ATTENTION all boats. Red marker #8 is no longer standing and has been reported to the authorities. Use photo for reference, bundle of bottles in pic as makeshift marker.

04/29/2025

Agreed

Anxiety meds aren’t the answer for most dogs. Here’s what is.”

Way too many dogs are on anxiety meds they don’t need. SSRIs, Trazodone, and other anxiety meds won’t fix boredom, lack of direction, or a lifestyle that doesn’t honor who your dog is. Most of these “anxious” dogs are actually just underworked, overstimulated, and given no structure. They’re a mess because their environment is a mess.

They need physical exercise, mental challenges, and a human who leads with clarity. Your dog isn’t broken—they’re begging for purpose. Change their routine. Change the relationship. Remember, dogs weren’t bred to be couch ornaments. They were bred to work, to think, to move. If you treat your high-drive dog like a houseplant, don’t be surprised when they start to fall apart. Meet their needs, and the chaos disappears

03/04/2025

Research your breeds to make educated choices

Thinking about getting a Doodle, Cockapoo or any Poodle mix? Have you been told they "don't need grooming until 1yrs old" or "coat maintenance is easy"?

*PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING piece written by a groomer..in the pic that's known as a pelted coat /Pelting. A dog’s fur gets so matted & tangled it will come off in one piece. It's outs tension on the skin, can damage the skin causing horrible infections and sometimes renders the dog helpless,unable to move and it can then cause fatality
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Poodle crosses (cockapoos, doodles, maltipoos etc.) are not "easy breeds" to maintain. The photo attached (shared from another groomer) shows how matting forms at the skin. By looking at this dog's top coat, you may not see the knots and you may not feel them as you would a knot on the ends of the fur but under that fluffy top layer this is going on. Once it starts its very difficult/ impossible to brush out... and even if you could it would be cruel to put the dog through it. Maintenance at home has to be more than a quick once over for these dogs if you want to keep them in that fluffy coat which was probably one of the reasons you chose a poodle cross in the first place. You really need to sit down with a brush and then a metal comb and make sure you can get it through the entire body at least 2 to 3 times a week.

I often feel like owners don't believe groomers when they say their dog has to be clipped very short. I always hear "I know he/she is matted, but leave as much as you can". You cannot clip through matting, you can only clip under it. As this photo shows, clipping under the matting means taking the coat back to the skin.
I promise you, your groomer really doesn't want to do this but they won't hurt your dog by putting it through dematting, they also don't want to hurt their reputation when the clients go around complaining about how the last groomer "scalped" their dog but there really is not any alternative. Instead of being angry with your groomer if they clip your dog very short please respect their commitment to do what is in your dog's best interest, accept responsibility for not having brushed your dog properly at home, and work with your groomer because, together, you can prevent this happening again. All groomers will be very happy to demonstrate a technique called line brushing which will help make your grooming at home more effective. Just ask! We all want owners to know how to do this

Poodle crosses are easily one of the highest maintenance dogs in reference to their coats. The combination of the soft coat they are mixing poodles with these days is a coat that is extremely prone to matting.

If you like a fluffy pup, you probably need to consider no more than 3-5 week intervals between grooming and set aside time for regular brushing AND combing at home.

Please know, if you bathe your poodle cross you really need to blow dry and brush out right after. Moisture, be it a bath, rain, swimming, snow etc are all going to make matting worse. If you know your dog is already matted-- bathing is only going to make it worse! Brush out before the bath.

Lastly "breeders" who say these dogs can't or shouldnt be clipped and not to give them a hair cut until they are one year old are misleading potential owners in order to sell$$$$ puppies and setting them up for a sad day when they finally take their pup to the groomer!!!

If this hasn't put you off buying one please schedule your puppy's first groom immediately after they've had their vaccinations and then be prepared to do the maintenance at home between regular professional grooms.