http://www.rewardyourdogtraining.com/

Reward Your Dog Training, Portland, OR (2025)

05/28/2025

Having a dog with big feelings is hard.

The unpredictable lunging is scary.

Having to be vigilant on every walk to prevent a big outburst is exhausting.

And the worst thing:

Feeling like you’re never doing enough for her.

But when you stop and think about how far you’ve come, you realize:

💎 All the things you’ve learned on your journey to becoming her super guardian

💎 That you’ve created the size world she needs right now.

💎 You’ve gotten good at setting clear boundaries with others to keep her safe

And what’s even more amazing:

♥️ How you’ve grown as a team

♥️ How deep your connection is now

♥️ How well you can read each other

It’s an incredible privilege to know another being so deeply.

She’s let you into her world.

You’ve let her into yours.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

05/20/2025

Of course you want your dog to fit into YOUR world.

You love her, and you want her to be a part of your life.

But that can lead to issues…

You might be asking her for *human things*

Walking on a 6 foot leash, settling on a patio…

Those things are fun for us…

… Are they in *her* nature, though?

Here are three ways you can help your dog live peacefully in this human centric world:

👟 Give your dog activities that she loves.

Allow her time to be a dog by letting her sniff, run, play, chew, dig, …
Do more of those things before and after you ask her to come into the human world with you.

Want her to settle on a patio while you eat lunch? Awesome, let’s make sure she gets out to a Sniffspot in the morning.
Guests coming over? Excellent, how about some long line sniffing in the park followed by nosework?

🤓 Make reasonable requests

Ask for things your dog knows or is naturally inclined to do.
If you think something is too difficult - like attending a party with toddlers running around, then don’t take her along.

🧑‍🏫 Teach her the skills she needs

If a skill is necessary for you both, teach it to her!

Do you have to walk on a short leash through your apartment building? Make sure you show her how to walk calmly next to you.
Does she need to rest while you work from home? How about showing her how to relax on a bed next to you?

And here’s another, not so popular one.

But I can’t keep the truth from you. Deeeeeep breaths.

🐕‍🦺 Find the best fit!

Bring a dog into your life who likes what you like!

Do you like a calm home, a leash walking partner, a farmers market dog? Someone to settle on the patio with?
Find a dog who has a calm temperament, enjoys meeting new people and likes to stay close to you.

Do you like to hike and spend time out in nature? Do you want to play high energy sports with your dog?
Find a dog with lots of energy to burn - but someone who is smart and wants to work with you.

And that, my friend, is the key to a harmonious life with your dog?

How do YOU help your dog navigate the human-centric world?

05/04/2025

It’s not easy living with a dog who barks, lunges, or growls at triggers...
.. like other dogs, people, things on wheels, noises, and more.

There’s the obvious, of course.

The logistics of meeting your dog’s needs - when walks are tough.

Having people over - when he barks and scares them.

Holding onto the leash - when he pulls like crazy.

But what people don’t see is...

The emotional toll this takes on you.

That your nervous system is now on high alert all the time.

How your dog’s triggers have become your triggers too.

So here’s the thing:

You gotta make time and space to regulate your own nervous system.

Just helping your dog with his triggers isn’t enough.

Can you help your body understand she’s no longer in danger?

But how, you ask?

Yes - take care of your dog.

But also make time for yourself after he has a reactive outburst.

This can look like:

Taking a nap.

Moving your body.

Hugging someone for 40+ seconds.

Singing or dancing.

Breathing deep.

---------------

You matter.

Just like your dog’s wellbeing matters.

Share your favorite way to regulate yourself after things get tough in the comments.

And please like & share if this was helpful to you.

04/25/2025

Just letting you know that enrollment for the Urban Dog Reactivity Online Program is closing this weekend.

I want you to imagine…

Clipping the leash on your dog and feeling confident that both of you will have a fun and enriching walk
Seeing another dog, bike, person, etc. out on a walk- and it’s no big deal
Finally knowing what to do when you encounter one of your dog’s reactivity triggers
Being able to truly read your dog so that her behavior becomes predictable to you
Feeling relaxed, in control, and trusting your dog to be a safe member of society
Doing all this with effective positive training so you never have to touch gadgets like shock, prong, or choke collars that just stress your dog out

…But as an empathetic dog guardian, you have a handful of unique challenges:

You’re hypervigilant from the moment you step out the door; never knowing when your dog may start barking or lunging in your unpredictable environment
You’re worried that you’re causing your dog’s out of control behavior- with your own anxiety
What you’ve tried so far isn’t working. You feel like you’re just randomly throwing treats instead of healing the underlying issue
You’re lacking a step by step, proven structure
You’ve had other dogs with no issue, so you’re confused about why this is happening
Your dog is your baby… but making your life incredibly difficult. It’s jarring, frustrating and embarrassing

It can be so hard to see your beloved dog struggle. And the struggle is SO REAL.
Thankfully…

There is a solution.

Urban Dog Reactivity Online Program (UDROP)
A 10 week group coaching program that takes urban reactive dog guardians from frustrated and confused to confident and calm using low stress, science-backed methods.

Want to learn more? Comment or PM, and let’s talk!

04/24/2025

You’re out on leash with your dog when it happens…

Another dog comes around the corner.

ARGH!

You know that he will start lunging, barking, and pulling soon.

You can see him winding himself up for a big outburst.

So you ask him to sit.

But he can’t hear you.

You ask him again, and again.

“Sit! Sit!”

Nothing.

You *know* he knows how to sit.

Why can’t he do it now?

Is he stubborn? Trying to spite you?

The answer is: No.

When your dog sees a trigger, his nervous system gets spiked.

He goes from feeling normal and at ease to being overwhelmed with big feelings.

Different parts of his brain and his nervous systems are activated.

This means he can’t think clearly.

When you’re asking him to sit, you’re asking him to process several things at once:

🧠 hear what you’re saying - when his brain is focusing only on listening to the trigger
🧠 process what you just asked him - while his body is ramping up towards fight or flight
🧠 put his butt on the floor - which is a vulnerable position for a dog
🧠 stay stationary - when his body is telling him to move

So yeah.
That’s a big ask.

A better strategy is tapping into your dog’s instincts.

Instead of “sit”, you can…

🍪 let your dog chase a treat away from the trigger
🔙 do an emergency u-turn
😋 scatter food into a nearby patch of grass
👀 place your body in between him and the trigger

Much easier!

And there’s tons more strategies!

Want to learn?

Enrollment for my Urban Dog Reactivity Online Program closes by the end of the week.
So let’s jump on a call and discuss if UDROP is right for you and your dog.

LINK IN BIO!

04/20/2025

Enrollment for UDROP is only open until 4/26. Are you ready to transform urban walks with your barky, lungy dog? LET'S TALK!

04/12/2025

There it is again - the VOICE OF DOUBT.

It’s saying:

“You don’t know enough about dog training to help your barky, lungy and growly dog.”

“Only a professional 6 week board & train the price of a small car can address the on leash struggles you have with her.”

“Walking her around other dogs is dangerous and only a professional can help.”

Here’s the thing:

This voice of doubt?

Is full of crap!

You can absolutely help your dog’s big feelings around her triggers.

You don’t need to have 10 years of dog training experience to do so.

You just need someone to guide you - so that you can avoid the mistakes they made when they started out.

In reality, the reactivity recovery process is a journey.

You need to walk this journey with your dog as she heals.

And as you heal, too.

What are the elements of successfully treating on leash reactivity?

🦴 Knowing what your dog’s needs are and how to meet them
🦴 Reducing or stopping the cycle of triggering
🦴 Understanding how your dog’s body language shows you how she’s feeling
🦴 Simple, safe and powerful strategies to support your dog around triggers
🦴 Effective ways to measure training progress

Can you see how, as your dog’s guardian, you are in the *ideal* place to guide her through this training?

You are with her daily and know her best.

This is a huge advantage that no trainer can have.
And in case you were wondering…

Here’s what you don’t need:

❌ An obedience level heel
❌ An advanced dog training certification
❌ A clicker (unless you want one - they are snazzy)
❌ Knowing how to be alpha
❌ Prong, shock or choke collars

I know you got this.

I believe in you.

Are you ready to begin the transformation?

02/18/2025

You watched a YouTube video last night.

The trainer in this video told you that you caused your dog to be reactive.

Because you don’t show her who’s boss.

👿 You let her jump up on you.

👿 She sometimes goes through doors before you do.

👿 She lies on the sofa next to you at night while you’re watching TV.

👿 And yes, she does bark at other dogs on walks.

They say it’s because she doesn’t respect you as her alpha.

Because you’re too soft.

You feel terrible when you hear that you caused her barking, growling and lunging.

So much guilt.

What if I told you that you can stop carrying this unnecessary burden RIGHT NOW?

Say it with me:

“I didn’t cause my dog’s reactivity.”

What really causes dog reactivity?

A lot of different factors, and almost all of them are out of your control:

Genetics, maternal stress, early socialization, temperament, health, experiences…

But you know what doesn’t cause reactivity?

❌ Not being “alpha”. ❌

The idea that you need to be the boss, the “alpha” is an outdated approach to dog training.

It’s based on a study on wolves - which has since been debunked.

So let your dog jump on you (if you like that).

Let her walk through the door ahead of you (if that’s safe).

Enjoy sofa time together (if that’s your jam).

You can still teach her how to navigate those other dogs on walks - without fear, pain, or intimidation.

And you will do a better job because you’re so attuned to her needs.

Your softness is your strength. 💪

Have you every felt guilty about being too permissive? Share your story in the comments.

02/13/2025

Those off leash hikes at Sniffspots, nose work games in your living room, toy play in your yard and snuggle sessions on the sofa are IMPORTANT. Here's why...

02/08/2025

You so often feel deeply guilty about your dog’s out of control behavior.

And you feel this driving *need* to do *more*.

You feel like you should work harder, spending every moment meeting your dog’s needs.

Learning everything there is to know about dog behavior.

You feel at a loss, and - what’s worse:

You are on your way to burning yourself out.

I want you to consider this:

YOU also deserve quality of life.

You, right now, are enough.

And you are doing enough on your quest to allow your dog to have the best life she can.

Could you tweak things?

Sure.

I’m here to help you troubleshoot and simplify whenever you’re ready.

But right here, right now, just take a breath in.

And breathe out.

And say to yourself: you are enough.

02/05/2025

Here’s the thing: That stuff ain’t easy.

Especially when you’re out there on your own.

Of course you love your dog. ♥️

You *really* want to help your dog overcome her out of control behavior when you’re walking her on a leash.

💪 And you’re a badass dog parent: You’ve read tons of posts and watched many videos.

But you don’t yet have a clear plan on how to proceed.

And even if you do… actually putting in the work can be difficult.

That’s exactly why you need a coach.

Someone who can help you

⭐ understand the big picture
⭐ create a sustainable plan
⭐ support you in doing the work

I have helped a lot of people whose dogs had the exact same issues as yours overcome reactive behavior and achieved:

⭐ a clear understanding of why reactivity happens and how to overcome it
⭐ less stressful, more relaxing walks
⭐ a better relationship with their dog

Are you ready to claim those things for yourself as well?

Because it IS possible - for you and your dog.

Get in touch by sending me a DM or commenting here and tell me what you’re struggling with - and what you’re hoping to change.

Reward Your Dog Training

05/28/2025

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