04/12/2026
I'll tell you exactly what I do/did - no gatekeeping here👇
✅ I walk them 3-4 miles a day. We walk 60-90 minutes, at least 5 days a week.
✅ They sleep 18-19 hours a day.
✅ I provide clear structure. At home, on the walk, in the car, in the crate, in public - my dogs always have a "job" to focus on.
✅ I don't let my dogs free roam my home. Supervised or unsupervised. They have dedicated spots to hangout in... this is their "job" when we are home.
✅ I don't let my dogs stand up in the car or stick their heads out the windows. They must be in a Downstay.
✅ I set clear boundaries using effective punishment. If a behavior or attitude isn't acceptable, I punish it properly and fairly. I don't worry about "why" a dog is misbehaving, I simply say "no" to it.
✅ I follow-through on boundaries and hold them accountable. Selective listening isn't tolerated.
✅ I don't let strangers pet them. And I don't explain why. I say "no" and then will physically intervene, if needed.
✅ I walk through doorways first. They may not walk ahead of me.
✅ All walks are a "Structured Walk". Only potty (with permission) and walking in Follow-mode, with their nose, eyes, and ears behind my hip. (Shown in video). No walking next to me. No sniffing. Sniffing is for off-leash time only.
✅ I don't feed excited dogs. Calm dogs get fed. Hype dogs wait until they have calmed down.
✅ I don't talk to them and use very little "obedience" to manage behavior. We train for "implied behavior" instead which means do the job I've given you, until told otherwise.
✅ I don't train a "Stay". All commands mean stay, until I've released you or given another command.
✅ On that note, i only train 6 primary commands, 2 markers, and 1 release word - Heel, Sit, Down, Come, Out, Take, Yes, No, and Free.
✅ I do not use food rewards for basic training. We train using communication and energy that dogs understand more naturally - pressure "on" / pressure "off" / and soft neutral hard.
✅ My dogs must wait for an invitation to be on my bed or couch. No free-access to valuable resources. Only free access is on the floor.
✅ My dogs don't have 100 toys or get daily access to chews or self-play.
✅ My dogs go everywhere with me. They are extremely well-socialized and desensitized to the world we live in.
✅ I push them through their anxiety and fear, instead of give into it. Can't overcome what you don't face.
✅ I trained them 1:1. I didn't expect my older dog to train my younger dog. That's the human's job.
✅ I spend 1:1 time with each dog and both dogs have learned to spend time alone.
✅ After their training foundation and our relationship was steady, I provided breed-enrichment.
✅ I focus on feeding a premium/hi protein diet. No Purina, Blue Buffalo, or any other low quality kibble. We feed Fromms and Open Farm. They eat 1x daily.
✅ My dogs are not allowed to play with dogs who I didn't train or I can't control effectively. No dog parks or doggie day cares.
✅ I don't let vet staff take them in back or handle them like "furbabies". Treat my dog like a patient - no talk, no eye contact. Speak directly to me, the human and listen to my handling instructions. Everyone wins.
✅ They are muzzle trained, just in case of an injury. Dogs in pain, bite.
✅ They wear their e-collars 90% of the time. Inside and outside, on leash and especially off-leash. Just like I always wear my seat belt when I'm in a car.
✅ Kids are not allowed to interact with my dogs unless they are old enough to learn how to tell a dog "no".
✅ I don't use my dogs for emotional comfort or support. They are trained Service Dogs that task for medical purposes but my emotions are mine to deal with. If I'm too worked up, I step away and leave my dogs to decompress.
✅ Both/all dogs I work with are trained using the exact same blueprint and program, to ensure training efficacy and standards.
I'm sure there's more... but if you read this far, you probably need support.
Right now, I'm booking private clients at my Raleigh location for June.
Email me [email protected] to schedule your training package.
