Young's Dog Training LLC

05/30/2026

While the first 3 domains focus largely on the inputs that influence welfare, the Fourth Domain also asks us to look at behavior itself as evidence of welfare.

In other words:
▪ Is this animal doing what they would naturally be doing if captivity were not preventing it?
▪ Are the behavioral interactions this dog is having with the environment, other dogs, & people reflective of their natural history, behavioral ecology, & natural motivations?
▪ What does that actually LOOK like in dogs?
▪ How can we effectively support natural canine behavior when, as an industry, we have barely identified which natural behaviors dogs need to express for good welfare in the first place?

Worse still, many of the natural behaviors dogs are most motivated to perform have been mislabeled as “behavior problems” when expressed in modern pet environments.

Too often, our efforts have focused on suppressing these behaviors rather than understanding what they were for in the first place or why they are important now.

We were never taught to see many of these behaviors as welfare needs.
But animal welfare science is changing that.

We now have the frameworks, principles, & evidence to begin flipping the script on canine behavior entirely.

Not by creating less dogness in the name of “good” behavior.
Not by shaping unnatural performances.

But by creating healthier, more complete expressions of true dogness.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring these Behavioral Interactions.

We’ll discuss how to identify these behaviors & provide some hacks to support them appropriately in modern life.

Because the expression of natural behavior can be evidence that welfare needs are being met.

And their absence, as well as “behavior problems”, can be evidence that they are not.

This series will also pave the way for the public release of the complete Total Welfare Ethogram, & the Total Welfare client management and behavioral diversity tracking app this July.

We will be redefining our field - together - as welfare literate & competent professionals in 2026.

Whatever your next step is, get ready to take it.

The dogs are counting on us.


Images Commissioned By: Trick Woofs

05/30/2026

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

Were you aware that the American Kennel Club, you know, the organization many trainers tout to push you into passing a canine good citizen test is very active in legally fighting any new laws that would put restrictions or bans on puppy mills.

05/23/2026

05/17/2026

Getting ready for some kids soccer

05/17/2026

Let’s talk about “fast fix” videos by social media ’influencers’.

First off, there is no such thing as a fast fix.

What you see in these videos is behavior suppression.

That is *not* a fix.

Shocking a dog to stop a behavior is not training or behavior modification.

Yanking a dog off of their feet with either a prong collar or a choke chain is not training or behavior modification.

Smacking a dog on the nose for showing an aggressive response is not training or behavior modification.

Stopping a behavior with punishment is a “fix” in the moment only.

You don’t see what happens moving forward but what generally happens is that the punishment needs to be stronger and stronger in order to stop unwanted behavior.

That is because no one is showing the dog what to do instead.

There are no coping mechanisms being taught.

If I had a dollar for every time some ‘balanced’ trainer asked a modern rewards-based trainer to “show the video” of stopping aggression by using treats, I would be living in a coastal paradise in Maine by now.

Why don’t we make such videos, you ask?

It’s a very simple answer actually.

Because they would be B.O.R.I.N.G.

It would be like watching paint dry. 😒

We set dogs up for success by managing the environment in such a way to minimize the behavior.

We then create new nerve patterns by reinforcing the behavior that we want more of.

Much of the time, this process creates behavior change far faster than using punishment because the dog now feels safe.

It’s impossible to give a play by play of how this works even in a written response because it’s going to be different for each dog and each environment for each dog.

It depends.

It always depends.

Our aim is to minimize the chance of an aggressive response happening, not elicit one and then correct it.

We don’t need to see the behavior in order to effectively address it.

The more the dog repeats the behavior, the more ingrained it gets.

This is why we want to show the dog what he or she can do instead of reacting.

If we took video of all of the incremental progress, it would have to be a long video.

Additionally, with the goal being minimizing the aggressive response, of course all of the “we can fix this immediately” shock jocks will say that the dog was never aggressive in the first place. 😒

Know that if punishment such as shock and leash corrections are used for aggression, one of two things will happen.

A dog who has some confidence will begin to fight back on what is perceived as an attack against him or her for simply voicing an opinion.

More punishment will be needed in order to stop the behavior.

With that, you are creating a very dangerous dog who is losing trust in humans at a rapid rate.

The other option is that a sensitive dog will simply shut down to a shell of nothing.

You will have completely emptied that dog’s emotional ability into nothing.

There is nothing left but sheer terror.

Neither of these results are acceptable nor humane.

If you truly want to change how a dog feels about whatever the dog is reacting to, you have to create new nerve patterns.

It’s that simple.

Nothing less than that.

That is the only true way to effect change in behavior.

The internet has proven that you cannot win when you have conversations with these individuals so don’t bother.

They have to learn on their own.

Something has to prompt their growth internally.

It won’t happen with internet debates.

Self-care includes having confidence that you are doing the right thing and walking away from fruitless debates.

Of course we should speak up for modern rewards-based methods by advocating for such.

But that doesn’t mean participating in conversations with insecure know-it-alls who insist that some dogs need stronger methods.

They just don’t.

No dogs need stronger methods.

All sentient beings *can* learn with modern rewards-based methods and that is a fact.

Below is my dog Keric who came to me as a tiny puppy, genetically afraid of so many things.

He has come so far since his first leap and twirl at pretty much everything when out and about.

He is not all the way there yet but he has not leapt and twirled on a leash for a nearly a year now.