29/07/2026
In 15 years of training dogs, I can honestly say that Luna has been one of the most challenging cases I’ve worked with.
During our evaluation, she spent the entire session trying to get as far away from me as possible. From that moment, I knew she lacked confidence and was struggling with severe anxiety. What I didn’t know was just how deeply it affected every aspect of her life.
Over the last three weeks, our focus hasn’t been on obedience. It’s been helping her feel safe, reducing her anxiety, and giving her the confidence to start engaging with the world around her.
It hasn’t been an easy journey, and we’re still not where I’d like us to be. But today, instead of immediately trying to flee from every unfamiliar situation, Luna is beginning to pause, observe, and become curious. She’s still hesitant and cautious, but those small moments of curiosity are huge victories.
One of the biggest misconceptions in dog training is expecting a fearful dog to simply “listen.” A dog living in survival mode can’t truly learn because every ounce of their energy is focused on staying safe. Until that changes, training has to take a back seat to building trust.
Every dog is different. Every dog heals at a different pace. As trainers, it’s our responsibility to meet the dog in front of us—not the dog we wish we had.
We’re not at the finish line yet, but I’m proud of how far Luna has come in just three weeks. Sometimes the biggest victories don’t look dramatic from the outside, but they’re the foundation that everything else will be built on.