Client Cases

My clients did everything right. Or they thought they did. They chose a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, a breed that they identified with culturally but that they’d also researched thoroughly, finding these dogs described as “happy,” “intelligent,” and “fun.” I mean… what’s not to love about a breed described as such? Due to little experience with dogs, they were turned down by a few breeders, but one did agree to sell them a male pup they named Toby. They brought Toby home and a few months later, I was on a call with them. Turns out Toby had become fiercely aggressive towards my client and her husband. The incidents were escalating in frequency and intensity, and they were at a loss what to do. They blamed the limits on training and socialization created by the pandemic, but they also had a feeling that something was off in their relationship. As they said to me in that first call, “We don’t think he trusts us.” When I did the virtual introduction and asked for the phone camera to be pointed towards Toby, Al took me to the open crate where Toby was lying down. I know that if I were to approach any of my dogs sleeping in their crates with my phone pointed at them, at the very least they would get up to see what’s happening. Only Toby’s eyes moved up towards my client and his camera; the rest of him didn’t move. I could see how depressed he was. When we examined the situation together, we found that Toby was not stimulated the way an intelligent and driven breed like a Corgi should be. Nor was his way of life structured in any way that would meet his need for order and predictability. As well, my clients had a tiny crate set up in the middle of a large enclosure where Toby would shuffle around, at a loss as to what exactly was expected of him in this big space. The couple also related to him quite differently. The woman showered him with affection, as she’d waited a long time for her dream Corgi. The man, on the other hand, was more intent on teaching Toby manners and was the disciplinarian in the house. The challenge in this situation was that my clients were relatively inexperienced. We also had a dog who’d escalated his aggression and was looking for any reason to pick a fight. He would stage arguments by hiding under the cedars in their yard, refusing to come out when called, and then goad my clients into a fight. Still, I was blessed to find in my clients a couple that was open and committed to the changes I proposed. It was several months of us:

~ Crating Toby to bring the aggressive incidents to a halt, begin controlling his learning environment, and give everyone a breather from months of conflict.
~ Setting a schedule that included outings with specific training exercises as well as hikes, aiming to get Toby tired out physically and challenged mentally.
~ Ignoring all attempts by Toby to get into fights. If Toby wished to spend the evening by the cedars, he was welcome to do so. If he didn’t wish to relinquish his antler bone, that would be fine too.
~ Coaching my clients on physical as well as psychological handling mechanics that would minimize, if not entirely avert, incidents of aggression around doors, the crate, feeding, and any other resources such as chew bones and toys.
During this time, Toby sure gave us all a run for our money. But I must say, Al and Lana have showed remarkable courage and commitment, resulting in solid relationship improvements. There were also difficulties, including the discovery of a health condition that was in part responsible for a resurgence in Toby’s aggression a few months after we’d started working together. My clients have been able to ride out these setbacks and move forward. They have gotten to a good enough place to challenge Toby in ways consistent with his breed and personality. They continue to work with him and I was thrilled to find out that Lana was able to take Toby sheep herding, an activity I had encouraged and which we knew could make the world of a difference. My clients were among the very first clients of Way of Life Dog Training. I am grateful to have been challenged by such a difficult case and thankful for the outcome.

Watch our video of Toby here!

My client, an avid hiker and camper, recently took her dog Max, a one-year-old cockapoo, on his very first camping trip. We’d prepared for it for months and were thrilled that Max had mostly behaved, enjoyed himself, and come back feeling like a million bucks.
Things weren’t always so positive for Max and his people, however. As new dog owners, Max’s guardians, an active brother-sister duo living with their senior parents, had come to me seeking solutions to Max’s reactivity. There was hardly a thing that didn’t trigger Max, including but not limited to noises from the neighboring yard, people and dogs on the streets, and any fast-moving things like joggers, bikes, mopeds, and so on.
Sometimes Max would be triggered by nothing that our human eyes could see or our human ears could hear. Once activated, Max would stay in that heightened state, and my clients were at a loss on how to help him get his brain back. They sought help from traditional trainers who taught commands such as sit or leave it as a way of dealing with his reactivity. Because it failed to account for the true cause of the dog’s anxious behavior—his way of life—this training approach went nowhere.
When we began working together, we addressed Max’s way of life, instituting a structured schedule, crating, and activities meant to engage him physically and mentally. We worked on getting everyone in the family on the same page. All these changes were challenging at first, particularly in terms of convincing my clients’ elderly parents to quit spoiling Max and to get over their need to have him around all the time.

Max resisted, fiercely barking and fussing in the crate. He continued reacting to people and dogs on the street and on hiking trails and had a hard time settling when loose in the house. It was a few months of this, but my clients stuck it out. They could see remarkable improvements in Max appearing here and there, which kept them focused and optimistic.
One of the most important factors for Max was the level of physical exercise and mental challenge that he required. He was always at his best after big hikes and camping trips.
Tugging, playing ball, and other prey games were essential for his stability. The case of Max and other cockapoos I have dealt with suggests that this “designer breed” can at times be more than what people have bargained for in getting a small dog. These dogs can have a lot of spunk and drive that need to be channeled correctly in their way of life.
Max and his people are in a much better place now. He is excellent in his crate, settles down nicely when loose in the house, and is much less reactive to things on the street. There’s no doubt in my mind that their next camping trip will be another success, given the care and commitment that his people have put forth by establishing foundations and channeling his drives.

Client Eddy the Australian Shepherd was a very well-trained dog, in the sense that he was obedient, knew a copious list of obedience commands, and was active in several sports including agility, frisbee, and Rally-O. Being a bright and driven Aussie, he excelled at all these activities.
Outside the sporting ring, he led a very active lifestyle with his energetic and dedicated mom who took him on frequent walks, hikes, and swims at their local indoor pool. During the week when she worked, she had a dogwalker take Eddy out. She also fed him a wholesome diet, holistically managing a mild case of food allergies.
Still, Eddy was reactive to just about anything – critters on their walks, people near and far, dogs near and far, and noises outside the house, to name a few. He was insecure and “lacking confidence in the world,” as his owner put it. Smart as he is, he lacked the capacity to consider the various stimuli in his environment in a thoughtful manner and modulate his
response. Going to new places, trying to swim, and other activities were scary to him. In sport, he was easily distracted and reacted to things outside the arena or working area. He was clearly talented but also erratic and inconsistent. In his day-to-day dealings with his owner, he took it upon himself to bark his needs at her and herd her around their apartment.
Of course, my client was at a loss. She’s a smart, studious, and serious dog owner who thought she’d done everything right with her Aussie who was also her first dog. She understood that Australian Shepherds are a work-oriented and intelligent breed that needed to be challenged but she could tell something was amiss. She sensed her dog’s unease and lack of trust, which saddened her and made her question whether they had a good relationship.
Working together, my client learned that a dog’s optimal way of life involves more than obedience and sport. She learned that sometimes we can have too much of a good thing, which in this case was too much obedience, too much “programming” of the dog’s mind. My client got to see that Eddy’s extensive vocabulary, while helpful in a lot of ways, had also undermined his capacity to think for himself, weakened his natural instincts, and fed into his insecurity and therefore his reactivity.

She learned that there can also be such a thing as too much stimulation in sport, even for an Aussie. Stimulation turns to agitation as opposed to stability when we don’t have the right kind of relationship and way of life outside these competitive spaces to balance things out. As an example, Eddy was around all the time. No schedule and no crates, no downtime or real rest from all the learning and stimulation. That was the case pretty much from the get-go. Like many, my client had dispensed with crating soon as Eddy was housetrained. She now realizes how “lost” he must have felt, without a schedule or a minimum of structure. No wonder he hid behind the couch, looking for a break and a little privacy. She understood that herding breeds thrive on law and order. Absent her decision making, he decided for himself by hiding inside and chasing after things outside.
As our work progressed, my client and I went even deeper into our coaching and worked at the level of the co-dependent relationship she had with her dog, which really was the core issue behind any of the visible symptoms of insecurity and reactivity. She was single, an introvert, and the dog was her world. She realized how much she’d relied on him to provide for her emotional needs. She came to see that this was an unfair burden for a dog to carry, and how it had caused him to lose confidence in himself as a dog.
My client says that Way of Life Dog Training changed her life and that is indeed what we do. We help people understand where their dogs are coming from and coach them in living differently with their dogs. We don’t try to change the dog. Rather, we change how dogs live. We change the people they live with.
There is now structure in the dog’s way of life and much more independence and leadership on the part of his owner. The fear she felt handling his reactions and the sorrow she felt witnessing his lack of confidence are gone. We have a more assured handler working to grow herself and her canine partner in soundness and strength. Their hikes and swims are enjoyable now and Eddy is back in sport after a short hiatus required by our work.
To help her dog, my client realized that she needed to become a more whole and grounded person. She needed to become the person that all along, she was meant to be. Much as the changes in the dog are to be celebrated, it’s when the people change that the coaching work is really done.

As much as we enjoy helping dogs with behavior issues of all kinds, we’re thrilled when the opportunity to get a puppy started right presents itself.
Neptune’s owner wanted an intelligent and athletic partner to join him in his outdoorsy life as an avid hiker and camper. Like many working from home and juggling school and work responsibilities, he also wanted a companion and family pet.
Many novice owners, as well as experienced ones, want a meaningful bond with their dog but aren’t too sure how to cultivate that bond. My client and his family initially thought raising a dog meant focusing on obedience training and teaching Neptune commands. With time, however, they’ve come to appreciate the difference between raising dogs to have a certain attitude versus training dogs to know obedience commands. When dogs are raised to be sound, strong, and spirited, obedience comes naturally.
My clients have also come to appreciate Neptune’s energy, his motivation to work, and endless desire to play. A little intimidated at first and unsure how to handle this bundle of energy, they’re now skilled at constructively channeling Neptune’s drives, engaging their pup in ways that build his drive and self- esteem, tire him out, and make him think of his owners as the most wonderful humans around.
The family’s understanding of the importance of channeling these perfectly natural drives is one of the reasons they’re able to enjoy their puppy as much as they have. He is challenged correctly, managed thoughtfully, and related to in a healthy way. He is allowed to be a pup and is not being asked to be a grown-up before his time. Because of that, we can only look forward with certainty at the sound, strong, and spirited adult he will one day become.

Watch a video of Neptune here!