What This Talk Is About

Most dog training approaches focus on what dogs do: cues, compliance, and correcting unwanted actions.

But dogs don’t choose behaviors in a vacuum.

They respond to the world through their emotional state - fear, stress, excitement, frustration, safety, or optimism.

When those emotions aren’t addressed, behavior change is often temporary at best.

In this free live talk, we’ll explore:

• Why behavior problems are usually emotional problems at their core
• How stress and fear interfere with learning and impulse control
• Why some dogs seem “stuck,” even with consistent training

• What it actually means to change how a dog feels - not just what they do

   

This is not about blame, force, or pushing dogs past their limits.

It’s about understanding dogs more deeply and creating change that lasts.

You’ll Learn

During this talk, we’ll discuss:

• Why chasing behavior often leads to frustration for both dogs and humans
• The difference between managing behavior and changing it
• How emotional safety impacts learning, resilience, and recovery
• Why obedience alone doesn’t resolve fear-based or stress-based behavior
• What creates real emotional shifts in dogs - and why those shifts matter

We’ll also share real-world examples of dogs whose behavior transformed once their emotional experience changed.

This talk is a good fit if:

• You live with a dog who is reactive, anxious, fearful, aggressive, or easily overwhelmed
• You’ve tried training methods that helped “a little” but didn’t create lasting change
• You feel frustrated, discouraged, or unsure what your dog truly needs
• You want to understand why your dog behaves the way they do
• You believe your dog is capable of more calm, safety, and ease