Loose Lead Walking: Why Calm Walking Is Built, Not Forced By Orlando dos Santos Loose lead walking is one of the most common training goals for dog guardians, and also one of the most misunderstood. Many people believe their dog pulls because they are stubborn, dominant, or deliberately...
Training Success Starts with Clarity By Orlando dos Santos Most people come to training with a problem. Their dog pulls on the lead, barks excessively, jumps on visitors, or reacts strongly to other dogs. The behaviour feels urgent, embarrassing, or overwhelming, and the natural instinct is to...
A lot of people think dog behaviour is simple. A dog is either: good, bad, obedient, or naughty. But behaviour is much more complicated than that. Dogs don’t behave randomly. Their behaviour is driven by needs. At CEWS, we use something called the SCARP Needs Wheel to help explain this. SCARP stands for: Safety Connection Autonomy Regulation Predictability These are five...
One of the biggest causes of reactivity is something many people don’t even notice. Lead tension. When the lead becomes tight, a lot changes for the dog. Movement becomes restricted. Pressure increases. And the dog starts feeling less in control. For many dogs, this feels...
Every reactive dog has a story. And most stories sound very similar. The dog barks at everything.Pulls constantly. Reacts on walks. And the owner feels exhausted and overwhelmed. Most people try the same things first: commands, treats, corrections, stopping and starting, or trying to control the dog more. But often the...
How to Tell the Difference on WalksNot all barking means the same thing. And not all pulling means the same thing either. Sometimes dogs react because they are excited. Sometimes they react because they are scared. The tricky part is that both can look very...
It’s Not What You Think Barking.Lunging.Exploding on the lead. For many dog owners, it feels like it happens suddenly.One moment the dog seems fine… and the next moment they are barking, pulling, or reacting at another dog, bike, or person. But the truth is, it usually doesn’t happen...
And What to Do Instead A lot of people work very hard training their dogs.They watch videos.Go to classes.Practise cues.Use treats.But sometimes nothing seems to work.And the reason is often much simpler than people realise.The missing piece is safety.When dogs do not feel safe:their body becomes...