Field notes · Dog training in Angier & Raleigh, NC
How can I tell what my dog is feeling?
Watch what he does when nobody is asking anything. Ears, tail, posture and the choices he makes on his own tell you more than how neatly he performs a command.
In the trainer's words
Ears are up. Tail is in a good position. Not feeling reactive.Kelton, Head Trainer, Angier K9 Consultants
Seen with 4 dogs: Bun, Kodak, Finn, Reaper
55 recorded moments, each one linked to the exact second it happens in a full training session published unedited. Trainers call this reading the dog.
12:41
"Rooted in something" — reading fear, not punishing it
3:36
Someone pops out — the nervousness underneath
8:42
Nervous to come out — then fully through
31:05
Punished, not negatively reinforced
37:45
Consistently, when people walk by, he avoids them
12:00
Another rep, still physical
40:24
Reinforced a lot, but didn't do much else
12:04
Insecurity, not disobedience
14:40
What's your plan?" — "Exposure.
21:34
Negative reinforcement, defined by its user
21:59
Pressure, release, reward — the whole loop
34:21
A down between the stairs
44:01
Ears up, tail right, not reactive
13:30
That was off nothing. No leash. No body language. No e-collar.
16:09
Can he down without even the "eh-eh"?
24:18
Zuri tries to pull him off something
26:15
I had to punish it" — "No, that was perfect timing
5:21
"What I want you to notice" — the down, and the wait
Related questions
Recognize your own dog in this?
Most people who call us have already been told their dog is a lost cause, or that they should manage it and hope. We train dogs in Angier, Raleigh and across the Triangle, and we take the serious aggression and reactivity cases that other programs turn down.
How it works: tell us what your dog is actually doing. We tell you honestly whether we can help, including when the answer is no. If we can, you leave with a plan and a start date.
What you get back is a dog whose world gets bigger instead of smaller.
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