Training Isn’t a Task—It’s a Conversation

Training isn’t about barking orders and expecting instant perfection. It’s not just about the sit, the down, or the stay. It’s about communication—and communication works best when it goes both ways.

When I say training is a conversation, I mean that I listen to my dogs as much as they listen to me. I watch their body language. I respect their stress signals. I adjust when they’re confused, and I celebrate when they try.

The conversation happens in every moment. When I apply leash pressure and they follow it—that’s a conversation. When they check in with me and I mark and reward—that’s a conversation. When they make a mistake and I give feedback, then guide them to success—that’s part of the conversation, too.

This mindset helps us stay fair. Because fairness in training means setting clear expectations and helping your dog succeed, without assuming they already know how. It means recognizing when they’re over threshold, or when we’ve made the ask too big.

It doesn’t mean we don’t correct. It means our corrections are rooted in communication—not frustration. It means our praise is intentional, not random. It means we’re present in every interaction.

Training this way builds trust. And when your dog trusts you, they can relax into the structure you create. They can learn. They can grow. They can succeed.

Because at the end of the day, training isn’t a checklist. It’s a relationship.

And like any good relationship, it thrives on clarity, fairness, and conversation.