I adopted my dog, Mochi, from a shelter and pretty quickly fell in love with him.

The problem was that the dog I had in the living room wasn’t always the dog I had outside. At home, he wanted to interact with me. Then we'd step outside and suddenly I had pulling, barking, lunging, and a dog far more interested in birds, squirrels, and other dogs than anything I had to say.

I was overwhelmed and confused, but I knew there had to be a way forward. I could see other people enjoying life with their dogs in a way I wasn't.

The problem wasn't finding advice. There was plenty of that. The problem was finding something that actually helped. A lot of what I tried felt like bribing Mochi through situations or avoiding them altogether, and even when it worked, I had to be ready — food in hand, paying attention at exactly the right moment, and prepared for whatever was coming. I never really understood how that was supposed to get us to a point where I could just live life with my dog without always having to be one step ahead.

I even tried professional training, and while it helped some, I still wasn't getting to the life I knew was possible.

I started understanding what made Mochi tick, giving him better ways to do the things he naturally wanted to do, and getting much clearer about what I wanted from him and what I didn’t.

That's when things really started to feel different. The best way I can describe it is that we finally felt in sync — like we'd been dancing out of step with each other and finally figured out how to move together.

That experience is a big part of why I do this now. I know how frustrating it is to love your dog, really want to get it right, and still feel like you’re missing the thing that would finally make life together click.

Training Without Conflict Certified