Westside Dog Training
#414 - 2912 West Broadway V6K0E9 Vancouver, BC, Canada

We can learn so much from watching animals of different species.

A peak at the Nelson Hodges RBBM workshop this past weekend!

Every person is unique. Some people love to hug. Others prefer to smile, or shake hands or wave. Look what happens in this video when kids are give choice about how they greet their teacher. Do they want to hug? Or do they want to high five? Or shake hands? Or fist bump? Each of these choices is acceptable. What if we gave choice to our dogs, and honoured how they want to interact?... Does your dog actually enjoy being physically touched by strangers on the street? Or are they nervous about it but being forced to do it anyway? Would your dog prefer to share space calmly with other people and dogs, rather than being jumped on and roughed up by other dogs in the dog park? By observing and acknowledging how our dog feels about a situation, we can build trust and increase our dogs' confidence in us as their leader. When I look at this video of these students, I see kids who are learning that they are in control of their actions. They have a teacher who cares about making sure they feel comfortable and honours their choices. I see the foundation of a relationship that can allow the students to learn because they are engaged and connected with the person giving them guidance. What would be possible if this is who we were for our dog?

What is 'Calm Assertive' energy, and what does it look like in practice? This great visual from Paws in Life helps break it down.