236 | Are You Training Your Dog… or Just Performing Dog Training?

**Hey Dog Lover 🐾** Have you ever learned a dog training technique, tried it with your dog exactly the way you were taught... and it didn't work? Maybe the problem isn't the technique. Maybe somewhere along the way, we've become so focused on **doing dog training correctly** that we've forgotten to pay attention to the dog standing in front of us. Where should my hands be? When do I say the word? When do I reward? What am I supposed to do next? And while we're busy trying to remember all the steps, our dog may be communicating an enormous amount of information that we're completely missing. So here's a question worth asking: **Are you actually communicating with your dog... or are you performing dog training?** In this episode, we're talking about what happens when we become so focused on techniques, protocols and doing things “right” that we lose the conversation we're supposed to be having with our dogs. We'll talk about: 🐾 What I mean by “performing dog training” 🐾 Why doing all the right steps doesn't necessarily mean you're communicating 🐾 How easy it is to become focused on the technique instead of the dog 🐾 Why understanding the WHY behind an exercise matters more than simply following the steps 🐾 How going through the motions can completely change the meaning of an interaction 🐾 Why protocols should help you understand the conversation, not replace it 🐾 What your dog may be communicating while you're busy trying to do everything correctly 🐾 Why good dog training may eventually start looking a whole lot less like dog training Because I don't want you memorizing what I would do. I want you to understand **why** you're doing it. The goal isn't for you to spend the rest of your dog's life wondering: **“What would Tracy do?”** It's for you to understand your dog well enough to know: **“What does my dog need from me right now?”** That's the difference between performing a technique and actually participating in the conversation. Hope you enjoy this one! Tracy xoxox **RESOURCES** 🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework! https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless 🐾 Take the Quiz! https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz 🐾 Read the Blog! https://beyondobedience.ca/blog **CONNECT WITH ME!** Contact → [info@beyondobedience.ca](mailto:info@beyondobedience.ca) Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store 🐾 **NEXT STEPS 👣** Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding. https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience Step 2: Why is my dog behaving that way?? Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership. 👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz Step 3: Ready to stop second-guessing yourself and start understanding what your dog actually needs from you? Join the Fearless Framework. 👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter www.shawntrotter.com