Why You Might See Less Obedience Training From Me Recently

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you may have noticed that recently I’ve been talking a little less about obedience training than I used to. That isn’t because I’ve suddenly stopped believing in it, or because I think structure and clear communication with our dogs don’t matter. They absolutely do. Teaching dogs how to live alongside us in the human world will always be an important part of training.

What has shifted over time is not my belief in obedience, but where I see it sitting within the bigger picture of a dog’s life.

Why You Might See Less Obedience Training From Me Recently

My interest in dogs didn’t start with behaviour work, it actually started in agility, and anyone who has spent time in dog sports will know that those environments tend to shape how you look at dogs quite quickly. When you spend time working dogs in that way, it becomes obvious that the dogs who really thrive aren’t simply the most obedient ones. They’re the dogs who are engaged, motivated and physically capable. They can think clearly, enjoy the work and use their bodies and brains in ways that make sense for them.

Behaviour Doesn’t Exist in Isolation

Over the years my work expanded further into behaviour training, helping people navigate reactivity, frustration and the various challenges that can come with living alongside dogs in the modern world. Obedience can absolutely play a role in those situations. Teaching alternate behaviours, building structure and helping owners communicate clearly with their dog can be incredibly useful when it’s done thoughtfully. However, what I’ve seen time and time again is that behaviour rarely exists in isolation from the rest of a dog’s life.

Fulfilment Comes First

Many of the struggles people experience with their dogs don’t come from a lack of training, more often they come from a dog whose wider needs aren’t being met as fully as they could be. Dogs are incredibly capable animals. They’re built to move, to think, to problem solve and to interact with the world around them through their senses. When those outlets are missing or restricted, the pressure tends to show up somewhere else. Sometimes that looks like frustration or reactivity, sometimes it appears as difficulty settling, and sometimes it’s simply a dog who struggles to focus or engage during training and because of that, more and more of my work now focuses on the bigger picture of fulfilment.

What This Looks Like in Practice

For some dogs that might mean appropriate physical outlets such as hiking, canicross, agility or other activities that allow them to move their bodies in ways that make sense for them. For others it may involve scentwork, structured problem solving or opportunities to use their brain and their nose more deliberately. It also means paying attention to areas that are often overlooked, such as whether a dog is getting enough quality rest, whether their diet is supporting them properly and whether they are physically comfortable in their body.

My Own Dogs

It’s something I prioritise with my own dogs as well. Evo and Hoax both spend time doing sheepdog training, which allows them to use their instincts and work through problems in a very natural way. Maisie and Raven enjoy scentwork, which taps into a completely different part of the brain and gives them an outlet for their nose. All of them run, hike and spend plenty of time moving through the world with me, and agility is still something every one of my dogs does. Those activities aren’t just hobbies for us, they’re part of how I make sure my dogs are fulfilled, physically capable and able to live well alongside me.

Physical wellbeing is another piece that is often overlooked. I’m a big believer in working alongside professionals who look at the dog as a whole. Regular physio checks, appropriate conditioning work and paying attention to overall health can make a significant difference to how a dog feels day to day, and that naturally influences how they behave and how they learn.

Where Obedience Fits

When those pieces are in place, training usually becomes much easier anyway. Dogs are clearer in their heads, more able to engage with their handler and far more capable of making thoughtful decisions rather than reacting out of pressure or frustration. In those situations obedience becomes far more useful because it supports a dog who is already balanced, rather than trying to compensate for needs that haven’t yet been met.

So if you’ve seen me speaking less about obedience training recently, it isn’t because I value it any less. If anything, I’ve come to appreciate it more for what it really is, a communication tool that works best when it sits on top of strong foundations.

What interests me most is helping dogs live lives that are physically comfortable, mentally stimulating and genuinely fulfilling. When those foundations are in place, training tends to make far more sense to the dog, and the results are usually much more sustainable in the long run.