Stop Comparing Dogs — Your Learner Is One of a Kind By: Stephanie Barger, CSAT, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA Every dog learns differently, which sounds obvious until your dog looks at a cue they did perfectly yesterday as though you have suddenly switched languages. Maybe your last dog learned new skills in what felt like five minutes. Maybe the dog beside you in class seems to understand everything on the first try. Or maybe you have watched one too many perfectly edited training videos

Continuing Canine Zen’s Understanding Learning Series By: Stephanie Barger, CSAT, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA You’re teaching your dog to stay. Or maybe you’re practicing coming when called, walking politely on a leash, or helping your dog feel comfortable while home alone. It feels like you’re working on one skill, but every interaction raises an important question: What conversation are you having? Along with the behavior, your dog is learning about safety, trust, confidence, predicta

Introducing Canine Zen’s Understanding Learning Series By: Stephanie Barger, CSAT, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA Learning is a conversation between you and your dog, even when your dog answers with silence. Yesterday, your dog lowered their body before you finished saying, “Lie down.” Today, your furry friend stands and looks at you as if in a foreign language class. A few seconds pass, and your mind gets busy. “My dog knows this.” “What changed?” Most of us grow up thinking learning look