Because behavior makes sense when you understand what a dog is feeling.
Because behavior makes sense when you understand what a dog is feeling
Speaking Dog is a place to slow down and listen.
Dogs are always communicating. Their behavior makes sense when you understand what they’re feeling, what they’ve learned, and what their nervous system is responding to in the moment.
This space is a growing collection of videos and articles designed to help you see behavior differently — so training feels clearer, kinder, and more effective.
Most challenges with dogs don’t come from a lack of effort or care. They come from misunderstanding what a dog is experiencing in real time.
When people understand why behavior happens, resistance drops. Frustration softens. Learning moves faster — for both dogs and humans.
The topics below are starting points. You don’t need to agree with everything to benefit. You just need curiosity.
Start with the topic that feels most familiar — or the one that feels hardest to understand.
Early experiences shape confidence, coping, and resilience for life. This category explores how puppies learn long before formal training begins — and why early understanding matters more than early obedience.
Understanding how dogs communicate through posture, movement, facial expression, and subtle physical signals — so behavior makes sense in real time.
Behavior isn’t random. It’s driven by emotion, history, and context. These posts help you understand what dogs are feeling when behavior shifts, escalates, or seems confusing.
Fear isn’t defiance — it’s communication. This category focuses on recognizing fear early, understanding stress responses, and responding in ways that increase safety rather than escalation.
Clear expectations, motivation, and learning principles that make training effective without force or intimidation. These pieces focus on why learning works — not just how.
Play, routines, enrichment, and real-world living. This category looks at how dogs fit into human lives with joy, structure, and realism.
When people understand what a dog is experiencing emotionally, training becomes easier — not harder. Clarity lowers frustration, reduces conflict, and helps humans respond instead of react.
Speaking Dog reflects years of observation, real-world work, and learning. It’s designed to support thoughtful dog parents and professionals alike — without requiring perfection, agreement, or ideology.
You don’t need to read everything at once. Start where something feels familiar — or confusing — or personal.
Understanding has a way of opening the next door on its own.
Stuffed Kongs are a staple in dog training and enrichment — but most people use them simply as treats. The truth? They’re powerful tools for building motivation, regulating arousal, and shaping meaningful engagement. In this video, I walk through
If rewards “stop working,” it’s rarely because a puppy is stubborn or manipulative. It’s usually because motivation, emotion, or clarity broke down somewhere along the way. In this video, I explain how rewards actually function in puppy training, why motivation
Short answer?Nope. And that’s actually great news. Dogs and humans do share a lot in common. We both learn from consequences (parking tickets are very motivating 😑), and we both form powerful associations through everyday experiences. A smell, a sound,
In this video we’re going to break down all the good elements of play, when play needs intervention and what your dog needs from you. Understanding Play Through Body Language, Emotion, and Regulation Off-leash dog play can look chaotic
Where is my dog allowed in the Twin Cities? We love the Twin Cities! We rank in the top 10 most dog friendly cities year after year. It would appear our Minnesota Nice philosophy extends to dogs too. We encourage
Small steps. Big results. Gentle training that builds trust first. Tiny, joyful reps teach faster than long, perfect ones. When it’s hard, make the next rep easier, shorter, or simpler. Ladder skills: home → yard → public → real