Roc Solid Obedience

06/07/2026

Everyone wants to blame or change the dog but to change the dog you have to change your self and put in the work. Respect is a two way street, earn the respect while changing your relationship.

I was talking with a client recently and she said…

“I deserve respect” when talking about her dog.

And I clearly remember those times where I felt the same.

Where I thought my dog’s behavior was a direct challenge to me and my (let’s be honest, already fragile) ego.

Training my dog became very me vs. them…

And I found myself angry more than not with my dog’s behavior.

I mean, it makes sense doesn’t it?

In my head, my dogs lack of compliance was the equivalent of them giving me a big fat middle finger…

That’s enough to make anyone mad.

But what I learned over the years is that my dog’s behavior has nothing to do with my authority, my ego, or respect.

Their behavior is never personal.

Sure it might be a reflection of me, my lifestyle and the environment I created for them…(which means I created it - so really, I should direct my frustration at myself)

But it’s not a direct challenge to whatever imaginary position I think I hold in the home.

My dog isn’t sitting around plotting how to get back at me for…I don’t know…that time I didn’t take them to the park because it was too hot out for them (and me).

It just doesn’t work that way.

And you know what?

As soon as I let go of that deeply held belief of mine…

The one that says my dog should “respect me” and “obey” my “commands”…

And I started instead asking the questions “what is your behavior trying to tell me?” And “what do you need from me to make different choices?"

I stopped being angry at them.

And our relationship became stronger and healthier (and way more fun!) than it’s ever been.

Let go of the idea that your dog doesn’t respect you.

I promise, you and your dog will be so much happier if you do.

06/07/2026

06/05/2026

The "boring" repetitions is what will prepare you and your dogs for those big moments you need your dogs to respond.

Stop avoiding the work.

The reps.

The consistency.

That’s where the real magic lies.

It’s not fancy. It’s not sexy. Hell, half the time it’s not “fun” either. But it’s necessary.

If you want to be a better dog owner, dog trainer, or business owner, it all starts with the basics.

Don’t overcomplicate it. You’ll just become paralyzed.

👉our 90 day fast track coaching is coming off the waitlist and we are officially taking applications to join!

If you’ve ever wanted to work with us and get customized training plans no matter where you are in the world— now is the time.

Shoot us a DM to jump on a call and see if this program is the right fit for you

06/03/2026

To many give up and say things like " it didn't work" right before progress happens.

Real sessions don’t look like the ones on Instagram.

There are sessions where the dog is off. Where nothing clicks. Where you’ve done everything right and it still falls apart at the gate.

Most people read that as failure. It isn’t.

Progress in dog training is rarely linear. It shows up after repetition — usually right after the session where you were convinced nothing was working.

But here’s what I’ve seen end more training relationships than anything else: the handler quits in the messy middle. Not because the dog couldn’t get there. Because the human ran out of patience right before things turned.

The handler has to learn timing too. Timing isn’t just a leash skill. It’s knowing when to push and when to back off. When to end on a win and when to ask for one more.

Consistency when you can’t see progress yet — that’s the real work. The dog is almost always ready before the handler thinks he is.

If you’ve had one of those sessions where nothing seemed to work, share your story.

Or tag someone who needs to hear this today.

06/03/2026

The sheer number of amazingly well trained dogs, walking around like they don’t know anything, is astounding. 🤣

If only this dog training thing could be successfully outsourced and one could spend the money, put in the minimal time to check the box, and count on the work that some expert shared with your dog and yourself…and all the great stuff would last.

There’s reasons well-trained dogs backslide, and past issues come sneaking back in: you’re not skilled enough, knowledgeable enough, haven’t done the necessary emotional work enough… and most common, you’re not disciplined enough.

Regardless of the money spent, your dog will only be as good as you are. YOU have to become the equal to that which you desire. What are your goals? What are the issues you’re facing? What level of skill/personal transformation/sacrifice are required for you to achieve those goals and overcome those obstacles? And are you willing to put in that time and make those sacrifices a daily thing? If not, no complaining about your dog backsliding—only one of you is responsible for the “sliding” around here. 😉

Time to get to work, and time to own up. No complaining about the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.

As Winston Churchill famously said, “A well-trained dog is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

06/03/2026

There's no moral high ground that starts off with "better off dead than..."

Yet we are constantly being told that killing a dog is better than training a dog.

Is euthanasia necessary? On occasion, yes, but not because of some virtue signaling bu****it about never punishing a dog for misbehavior.

I tell ya, if some of the dogs we see had been told "NO" on occasion in meaningful ways before adulthood, there would be far less dogs looking for new homes and far less bites, fights, and dogs in shelters.

Same with kids.

06/02/2026

Your Dog Almost Ruined Someone’s Day. It Could Happen Again Tomorrow.🐾

I train my dog — first, for their safety. 🦺Second, for my peace of mind. ☮️ Third, because I respect the people around me. ✊
If you’re reading this, I probably respect you more than you respect me — because when I’m in public, I think about how my dog’s behavior affects you, your dog, and your experience. Every time I pass someone with a dog lunging, pulling, and dragging them down the sidewalk, I think about how entitled that person is — caring only about what they feel, never about what everyone else has to absorb.

This past weekend, during our pack walk, one of my student’s dogs charged a woman walking her dog. My first thought wasn’t about the dog or the owner — it was about that woman and how terrified she felt. That’s the whole point of these walks: to show my students exactly how they need to respond in moments like that. Looking back, no apology was issued to her — and while there was no contact and the dog was 15 to 20 feet away, that apology should have happened immediately.

Here’s something most people get completely backwards: a dog on a leash isn’t automatically safer than a dog off leash. It’s actually scarier when an on-leash dog lunges at you from 6 feet away than when a trained off-leash dog holds its position. In that moment on our pack walk, I had more control over my two off-leash dogs than most people have over their leashed dogs on any given Tuesday. Think about that.

This is why you must have an on/off switch. An emergency recall. A sit-stay or a down-stay — whatever you want to call it. Because real life doesn’t give you a warning. The owner likely missed one small alert, one signal a second before — and that second is everything. This is where ultimate control matters.

And about the apology? Honestly — I’ve been charged by multiple dogs in my life. An apology after the fact serves no real purpose. My thoughts? Don’t let it happen again. The owner is a student of mine, and I know she understands this. She’s been charged by dogs too. Always come back to this: how did that feel? Now make a commitment to yourself that you will never make another person feel that way.

One more thing I need you to sit with: you’ve seen this person — maybe you are this person. Their dog runs free, totally carefree, until another dog appears in the distance. Suddenly the leash clips on, wraps tight around their hand, their body goes rigid. You know what that signals to the dog? Danger is coming. Tension rises the moment another dog and person enter their visual field. As my mentor says — that leash becomes a precursor to an unpleasant event. The freedom is gone. The calm is gone. Everything safe and comfortable disappears the second that leash goes on. And the dog remembers.

A loose, relaxed leash pass? That’s a completely different experience. But that’s not what’s happening out there.

The time to fix this is not after the next incident. It’s right now.

Drop a comment below — have you been on either side of this situation? I want to hear your thoughts. And if you’re ready to stop white-knuckling that leash and start building real, reliable control, reach out to me directly about lessons. This is exactly what I do, and I would love to help you and your dog get there.

06/01/2026