Pawformance

If your dog ignores you, it’s not stubbornness.
It’s simple math.

Distraction level > reward value.
Increase the value and suddenly you exist again.

What reward does your dog lose their whole mind over?

Your dog reads your energy faster than they read your cues.
If you tense up, they tense up.
If you relax, they relax.

Training the dog is one thing.
Training your own energy is the real challenge.

What’s the hardest part for you: feeling out of control or learning to control your energy?

Your dog isn’t trying to outsmart you. They’re trying to make sense of what you’re saying.

Humans talk.
Dogs watch.
If your words say one thing but your body says something else… they’ll follow your body every time.

What’s one cue your dog has completely redefined in their own way?

Most “bad habits” in dogs aren’t bad at all.
They’re habits we accidentally reinforced.

Jumping? Reinforced.
Pulling? Reinforced.
Ignoring cues? Reinforced.

Dogs repeat what works.
Change the reinforcement, and the behavior changes with it.

What’s one habit your dog thinks is a great idea… but you don’t?

Your dog’s past walks into every room before they do.

Ontogenetics is simply the story your dog has lived so far.
Every reaction, environment, routine, correction, success, or scary moment gets saved in their nervous system.
Dogs don’t hold grudges. They hold memories. And those memories shape how they respond today.

You’re not battling a stubborn dog.
You’re helping them rewrite an old story they’re still trying to make sense of.

If you’ve ever looked at your dog and thought “something happened before I knew you,” comment YES.

Your dog isn’t trying to annoy you. Their body is doing what it has rehearsed a thousand times.

Motor memory means the behavior becomes automatic.
Jumping at the door. Pulling on leash. Barking at the window.
It feels intentional to you, but to your dog it’s just a practiced pattern running on autopilot.

If you want something different, you need to give them reps of something different.
Break the old rehearsal. Build the new one.
Dogs don’t improve because you scold them. They improve because you teach them.

What’s the one behavior your dog does instantly without thinking?

Thank you so much. Your program makes my job easy—your pups come into training with such a solid foundation already. Watching them grow into confident, capable dogs has been incredible. Grateful for your trust and partnership. 💛

Thank you very much Darla McCain! Your kitties are always the best and so cute!