So in previous post I broke down different kinds of winning/fighting behaviours - Pull - Head shake - Drop weight - Push I also created a poll asking you to vote on how your dog is winning the game. Head shake is winning — no pun intended. 😄 I have to admit, head shaking is probably my favourite way of fighting for the toy. Maybe I even unconsciously encourage dogs to use it. Why? Because, unlike some of the other winning strategies, a strong head shake usually gives me a very clear picture of the dog’s emotional state. The dog looks confident, feels good in the game, and is actively fighting to win the toy. Hard to get it wrong. But what about the other strategies? This is where it gets interesting, because the same behaviour can come from very different emotions. Let’s start with pulling. A dog may pull simply because this is their natural fighting style — something strongly influenced by genetics. But pulling does not always mean confidence. Some dogs pull because they are unsure or sensitive to pressure of handler/decoy. They do not want to give up the toy, but they also do not feel completely comfortable in the interaction. They are almost trying to take their “piece of meat” and create distance. Sometimes you can clearly see that the dog is pulling from insecurity rather than confidence. Look at the whole picture: body language, eyes and, especially, the grip. If the dog is pulling away while maintaining a shallow grip on the toy or sleeve, it can suggest that they do not feel comfortable close to the handler or decoy. With these dogs, the goal is to develop confident pulling rather than simply rewarding the pulling itself. That is where the Play with Purpose framework comes in. Then we have dropping weight. Dropping weight is a more passive way of fighting. Some dogs use it with huge confidence. They simply plant themselves, stop the handler/helper and make it very difficult to move them. But other dogs drop their weight because they are not yet confident enough to fight for the object in a more active way.

Hi I know, I’m late to the game people. Following the play with purpose course and as requested, the homework, my dogs to 5 motivators. Really enjoying the course so far, thank you Alex 🙏

And I mean that in a good way 😂 I’ve been thinking a lot about what I actually want this community to become. I don’t want it to be another group where people join, download a course, disappear and never speak again. I want to build a place where we actually train, learn, experiment and get better together. So… a few big changes are coming 👇 1. NEW MEMBERSHIP — $25/MONTH The main membership is dropping from $46 to $25/month. And this is probably as low as it will ever be. If you ever considered subscribing that probably the best moment. I’m also going to close free access for now. I want to focus on building a smaller but much more active learning community around people who actually want to use what is inside. If you’re already a Premium member paying $46 and you want to move to the lower tier, Skool will not change your subscription automatically. I already dm’d you with options! So check your dms! 2. VIP — $46/MONTH (from $86) For people who want more direct access to me. Again that’s not going to be cheaper. This will include additional content, feedback and a 1-to-1 call with me. If you’re already on this level, just message me whenever you want to schedule your call. 3. CHALLENGES ARE COMING Some of you have done my challenges before. Historically, they were sold separately for around $100. Going forward, I want to run part of challenges inside the membership. Actual training. Homework. Progress. Something that gives you a reason to open Skool and train your dog rather than just collect another video course 😂 4. MONTHLY LIVE WEBINARS I’m planning roughly one live webinar every month, with the topic chosen by you. Play. Reactivity. Confidence. Heelwork. Motivation. Behaviour. Whatever you guys actually want me to cover. 5. REACTIVITY MENTORSHIP FOR DOG TRAINERS This one is still being built, but I’ll plant the seed now. I already have two trainers interested and I’m looking for another one or two people for the first version of my Reactivity Mentorship.

Funny enough! We were chatting umbrellas here @Lynne Willmott and now instagram is bombarding me with ads of custom made umbrellas… shall I do Reactive Dog Umbrella with K4D Logo on it? I think I want one eg. Yellow or Black umbrella with writing: Recall Your Dog! The best part is nobody will see it unless blocking the other dog lol What do you think?

Hey gang! You might be wondering how to start box feeding with your dog. You may know the principals of training but once practicing some more questions arises. when to take the box away? for how long? when and how finish the exercise? This is the video from the first session of box feeding with Lupe. All uncut with some questions from @Nick Benger . Ps. do you want more videos like that? Full breakdown of box feeding you can find in Confidence Module of Play with Purpose.