Hey Ollie Stevenson! I just explored The Doggy Brigade, love what you’re building. I help community owners launch High-Engagement Skool communities, and I’ve got a 100% FREE full community setup no-strings attached just for you (normally $40). 👉 See the 2‑min rundown & book a slot: Community Launch You’ll get: polished and structured, AI‑designed graphics, and a launch‑ready community in just 30 min. No pressure—just a smoother launch and tidy backend. (Heads‑up: this post auto‑deletes in 4 days, and I’ll quietly exit if you’re busy (I don't wanna spam or disturb your community, I respect the vibe 🙏). Want to chat later? Just reply “Let’s schedule” and I will stay here to help later.) Looking forward to helping The Doggy Brigade shine!⭐

When I got my first dog, I’ll be honest—I messed it up. Not permanently (we got her back on track in the end)…but the start was rough. See, I thought I was doing everything “right.”I socialised the hell out of her. Took her everywhere. Let her meet every person, every dog, every single thing that moved. And here’s what happened: Her main source of value became everything external.Other dogs. Strangers. Environments. So guess what?When I needed to step in and say:“Not right now. Not this time. Not that dog.” …we clashed. Because I wasn’t just stopping her from sniffing or playing—I was blocking her from her primary source of reinforcement. That’s when frustration and conflict started to creep in. The lesson?Socialisation is important…but over-socialisation (without anchoring the dog’s value system back to YOU) creates a dog that’s externally obsessed and internally conflicted. You don’t want your dog living for the next distraction. You want them living for the partnership. That’s the balance.And it’s the piece I badly overlooked at the start. SO DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE !

Most owners focus on “doing” with their dogs — sit, down, heel, recall, tricks, play, fetch, training drills. And while all of that has huge value, the most underrated skill you can ever give your dog is the ability to simply… do nothing. Why? Because life isn’t constant stimulation.Your dog needs to learn how to switch off, settle, and be calm in everyday environments. If you skip this, you’ll end up with a dog that demands attention, struggles with over-arousal, and can’t relax unless they’re being entertained. Think about it: - Waiting at the pub or café. - Hanging out while guests are over. - Resting during downtime in the house. - Staying calm in the car. A dog that can “do nothing” in these moments is a dog that’s easy to live with. It’s not about teaching them another fancy behaviour — it’s about giving them the ability to self-regulate. And that only comes through practice. Structured place work, longer duration leash work, and rewarding calm behaviour are where this starts. So don’t just train action… train stillness.That’s the secret to a balanced, adaptable dog. Ollie

WELCOME ! 👋 I’m so excited to kick off this community with you all. Here’s how the community is organized — think of each category as a room with it's own PURPOSE 1️⃣ General Like your daily email — casual posts, thoughts, quick tips, and general dog-related chat from me and other members. 2️⃣ Updates Your go-to for what’s happening this week — community events, live calls, reminders, and special announcements. 📅 3️⃣ Wins Share your progress! 🎉 Post photos, videos, or stories about how your training is going so we can celebrate together. 4️⃣ Training Gems Exclusive, trainer-created content 💎 — videos, lessons, and golden nuggets of advice to help you level up your dog training. 5️⃣ Peer Support Where the community comes together to help each other 🫂. Ask questions, share advice, and learn from fellow dog owners. 6️⃣ Introduce Yourself Your first stop when you join! Tell us about you, your dog(s), and where you’re at in your training journey. 🐾

Most people overlook the most natural learning system for dogs: pressure and release. It’s simple, powerful, and when you master it—training becomes effortless. Here’s the framework I use: 1️⃣ Apply Pressure This could be: - A gentle leash cue - Stepping into the dog’s space - A low-level e-collar stim Pressure isn’t punishment—it’s just a signal that says, “Try something different.” 2️⃣ Release Instantly The release is the reward. - Dog stops pulling → leash slackens - Dog yields to space → you step back - Dog responds to stim → it turns off Clarity comes from the timing. The release tells the dog, “Yes, that was the right choice.” 3️⃣ Add Accountability Once the dog knows the behaviour, ignoring it can fairly bring more pressure.This is where pressure becomes: - Negative reinforcement → pressure goes away when they comply - Correction or Punishment → pressure is added for ignoring a known command (this can scale up from a correction all the way to positive punishment) 👉 Together, this creates calm, reliable dogs that understand their choices control the outcome. That’s why pressure and release isn’t just a method—it’s a language. And the trainers who master it are the ones who make training look easy. Ollie