The Most Important Lesson I’ve Learned about Dog Training

Michael Baugh CDBC

I have been in the dog training business since 1999. My first client lived in a high-rise on Lake Erie in Cleveland. Her Bichon would steal bits of paper, socks, and underwear, then race around the apartment with his prize. I’l learned enough to help, not bad for a beginner. But I had no clue about the powerful lessons that were still to come.

With Juno my first year as a trainer

For years, I read nothing but books about dog behavior. I lost count of the courses, workshops, and seminars, both online and in person. I pursued graduate studies, going deeper and deeper. Learning thrills me.

There were mistakes. Painful losses. Tears. Early on, a large dog sent me to the ER. I sometimes rub my fingers over the scars without thinking. My body remembers.

From all of that — the study, the money spent, the hours invested, and the decades of experience — one lesson stands above the rest. Dog training is about dogs, yes. Teaching dog training is about people.

Prizing the Client

I love the awkward truth of that phrase. Psychologist Carl Rogers coined it as part of his work on unconditional positive regard. As teachers of dog behavior and behavior change, we must care for our human clients as much as their dogs. Rogers suggests that to teach well and to be of real help, we must love our clients.

We do not have to agree with them. But we have to find meaningful common ground. A genuine human connection is not optional. It is the foundation.

Paying Attention Comes First

Dog training should not be a list of problems to solve. We show up with knowledge and experience. We often arrive with solutions ready. But we are not there to teach our agenda.

Listen deeply. Pay attention. Let us discover what our client truly needs and how it fits into their real life with their dog.

Caring for the Relationship That Matters

Teaching dog training is about relationships. It begins with the relationship between trainer and human learner. We prize the client.

More importantly, it is about our client’s relationship with their dog. This is why we teach with intelligence and compassion. It’s why we teach positive reinforcement methods. They protect and grow the relationship between people and their dogs.

Positive reinforcement works. It is love in action.

Love your fellow human, your prized client. Pay attention to them and to what they need. Care for their relationship with their dog.

From the kind woman with her small, fluffy white dog to now, this work continues to nurture me. I can think of no more meaningful way to spend my mental, emotional, and creative energy. I turn sixty this year, nearly half of it spent helping people live better lives with their dogs. When I think about that, I smile.

What a gift. What a joy it is to begin again each day.

 

Michael teaches dog training in Houston, TX. He specializes in helping people with aggressive dog training. 

National Train Your Dog Month: A Celebration of Connection

Every January, dog trainers across the country come together to celebrate National Train Your Dog Month, a campaign created by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). It started back in 2010 with a simple goal: to remind people that training and socialization are essential to every dog’s well-being.

The APDT put it beautifully: “Training isn’t just about obedience; it’s about building a relationship.” We are creating connection, communication, and compassion between people and their dogs.

Why January? A Fresh Start for You and Your Dog.

January is a season of new beginnings, fresh goals, and a chance to start again. The APDT chose this month to encourage dog owners to start training early in the year, when routines are still being built and possibilities are wide open.

For many families, training often feels like something they’ll “get to later.” But training is not just a box to check. It’s the foundation of your relationship with your dog. It’s how we help them understand our world, feel safe, and make good choices.

“When we teach with kindness, we create understanding instead of fear.” APDT.

The Mission: Build Trust, Not Tension

The official mission of National Train Your Dog Month is to promote reward-based, positive training methods that strengthen the human–animal bond. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s a partnership. It’s about seeing the world through your dog’s eyes and teaching them how to navigate it with confidence.

My Perspective: Training Is a Lifeline for Fearful and Aggressive Dogs

In my work with fearful and aggressive dogs, training isn’t just about teaching skills. We are building safety. Many of our dogs are scared, and react out of self-protection. Training, when done with compassion, gives them a sense of control in a world that often feels unpredictable.

When a fearful dog learns how to pause and look to their person for guidance instead of panicking, that’s training. When an aggressive dog learns that calm behavior makes scary things go away, that’s training too.

Those moments are quiet victories. They build trust one choice at a time.

That’s why I love the spirit of National Train Your Dog Month. It’s not just tricks or obedience titles. We are helping dogs, especially the challenging ones, find calm, confidence, and connection.

Small Steps, Big Change.

If you’d like to celebrate this month with your own dog, start small. Pick one simple skill or routine that builds trust.

Use reinforcement generously. Speak softly. Notice what your dog gets right. The real magic of training is in those small, shared moments: eye contact, a tail wag, a soft sigh of relief.

If you’re working with fear or aggressive dog behavior, reach out for help. Positive reinforcement–based trainers can guide you safely, without punishment or intimidation. You and your dog deserve a relationship built on safety and respect.

A Month for Connection.

So this January, as trainers across the U.S. celebrate National Train Your Dog Month, let’s all take a moment to remember what training truly is: an act of connection.

Every cue, every treat, every quiet moment says to your dog, “You’re safe. You belong. We’re in this together.”

That’s something worth celebrating — this month, and every month after.

 

Michael Baugh CDBC teaches dog training in Sedona Arizona and Houston Texas. He specializes in aggressive dog training. 

Dog Training is Experiential

Michael Baugh CDBC

I can show you dog training techniques, the timing, the mechanics, the way your hands and body move. That part matters. You can learn a lot from dog training books, from articles, even from watching good trainers online. Those things help. But nothing replaces the experience of doing the work yourself.

Dog training is experiential. It isn’t something we do to our dogs. It’s something we do with them. We learn it in the same way they do: by trying, adjusting, and feeling it out as we go.

Mechanical Skills: Learning Through Movement

Effective dog training is physical. How we reach for the treat bag matters. The direction we turn our shoulders matters. Even whether we’re sitting, standing, or walking matters. Dogs see all of it.

Humans are natural imitators, so watching a skilled trainer can give you a great head start. But the learning really begins when you try it.

Your dog will teach you, too. Pay attention to how they respond to your movements, your posture, your facial expressions, even a small shift of your weight. These subtle cues shape the conversation between you and your dog.

There’s no perfecting this by reading alone. You only learn the dance by dancing.

Timing: The Art of Seeing the Moment

Good timing is all about the eyes. We reinforce as the behavior happens or just after, not minutes later, not even several seconds later.

That doesn’t mean you need to deliver the treat quickly. In fact, reaching for the treat bag too soon often distracts the dog. Instead, we use a marker like a clicker, or a consistent word that tells the dog, “Yes, you got it right, and your reward is coming.”

You can absolutely watch an experienced trainer do this. But great timing comes from practice. You build that skill rep by rep, moment by moment, until your marker feels almost automatic.

What About Board and Train?

People ask this a lot: “Can’t someone just train my dog for me?” We’ve all heard about the neighbor’s dog who went to “boot camp.” Some programs help; some cause real harm.

A positive-reinforcement board and train can give your dog a solid foundation. The most reputable programs require follow-up sessions so you learn how to continue the work at home. Take those seriously. Ask the trainer to coach you while you practice. Their expertise gets things started, but your involvement keeps it going.

Avoid trainers who rely on physical corrections, shock collars, or verbal intimidation. These so-called balanced dog training methods can damage a dog’s emotional well-being. And if you stayed with that approach, you’d be learning how to hurt your own dog. None of us brings a dog into our life to do that.

Training Together: The Real Reward

Training with your dog is a beautiful experience. It’s fun, sometimes messy, sometimes awkward, always deeply connecting. You’re learning about your dog while your dog is learning with you.

You’ve heard me say it before: training is communication. It’s one of the most meaningful conversations you’ll ever have with your dog.

So get in there. Try the thing. Allow yourself to feel uncoordinated at first. Work it out together. Keep going.

This is how great relationships form — through presence, effort, and shared experience. You bring your whole self, your dog brings theirs, and something remarkable grows between you.

 

Michael Baugh CDBC teaches dog training in Houston TX and online. He specializes in aggressive dog training.