One question that comes up often, and especially from clients considering a board and train:
“If I’m not the one doing the foundational training, can I still build a strong relationship with my dog?”
It’s a fair question. You love your dog, you’re invested, and you want your relationship to be built on trust, respect, and communication. You aren’t interest in just obedience.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need to be your dog’s trainer to build a deep, connected relationship with them.
Just like you don’t need to be your child’s teacher to raise a thoughtful, capable human being. Just sit with that for a second.
When you send your child to school, you’re not stepping away from your role as a parent. You’re simply recognizing that there are professionals trained to teach the building blocks for life, in our case being things like reading, writing, and math, but also, not dissimilarly to our canine friends, structure and discipline. That foundational work isn’t about replacing your influence, but rather supporting it. You’re still the one shaping values, offering guidance, and being there when it counts. You're still their person.
And it’s the same with your dog.
My role as a trainer is to help your dog learn how to function clearly and calmly in the world. I teach them how to regulate their state of mind. How to respond to leash pressure. How to control impulses, build neutrality, and feel confident within clear boundaries. That foundation is what allows communication between you and your dog to become clear, effective, and meaningful.
Because the truth is, love alone doesn’t solve behavior.
And without structure, even the best intentions can lead to confusion or become overwhelming for both of you.
Once the foundation is in place, everything starts to shift:
Your corrections land with less frustration.
Your praise actually makes sense to your dog.
Your presence becomes a source of direction and safety, not just affection.
That’s where connection begins to grow. Not through endless commands or constant repetition, but through everyday living, like walks, rest, meals, play, structure, and shared experiences where both of you know what’s expected and what’s possible.
Another Way to Think About It
There are plenty of other ways to think about how foundational training fits into your dog’s life. Here are a few that might feel more relatable:
You don’t need to be a mechanic to drive your car.
But you do need a car that works. No matter how much you love it, if it doesn’t start or steer or stop, you’re stuck.
Training is what gets things running or, perhaps, running again, but you’re the one who will be in the driver seat.
You don’t need to be a builder to live in a home.
But that home still needs a foundation. One that doesn’t crack under pressure and supports everything else you do inside of it.
Training creates that support system, and then you bring it to life.
You don’t need to be a therapist to support someone’s growth.
But once the internal work is underway, your consistency, compassion, and boundaries help them continue to thrive.
Training helps your dog get to a place where your leadership and care can truly land.
What Your Role Does Look Like
(and Why It Matters So Much)
Just because you’re not the one teaching the foundational skills doesn’t mean your role is secondary. In fact, the most meaningful part of your relationship with your dog begins after training ends, when they get to come home and start living life with you.
Training builds the framework. But the real relationship? That’s built through the rhythm of daily life, like:
The calm moments when you sit together in the same room and your dog finally knows how to settle at your feet instead of pacing, squirming, or barking.
The structured walks where you’re no longer being dragged down the street, but, instead, your dog looks to you for guidance and direction.
The times you ask for a “Place” and they stay put. And not because they’re afraid of being corrected, but because they’re starting to understand the boundaries you’ve set.
The clear “Yes” and “No” that help them feel safe, secure, and understood—like there’s a reliable system in place, and you’re at the center of it.
These shared experiences might seem small, but they’re everything.
They create trust.
They create consistency.
They create a sense of leadership that your dog can rely on.
And with that, the relationship starts to shift: from chaos, confusion, or codependency, toward real connection. A connection rooted in mutual respect, clear communication, and a deep sense of safety.
This is why your role as the follow-through person matters so much. Not because you’re constantly training, but because you’re living with intention. You’re reinforcing the structure your dog needs, while still being their source of affection, comfort, and care.
Over time, that balance creates something powerful: A relationship that isn’t just based on love, but on leadership. Not just on attachment, but on trust. Not just on obedience, but on clarity, respect, and shared purpose.
That’s what we’re really building here. And it’s why your part in this process matters just as much as the training itself, if not much more.