A small camera on Mrok's collar gave me the answer, and it turned out to be far more interesting than I expected: a window onto how a dog's brain decides, second by second, which sense gets priority.

Does a physically intense walk with lots of play – tiring the dog out – bring them to low arousal? Absolutely not - it actually pushes them even higher.

He disappeared into the bushes and came back… transformed. Later I found out why - a dead beaver, and the smell that stayed with us for days. Turns out, that’s what happiness can look like to a dog.

It’s learning based on confirming to the dog that he did something right — without giving him verbal hints. To make things easier, we divided the behavior into small parts and rewarded every correct step.

Dog training week with our ACD: nosework, shaping, mantrailing. Expert-led, practical, and surprisingly insightful. One dog, three paths — and a better bond.

The couch example would work better like this: I calmly think: “Get off the couch.” I say: “Get off the couch.” (because that’s what I want) I turn away from the couch, showing with my body the direction Mrok can go. When all of that lines up, Mrok gets off the couch - every time.

and then came Agnieszka’s calm voice: “It’s okay. They’re just discussing the stick.”

For many dog owners, a leash is a symbol of control. And yes — in some cases, it does work that way. But in a good relationship with your dog, a leash can become something very different: