Problem Solving Unleashed: Practical tools to make training effective and approachable, while embracing curiosity, connection, and the beautifully chaotic realities of growth—for both dogs and their humans.

Born to Move, Fueled by Space

Herding dogs don’t just exist in space—they shape it. Moving things is their purpose, their reinforcement, their most rewarding job. And for this young Aussie, nothing proves that more than his bark.

Each time he sounds off, something shifts—the pedestrian moves on, the squirrel bolts, the mailman departs. His bark gets results, reinforcing his belief that he’s the reason things move.

And that’s why stopping feels so unnatural. No treat, no toy, no clever redirection will ever match the satisfaction of making something happen just by barking.

So we don’t fight it. We reshape it—not by trading the barking for food but by making human engagement just as predictable. When movement happens, he learns to check in after reacting before deciding what to do next.

Teaching the Check-In

Some dogs process novelty with curiosity, others with caution, but many default to alerting first and evaluating second. The majority of dogs in this group have a hard time knowing the difference between when things are passing or actually coming into their space.

That’s why stopping the bark isn’t the first goal—it’s about shaping what happens next. We guide them from instinctive barking to checking in with their human after the initial reaction. This gives us positive behavior traction before adding in alternatives.

Here’s how we structure it:

1. Reaction Happens – The dog notices, the bark fires off. That’s fine—this is our cue to step in.
2. Label & Move – Talk to the "thing" NOT the dog. “Hey Mr. Mailman!” We acknowledge the trigger while stepping away and dropping a treat elsewhere showing them reinforcement isn’t just tied to barking at the fence.
3. They Start Looking for the Pattern – Over time, barking loses value as they realize things leave even when they don’t bark, and human engagement becomes the more predictable reward.

Instead of reacting at the world, they learn to process it with their human, filtering novelty after the initial response rather than treating every new thing as a crisis that demands immediate action. This isn't the forever plan, after 2-3 weeks it is more than reasonable to circle back and start asking for different behaviors/adding corrections as necessary.

Why This Works for Dogs Like Him

Every case is different, and clarity matters. This is not a protocol for dogs who have already escalated into dangerous behavior. If a dog has a history of biting, targeting with intent, or rehearsing true offensive aggression, they need a different approach rooted in stricter management and intervention.

This works because he isn’t there—yet. His barking is driven by fear, frustration, and reinforcement, not calculated intent to harm. Reactivity is still aggression—but it’s a response, not an offensive action. He’s reacting to space, movement, and novelty as things to control—not seeking out conflict or harm.

What we’re addressing is how he manages space—not suppressing his reactivity, but reshaping his ability to process movement and novelty before it turns into dangerous behavior. We’re not just using food as reinforcement—we’re integrating space itself, teaching him that interaction with space can be rewarding in a way that interrupts the escalating pattern.

Reactivity is not the same as offensive aggression, where a dog postures big at the fence, holds tension throughout the body, and actively pushes into human space with nipping or corrections when they move “out of line.” If this dog were showing clear space-controlling behaviors in a way that demands submission or physical response, this protocol would not be appropriate.

What we’re doing is interrupting reinforcement cycles, increasing human relevancy, and reshaping how they process space and novelty—not excusing unsafe behavior, ignoring red flags, or applying the wrong framework to a dog who needs a stronger management structure instead.

Let’s explore what’s possible, together—with curiosity, compassion, and a good dose of humor.