I hired trainers… seven of them.

For nearly two decades, I’ve had a front-row seat to the relationship between humans and dogs.

And if there’s one truth that continues to reveal itself over and over again, it’s this:

The greatest breakthroughs with our dogs rarely begin with the dog.

They begin with us. OUR end of the leash.

This is a truth many won’t acknowledge — and will block, avoid, fight, and resist.

Why? Because it calls forward all the things we’ve been working so hard to ignore, numb, escape, or find relief from.

And that can make us very uncomfortable.

And we don’t like discomfort.

We run from it.

Hide from it.

Numb it.

Dilute it.

Suppress it.

Ignore it.

Escape it.

Many of the rituals and behaviors we’ve developed and practiced over the years were formed in response to this.

Even — and especially — many addictions.

All attempts to find relief. Comfort. Peace.

But we can only run and hide for so long.

Our dogs are highly attuned to us.

And they will often show us what we’re not addressing — and what we’re sharing with them — in the only way they know how:

Behavior.

Because the truth is… it’s. all. information.

Our wounding.

Our filters.

Our beliefs.

Our state.

Our actions and inactions.

Our responses and reactions.

Our behaviors.

Our perceptions.

Our patterns and rituals.

Every single bit of it.

And dogs are constantly reading this information.

Responding to it.

Adjusting to it.

Being guided by it.

It shapes them.

Their filters.

Their perceptions.

Their sense of safety.

Their understanding of us — and the world around them.

When we begin to understand this — TRULY understand it — everything about (and within) the relationship begins to change.

Our end of the leash is one of the most influential — yet often overlooked and under-spoken — pieces of the entire canine behavioral puzzle, even among the majority of trainers.

I learned this lesson the hard way many years ago with my first solo-responsibility dog, Lobo.

He was my gateway dog to everything training and behavior.

My game-changer dog.

Lobo had developed behavioral issues, and I did what most people do when they’re trying to do the right thing for their dog.

I hired trainers....seven of them, to be exact.

None of them spoke about the deeper root influences shaping behavior.

Instead, they focused on obedience.

Treats.

Commands.

Exercises.

And Lobo was a rockstar obedience dog, don’t get me wrong…

(....behind closed doors).

But the deeper issues were never addressed — and only got worse.

Why?

Because the variables contributing to and influencing them never changed.

Eventually, Lobo lost his life after biting someone. I was left devastated, trying to understand what had gone wrong — what I had done wrong — and what all those trainers, with all the letters behind their names and feel-good training approaches, had missed.

So I set out to learn.

Dog psychology.

Dog training.

Dog behavior.

Communication.

The nervous system.

The gut.

Environment and household dynamics.

Human psychology and behavior.

And the many other variables involved — intentionally staying (far) away from the schools of thought and teachings that had guided the trainers I had sought help from before me.

It’s been one of the most unforgettable journeys of my life.

Most people say they get into working with dogs because they prefer animals to people.

And I get that.

We're all imperfect.

Messy.

Afraid (especially when it comes to the E word... Emotion).

Eeking our way through this thing called "Life", and not showing up as our true, authentic selves.

But what no one tells them is this:

Dog training is 90% human training.

You cannot truly reach the dog unless you can reach and teach the human.

Humans are a big part of the problem.... and a big part of the solution.

If you’re in the dog world in any capacity — trainer, rescuer, behavior professional, or guardian — you’re in the people business, whether you realize it or not.

That realization is at the heart of why I wrote "The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link."

My hope was never simply to write another “training book,” but to help people see what many of us were never taught: that dogs are constantly responding to the environment we create around them — emotionally, mentally, physically, and yes… energetically.

When those things shift, our dogs often shift right alongside us.

If you’ve experienced this in your own relationship with your dog, I’d love to hear about it.

Over the past months, some incredibly thoughtful reviews have begun coming in:

“Knowing it was ME that needed to fix the behavior on the other end of the leash was a real awakening moment. My dogs have benefitted from me reading this book and getting a better understanding of our relationships.”

“This book transcends most books I’ve read regarding dog training and understanding the psychology of dogs. A must read for all dog owners.”

“Learning how we are communicating things we may not intend to — and improving our own behavior — makes such a difference.”

“A next-level guide to pet-parenting that goes straight to the source: you.”

And one that especially moved me, written by someone with decades of professional experience working with dogs:

“Dogs don’t need training. They need humans in their lives who actually take the time to learn who and what dogs are.”

That right there is the work.

Not quick fixes.

Not gimmicks.

Not forcing dogs to fit into our world.

But learning to truly understand them — their drives, their nervous systems, their communication, the stories that continue to live in their bodies, and their needs — and becoming the kind of human they can trust to guide them through this human-dictated world they’re living in with us.

If you’ve read the book, I would genuinely love to hear:

What was your biggest takeaway?

What shifted for you?

What changed for your dog?

Your experiences and reviews not only mean the world to me — they also help this message reach more people and more dogs who may benefit from it (...and Amazon would love to know what you thought, too! )

For those who have asked, "The Human End of the Leash: Dog Training’s Missing Link" is available through Amazon and other major retailers, and I have a limited number of signed and personalized copies available through my website.

My deepest thanks to everyone who has read the book, shared it, recommended it, and most importantly — taken its message to heart in your lives with your dogs.

They deserve nothing less.

And neither do we.

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Amazon: https://a.co/d/0hzKyvcP

Signed and Personalized: https://kimberlyartley.com/books-and-ebooks