The Real Divide Isn’t About Training Methods

You know what I think the real issue is in the dog training world right now?

It’s not actually about tools. It’s not about whether aversives are good or bad, or who's “right” and who's “wrong.” It’s about something deeper. Something bigger.

It’s about the “us vs. them” mentality that has been baked into how we operate.

And this goes FAR BEYOND dog training.

This mindset isn’t unique to our field. It shows up in politics, in parenting, in how we talk about health, education, identity—everywhere.

 It’s like the systems we live in want us divided. Like they’re built to keep us fighting each other instead of talking to each other. And who benefits from that? Certainly not us.

Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to have conversations with people we don’t agree with. We forgot that it’s okay to not see eye to eye—and that curiosity doesn’t equal agreement.

We forgot that listening to someone’s perspective doesn’t mean you’re giving up your own.

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What if instead of always trying to win, we tried to understand?

Because here’s the thing: I think the truth is rarely found at the extremes.

It’s in the patterns that hold true across experiences. It’s in the overlap.
The nuance.
The uncomfortable middle.

And I believe that’s where the magic is—when we allow space for different truths to exist, and we start piecing together a bigger picture.

Because when we really talk, and really listen, we usually realize—we agree on way more than we think.

If you think about it, most of the time we’re 80% aligned, but we let that 20% block the connection completely.

We let it stop the conversation. And we lose the opportunity to grow.

But what if we could stay open instead?

We need hard conversations. We need difference. That’s how we evolve. That’s how we build bridges instead of walls.

So whether it’s about dogs, politics, or anything in between—what I hope for all of us is this:
That we can meet difference with curiosity, not fear.
That we can stop seeing each other as opponents.
And that we can remember how to talk. Really talk.

Because the only way through this—whatever “this” is—is together.

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Those same mindset shifts—away from conflict and toward connection—is exactly what inspired me to create my free walk guide.

It’s for anyone navigating walks with a sensitive, reactive, or anxious dog… but really, it’s for anyone ready to turn “us vs. them” into “me and you, figuring this out together.”

It’s packed with simple shifts that help you meet your dog with curiosity, build trust, and make walks feel like something both of you look forward to.

→Click here to grab your free copy

Let’s build better walks—and better conversations—one step at a time.