The UPK9 Blog

Behavior Is Selfish (And That’s Good News): How to Communicate Clearly and Build Real Habits

September 10, 2025 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

I’ll start with a question. Why do you do what you do? And why does your dog do what your dog does?

Here’s the simple truth I keep coming back to. Behavior is selfish. Mine. Yours. Your dog’s. That is not negative. It is how we are wired. We move toward what feels good and we try to avoid what feels bad. When I accepted that, communication got easier, focus got clearer, and habits became simpler to build.

Welcome back to The Weekly Recall. I’m Duke, your coach and trainer. Last time I asked you to get clear on what you want and why it matters. If you missed that one, go listen, then come back to this. Today is part two. We are taking clarity and turning it into action you can repeat.

Let me ground this in a story. Years ago I worked a dog that was reactive on leash. The owner told me, “He’s eager to please. He knows he’s doing wrong.” I stopped him. No. The dog was not trying to please him. The dog was trying to please himself. The outbursts were rewarding in the moment. They reduced fear and pressure. They worked for him.

We do the same thing. In my twenties I hit a rough season. My dad passed suddenly. I left a path I thought was my future. I took on heavy debt. Our house burned down. I went to work. Hard. Sixty to a hundred hours a week. I told myself I was doing it for clients, community, and family. There was truth in that. But I was also chasing a feeling of accomplishment and worth. I was avoiding pain. I let my health slide. I got reactive with people in certain situations. That was behavior serving a need. It was selfish. Not evil. Just honest.

When you understand that behavior seeks either to increase the pleasant or avoid the unpleasant, you start to see the levers you can use. You can ask, “Is this habit taking me closer to my goal or farther away?” You can build a plan that meets the true motivation, not the story you wish were true.

Dogs are no different. If dogs were eager to please us by default, I would be out of a job. They love what rewards them. For many dogs that is food or toys. For some it is touch and attention. For others it is space and freedom. Your job is to discover what actually motivates your dog and use it on purpose.

That brings us to communication. Dogs learn through experience and repetition. They read the world through four channels. Scent. Body language. Sound. Touch. If you get intentional about those channels, you can create clarity fast.

Scent. Use food as a lure and a reward. Keep it simple. Food in your fist. Point with your finger. Let the dog follow the nose. Do not wave the treat in front of the eyes. Make the nose do the work. You can also remove access to a scent to reduce a behavior, but start by using it to guide and mark the things you want.

Body language. Your posture is a message. Tight leash equals tension. Tension equals reactivity. Relax your shoulders. Breathe. If you want the dog to hold a stay, step forward into the space with calm, tall posture. If you want the dog to come, step back and invite. Kneel and notice how often the dog chooses you. Your body tells the story before your mouth does.

Sound. Speak calmly. Mark the right behavior. I use “break” to release and pay. You can use a clicker if you like. The timing matters more than the tool. Mark and reward. Mark and reward. Repeat until the dog lights up when you say the word.

Touch. This is the most powerful channel. Teach the dog what light pressure means and what to do when they feel it. Yielding to the leash. Moving into position. Settling down. Touch can reward and it can interrupt. It must be clear. If your dog is running free and will not come, you cannot communicate. Use a leash or a long line so you always have a way to touch, guide, and follow through.

Now let’s connect clarity and communication to action. Dogs change with repetition. So do we. Consistency is not about perfection. It is about showing up with the same simple actions often enough that they become second nature.

Here is a straightforward way to start. Open your journal and write these down.

What is one behavior in yourself or your dog that you want to change?
What truly motivates that behavior right now?
What is one small action you can take every day this week that moves you closer to the goal?

Keep the action small. Five minutes of training with a clear marker and reward. A quiet walk with loose leash and relaxed breath. Three minutes of breath work and prayer before you train. Music on to set your state. A simple sit, stay, recall pattern on a long line. One action. Every day.

Track it with a checkbox. Celebrate every win. When you write and track, you remind yourself why this matters. That is how you keep momentum when life gets busy.

If you want a quick checklist to tape on the fridge, use this.

I know my goal for this week.
I chose a daily action I can finish in five minutes.
I set an alarm on my phone to trigger that action.
I prepared my tools in one place.
I will mark, reward, and end on a win.

Behavior is selfish. That is good news. It means you can work with it. For you and your dog. Meet the true motivation, communicate in the channels that matter, and repeat the small actions that build trust and skill. Keep showing up. That is how real change happens.

If this hits home, tell me your biggest takeaway. If you want coaching and a community that keeps you focused and consistent, you know where to find me. I’m here to help you build the bond you and your dog deserve.

Sept 6th | Getting Clear and Focused

September 2, 2025 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

Hey my friend, Duke here. Have you ever felt like you’re just spinning your wheels with your dog’s training or even in your own life? It’s a common feeling, and it usually comes from a lack of clarity. In this episode of the Weekly Recall, I talk about why clarity is the first step to progress and how you can define your vision for a better life with your dog. I’ll give you a few simple but powerful tips to help you get focused, set actionable goals, and improve your communication with your best friend.

Why is my dog suddenly reactive or aggresive?

December 4, 2024 By Sara Bryanton Leave a Comment

We have a lot of people who book consults at 8-14 months of age saying they are seeing reactivity and aggression for the first time. This can be most often be traced back to natural growth stages, misinterpretations of behavior during puppyhood, and environmental factors. Here’s a summarized analysis and actionable guide for you.

Why Reactivity and Aggression Surfaces Around 8-14 Months

Developmental Changes:

Dogs go through various growth phases, including sexual and social maturity.
Around 8 months, hormonal changes kick in, leading to shifts in behavior, confidence, and responses to the environment. Basically the dog becomes faster, smarter and stronger both mentally and physically.
They transition from being reliant puppies to independent, free-thinking adolescents who are more likely to act on their feelings.
They go through another phase of development called social maturity at 2-3 years of age where they once again are faster, smarter, stronger. If a dog makes it through sexual maturity with no reactivity or aggression, they may not make it through social maturity.

Tolerance vs. Comfort in Puppyhood:

Puppies often endure uncomfortable situations without reacting much, which can be mistaken for confidence or ease.
They are actually showing the usual physical stress signals but because there is nothing vocal yet, people tend to not notice.
As displayed widely in various Tik Tok videos of dogs that people find cute or humourous, most people are unaware that the dog is actually under stress.
This “hidden discomfort” can resurface as vocal and physical reactivity when they feel empowered to express concerns in adolescence.

“Out of the Blue” Behavior:

What seems sudden is often the result of cumulative experiences where stress signs went unnoticed or unmanaged.
Early discomfort may evolve into vocal or physical reactions like barking, growling, or lunging as dogs mature.

Prevention and Management Tips

Ongoing Training and Socialization:

Extend training beyond puppyhood to address new challenges during fear periods (often at 6-14 months), sexual maturity, and social maturity (2-3 years).
Focus on controlled, positive exposures with food rather than overwhelming the dog with new situations.

Understanding Stress Signals:

These are the common stress signals. Your dog may be showing just a couple of these or several at once.

Yawning when not sleepy
Panting -when not hot of just exercised
Lips or nose licks
Tightly closed mouth
Ears flat back
Hard stare
Wide eyes -the whites are visible
Frequent blinking
Moving head away to the side
Moving body away, backing up
Tail down over butt or tucked
Stillness and/or body stiffness
Crouched body
Paw lift -when body is cowering, ears back or tail down/tucked
Belly up-lying on their side, body straight and tense, legs tense, tail tucked
Sudden ground or floor sniffing when there is nothing new there to smell.
Sudden scratching or licking themselves
Shaking off- when not wet
Pacing

Set Boundaries at Home:

Avoid reinforcing reactive behaviors by allowing territorial or demand-driven actions, such as:

Barking at windows or guarding vantage points by perching on furniture.
Physical demands like pawing or barking at you for attention.
Pushy behaviours such as bulldozing you, your kids or other dogs in the home to get through doors or get somewhere first.

Anticipate Social Maturity Challenges:

Even dogs that seem well-adjusted can develop new challenges at 2-3 years old. Revisit training and socialization practices to address any new behaviors.

By focusing on proactive training, recognizing stress signals, and setting clear boundaries, owners can better navigate these developmental phases and help their dogs grow into confident, well-adjusted adults.

~Coach Sara

Why Solid Recall Can Save Your Dog’s Life: Lessons from a Surprising Blooper

September 23, 2024 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

“If you’re going to let your dog off the leash, you better have a solid recall for safety and sanity purposes.”

Every dog owner has that moment when their dog suddenly bolts, and in that moment, you realize just how crucial recall training is. This can be the difference between a safe return and a disaster. In this video, you get a firsthand look at a real-life training session where things didn’t go as planned, but in the end, it provides a perfect learning opportunity. What makes this story unique? Well, it includes an unexpected blooper—a surprise cat that takes center stage. What starts as a simple training exercise turns into a wild chase and an impromptu lesson in the importance of a solid recall command.

When training dogs, you can’t control the environment, but you can certainly control your dog through proper techniques. The blooper shows what happens when your dog encounters a distraction like a cat, and how having a reliable recall command is not just a convenience but a necessity. As I explain in the video, if you’re overconfident and lose focus, things can go south fast. One second, Koal was heading out to retrieve a bumper, and the next, he was in hot pursuit of a cat. The situation escalated quickly, and while I didn’t react as fast as Koal, the recall training paid off. With three blows of the whistle, Koal came sprinting back—proof that recall can pull your dog away from prey, even when you can’t see them.

So how do you ensure that your dog listens when it counts? It comes down to setting the foundation with the right training. Here are four tips from the video that will help you build a rock-solid recall:

1. Set the Stage for Success

Before you can expect your dog to come reliably, you need to create the right conditions. This means controlling what you can and preventing what you can’t. The key is not giving your dog full freedom until they’ve mastered the recall. One of the best ways to do this is by using food as a motivator. Instead of feeding your dog straight from a dish, use mealtime as an opportunity to train. When food is tied to training, your dog becomes more motivated, and you can shape a solid recall without distractions.

2. Establish Clear Communication

Often, the problem isn’t that dogs don’t want to listen; they simply don’t understand what we’re asking. That’s why it’s essential to set up a clear communication system. I always start by establishing behavior marks—using clickers, verbal markers like “good,” or release cues. This helps the dog understand when they’ve done something right and when they can expect a reward. Communication doesn’t just stop at behavior marks, though. It’s equally important to wait to name the command until after you’ve shaped the behavior. Get the dog responding first, then start attaching the recall word. This ensures the command has meaning when you use it.

3. Shape the Recall Through Play

Recall training doesn’t have to be rigid or boring. One of the most effective ways to build a strong recall is by integrating it into a game. When your dog is hungry, throw a piece of food away and let them chase after it. Once they’ve eaten it, they’ll naturally come back to you for more. Each time they return, mark the behavior, and toss the food again. With a leash on, you don’t even have to call them—you’re shaping the behavior of returning to you. As this becomes a habit, start introducing the recall word, so when they hear it, they associate it with fun and rewards.

4. Take it to the Real World—But Stay Safe

Once your dog has a reliable recall in a controlled environment, it’s time to test it in more distracting settings. But be cautious—just because your dog listens in one situation doesn’t mean they will in another. It’s easy to get overconfident, thinking your dog will come every time. To really solidify the recall and ensure your dog responds in any scenario, I highly recommend using a remote collar, the way we teach it. This helps deepen the recall response, so no matter where your dog is or what distractions they face, they’ll fly back to you when called—just like Cole did after chasing the cat.

Training your dog to come when called isn’t just about obedience—it’s about safety. In the video, Koal’s chase could have turned into something much more dangerous. But because of his training, I was able to call him off a prey drive and bring him back. When you put in the time to create a reliable recall, you’re ensuring your dog’s safety in all kinds of environments.

The next time you think about letting your dog off-leash, remember: a solid recall isn’t optional. It’s essential for both your dog’s safety and your peace of mind.

How to Fit a “Dominant Dog Collar” for a Reactive Dog

August 6, 2024 By Duke Ferguson Leave a Comment

In this article, I want to show you how to properly fit a dominant dog collar, or what I simply call a slip lead. This type of collar is highly effective for calming reactive dogs, especially those who are leash reactive or tend to freak out around other dogs. It’s a great tool to help your dog relax without immediately resorting to more corrective tools like pinch collars.

Why Choose a Dominant Dog Collar?

The slip lead is designed to help calm your dog. It’s not about correcting behavior through sharp jerks,or activating but rather about providing gentle control and reducing reactivity. If you have a dog that overreacts to other dogs or becomes highly excited on the leash, starting with a slip lead or a dominant dog collar can be very beneficial. A slip lead is different than a dominant dog collar but my PEI language – Island slang, often calls all the collars “slip leads. IT is good to note that Slip, leads, slip collars, as well as dominant dog collars are all different tools by nature but can be used similar.

NOTE: Dominant dog collar is the collar in the video and size requirements are needed, not as much for slip leads. Size and measurements differ depending on where you get the collar.

Fitting the Dominant Dog Collar

Getting the right fit is crucial for the collar to work effectively. Here’s how to measure and fit the collar properly:

Measure the Neck: Use a measuring tape or a piece of string to measure around the dog’s neck, just behind the ears. You want this measurement to be snug, as a loose collar will not stay in place.
Choose the Right Size: Once you have the neck measurement, select a slip lead that matches. If the measurement is between sizes, it’s generally better to choose the smaller size to ensure a snug fit.
Positioning: The collar should sit high on the dog’s neck, right behind the ears. This is critical because a collar that sits too low will not provide the control you need and can slide down.
Fitting: When you put the collar on, the clip should be in your left hand with the dog facing you. This allows for easier and more effective handling. The collar should be snug enough that you can fit your fingers underneath but not so loose that you can fit your whole hand.

Checking the Fit

To ensure the collar is fitted correctly, attach the leash and pull gently. You should only see a small amount of slack, ideally just the length of your finger. If there’s more slack, the collar may be too loose and will not stay in the correct position.

Using the Dominant Dog Collar or any Slip Lead

When using the slip lead, keep in mind that it’s a tool to help your dog stay calm. It is important to teach your dog how to responded to the collar first in a few training sessions so the dog understands how to get its advantage. Teach your dog to be in control of it and learn how to remove it and avoid it. Just before your dog starts to react or pull, add gentle pressure and known command and reinforce a sit or a different behaviour it knows and likes. Then removing the discomfort encouraging your dog to relax and focus. It’s not meant to jerk over and over and or cause pain, but to guide and help then keep calm.

Benefits of a Proper Fit

A well-fitted slip lead:

Helps calm leash-reactive dogs by applying gentle pressure they want to avoid.
Keeps the collar in place high on the neck, where it’s most effective.
Prevents the collar from sliding down becoming un effective. ensuring consistent communication between you and your dog and having motivation is important.

Final Thoughts

For reactive dogs, starting with a slip lead can make a significant difference in their behavior on walks or outings while they learn to walk. Add food for positive reinforcement in training after the release of pressure of the lead to 10X the power! It provides enough consistent control and helps to calm your dog without the need for harsh corrections. If you’re looking for more training tips and personalized guidance, consider joining me in UPX our Unleashed Potential Experience community. We offer bi-weekly live training and coching sessions, access to our comprehensive online courses, and a supportive community to help you achieve your dog training goals. Jon a challenge, learn about breathwork and more.

Consider UPX Personal Development and training for YOU and YOUR dog.

For more information and to join us in UPX, visit https://www.dukeferguson.com/upx/membership and take the next step towards unleashing you and your dogs full potential.