Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution

I Need To Correct Something I Said About Dogs

In my post from this morning where we talked about the concept of limbic resonance, I said dogs can “absorb our anxiety.” A few people pointed out that this kind of language can unintentionally blame guardians, especially neurodivergent people and those with mental health conditions, for their dog’s behavior. I realize now how harmful that phrasing is. It plays right into a toxic, ableist trap in the dog training world that tells guardians, "You are just being anxious… you’re the problem as the guardian". You do not need to miraculously fix your mental health to be exactly what your dog needs. Thank you to those of you in this community who pointed this out - you were right to challenge it. Have you ever felt blamed for your dog’s behavior?