Dog training is actually quite simple—and it should be fun. The reason it feels difficult for many people is they don’t realize they’re always training their dog. How you play is how you train. Whether you know it or not, your dog is paying attention to what it takes to win.

Puppies learn at lightning speed. Yet most people don’t think seriously about what behavior they want until their dog is showing behavior they don’t want. That’s when the question becomes: how do I change my dog’s behavior? The answer starts with understanding how your dog sees the world. What he sees is opportunity.

In the wild, puppies learn survival skills from Mother Nature. Domestic puppies, on the other hand, are given everything they need with little consideration for their behavior. I call this “doggy welfare.” But here’s the good news: you can teach the patterns you want while enjoying the process of raising your puppy. Everyone loves a well-mannered dog, but few are willing to discipline themselves. Remember, you and your dog are dance partners—and you’re supposed to be designing the dance. When you set the rules of the game, you are training.

The challenge is that dogs process information almost instantly, while humans often lag behind. Dogs may not understand our human context, but in their own context, they operate much faster than we do.

My job as your coach is to help you catch up—to give you a clearer understanding of your dog. How they see the world, and more importantly, how in their own context they experience and understand you.

When this shift happens, you’ll see why your dog is doing what he’s doing. And if you’re willing to take the coaching, you’ll be able to change your behavior—which changes the world your dog lives in. Once your dog sees you as a leader, he’ll adjust his own behavior naturally.