Behind The No

We're not being rude...We're advocating for our dogs and the endless hours of hard work that go into training a high-drive, competition/working dog.

Why Training Boundaries Matter

(1) What Are Reasonable Training Boundaries? 

(2) Why Do Training Boundaries Matter For Dogs & Humans?

It was a long session at the market for Ganache (pics above) —complete with a nail trim—and he did really really well! By the end, he was tired, checked out, and not interested in treats or toys. 

That’s fair; young, high-drive dogs have limits, and part of training is learning to respect when they’ve given their best to the session.

As we were leaving, I wanted to practice one more important skill, holding a down while a crowd and another dog passed by. 

In this moment, Ganache wasn’t motivated by anything —he was mentally done. So I crouched down next to him. Not to “make” him do something, but to guide him through a challenge without disrupting another handler and their calm dog.

Then came a common scenario many handlers face…Someone approached asking to pet Ganache.

My answer was a polite but firm: “No, I’m sorry, we’re training.” 

When they pressed for his name next, I declined again with a simple, “No, we’re training.”

They responded rudely as I continued to manage Ganache. 

Here’s the thing, I didn’t say ‘No,’ to be rude. 

I said ‘No,’ because names, voices, and attention are all distractions. 

And in training, every ounce of focus matters—especially with a 6mon, high-drive Belgian Malinois learning to hold composure in a stimulating environment.

A few takeaway’s from today that came to mind…

--> We are not entitled to pet or engage with someone’s dog.

--> A handler saying “no” is not personal—it’s about protecting the training process.

--> Raising a high-drive competition dog requires boundaries, consistency, and respect from the public, just as much as from the trainers and handlers.