About a year after publishing Braveheart, someone who had read it asked me a question about something I’d written. I found that part in the book, and as I started answering, I caught myself thinking: “Hmm… I wouldn’t explain it like that now.” Then I went back through the book. There were a couple of things I’d changed my opinion on. Something I would explain differently. A technique I would now approach another way… And honestly? I was devastated. People had paid for this. They were following my advice. Some had told me it was the best dog training book they’d ever read. Others called it a bible for dog trainers. And here I was, thinking I could teach parts of it better. “Should I rewrite it? Should I tell everyone? What am I supposed to do now?” I talked to my friend Lila about it, and she said: “Alex, the bigger problem would be if you hadn’t changed anything about your training. This just means you’re growing.” That stayed with me. I’d spent so long trying to finish a book I could be proud of. Publication was delayed by about TWO YEARS because I kept tweaking things. Without the contractual obligations and my publisher getting really angry, I’d probably still be tweaking it today. 😂 I wanted it to be the best it could possibly be. But I hadn’t really considered what would happen when my own learning continued after publication. The book captured what I knew then. Publishing it wasn’t going to stop me learning. That’s the story behind the reel I’ve attached: Being a good dog trainer means realising how dumb you were 12 months ago. Every 12 months. 😂 You don’t need to reject everything you used to do. But being able to look back and say, “I understand this better now,” is something worth celebrating. For example, when I wrote Braveheart, I hadn’t yet developed my Play Formula into the Play with Purpose system I teach today. The structure, the detail and how I coach it have evolved since then. The way I approach confidence training and explain TBRR now is on a different level.

I'm in the hotel in Poland right now, getting ready for the training camp called Pełnia Potencjału which translates to Full Potential. Actually this is a series of events under that name that I was running here for over a year now. Funny enough, I didn't come up with that name. Years ago, when a friend first invited me to teach in Poland, we were trying to come up with a name for the workshop. I was like maybe play, maybe reactivity... He suggested Pełnia Potencjału (Full Potential) My first reaction? "Nobody will come! What does that even mean?" 😂 But the more I thought about it, the more I realised how perfectly that name describes my approach to dog training. Because building motivation, confidence, relationship, impulse control and emotional regulation is essential to unlock our dogs' full potential. Regardles if we train for everyday life or competition ring. Let me tell you a little story. Meet Fatty, my first Rottweiler. On our first day at the training club, I was told: "Get rid of that dog." She wasn't considered suitable for sport. In fact, they didn't think she would even make a particularly good companion dog. She had very little motivation or drive, was easily distracted, extremely sensitive to environmental pressure, and reactive towards dogs and people. Not exactly the promising competition prospect I was hoping for! I spent months going from seminar to seminar, looking for that one magic training tip that would finally make everything work. But all I was getting were technical solutions. How to teach heelwork. How to teach the sendaway. How to improve this or that exercise. And I kept asking myself: "But how the hell do I teach any of this if my dog doesn't even want to work with me?" That's when I completely changed my approach. Instead of focusing on exercises, I started focusing on the dog. I worked on her motivation through food, toys and play. As her motivation grew, so did her focus and engagement. I worked on her confidence separately from any obedience exercises. She became less sensitive to pressure and the environment, and it also helped enormously with her reactivity.

Heel work in the garden

Two off-lead dogs charged at me and my dog. One of them...well didn't have friendly intentions. Everything ended fine, but watching the footage back, there are a few things I could have done better — and a few things I’ll do differently when it happens again. In this video I break down: • Why I put my dog in the middle position • What I did to stop the dogs getting to him • What I should have done earlier • Why I should have been more assertive with both the dogs and the owner • And most importantly, why my dog trusted me to deal with the situation This is exactly what I teach through my 3-step framework for dealing with off-lead dogs: 1. Communication Your dog needs to understand where to go and what you want them to do when something goes wrong. 2. Confidence & Trust - this one is the most IMPORTANT I want my dog to believe that the space next to me is the safest place in the world so they don't feel like they need to react. Not because other dogs suddenly become safe — but because he trusts that I will handle the situation. 3. Practical Strategies Positioning, body blocking, barriers, backpacks, umbrellas, dealing with owners and knowing what to do when another dog keeps approaching. But the biggest lesson is this: Don’t wait for a real emergency to practise. If the only time you practise advocating for your dog is when an uncontrolled dog is already running towards you, of course you’re going to feel stressed. Practise before you need it. Get the reps. Then when the real situation happens, you already know what to do. I break the full system down step-by-step inside my highly requested webinar. It is available in Classroom and for Premium Members. https://youtu.be/VQG4tNlQ5k8

@Alex Lato I have just finished listening to this webinar, very interesting and lots of things I can learn and practice! but yet again you make it look easy! Very different when the dogs are running your way! 🫣 Maggi already knows about lead control but I have always walked away from the problem dogs, just sitting will be my next challenge when this happens again,