Authored by Lara Avery

Obedience is a precision sport. which means it’s super easy to focus on what’s wrong.
The slightly crooked sit
The lag
The wide turn.
The rear that’s just a little out.
And while those things matter… they should never matter more than this:
Is your dog trying?
Because your dog should believe one thing above all else,
The harder I try, the more it pays.

Let’s say your dog is heeling with great engagement, attention, and effort… but the butt is slightly out.
Do I say “get in”?
Noooo
Because I’m not about to deflate all that effort I just built.

Instead, I use reward placement I throw the reward to the dog’s left and slightly behind.
Now the rear straightens naturally… without killing drive.
Reward placement matters. A LOT.
It’s not just about rewarding,
it’s about shaping movement without criticism.
If you focus too much on what’s wrong, you create a dog that’s careful.

If you reward effort and guide the details, you create a dog that TRIES.

Those are the ones that WIN.

Lara is a nationally recognized dog trainer. If you want to reach out to Lara, directly please visit her website http://www.starpowerdogtraining.com or email: [email protected].