Disclosure: I purchased the ARC-X myself. I also purchased the ½-inch titanium contact points used during the latter part of this review. Dogtra UK answered my questions during testing, but they did not ask to review or approve this article before publication. When Dogtra introduced the ARC-X, it was positionedRead more … Read More
If We Truly Care About Dog Welfare, We Should Be Regulating E-Collar Training, Not Banning E-Collars Whenever e-collars are discussed, the conversation almost always becomes one of two extremes: “Ban them.” Or “Leave everything as it is.” I don’t think either approach addresses the real problem. The issue isn’t theRead more … Read More
Why the Distinction Matters in Malinois Rescue When Malinois are surrendered to rescue, owners rarely say: “He has too much prey drive.” They say: “He’s aggressive.”“She loses her mind.”“He’s out of control.” Those words follow the dog into assessment, into kennels, sometimes into euthanasia decisions. And in many cases, they’reRead more … Read More
Why “Prey Drive” Is Too Vague – And Why Precision Matters We throw the term “prey drive” around far too casually in the Malinois world. Dog chases a cat? Prey drive.Dog locks onto a rabbit? Prey drive.Dog goes airborne at a squirrel? Prey drive. It becomes this catch-all explanation forRead more … Read More
In the UK, a familiar pattern is playing out once again. A major animal welfare charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), has launched a high-profile public campaign against electronic dog training collars. This time, it is fronted by a newly branded “Animal Welfare EvidenceRead more … Read More
Most people assume night training is harder on the dog. Less visibility. Less information. Less control. In reality, the opposite is usually true. When I train at night, in pitch darkness, the only thing that’s genuinely disadvantaged is me. River is just fine. I train with the marker light onRead more … Read More
This isn’t controversial. It only feels controversial because too many people confuse hope, habit, or vibes with training. Let’s get this straight from the outset: If your dog will not return to you immediately, every time, under distraction, it has no business being off-lead in public. Not “usually.”Not “with treats.”NotRead more … Read More
The Problem Isn’t the Puppy. It’s the Environment. Malinois puppies don’t “struggle” in pet obedience classes. They simply expose the fact that those classes weren’t built for them in the first place. Pet obedience is designed around the temperament of Labradors, cockapoos, spaniels, and the sort of dogs who thinkRead more … Read More
Introduction Every handler knows the feeling – the creeping thought that maybe your dog is slowing down. You brush it off at first. He’s just stiff from the cold. A bit slower to the bite. Hesitant to jump the wall. But deep down, you know what’s coming. Retirement. No oneRead more … Read More
Sometimes the textbook goes out of the window. This Sunday, mine did. I live in a converted barn split into three large properties. Each has its own space, I have my own driveway, and the other two share another one beside it. If you come to my door, you useRead more … Read More