handler skills - The Malinois Collective

Training in the Dark: When Your Dog Has the Advantage

January 2, 2026 by Brian Bennett

Belgian Malinois training off-lead at night with collar marker light

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

Why Every Trainer Tells You to End on a Positive Note – and What It Actually Means

October 19, 2025 by Brian Bennett

Introduction: The Line You Hear Everywhere “Always end on a positive note.” It’s one of those phrases that gets thrown around in every training class, video, and forum thread.But few people explain why it matters, or what “positive” actually looks like to the dog when you’re working with a high-drive,Read more … Read More