Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs
Tracy Franken- Dog Trainer, Vet Tech, Dog Lover, 🐾

Latest episode
234 episodes
229 | What Is Your Dog Learning About YOU? The Tiny Moments That Build (or Break) Trust
10/08/2026 | 32 mins.Hey Dog Lover 🐾
Every single day, your dog is learning something about you.
Not because you're training them.
Not because you've set aside ten minutes to work on your relationship.
They're learning about you in hundreds of tiny moments throughout the day.
When something unexpected happens, what happens when they're with you?
When they're unsure?
When they're excited, frustrated, or overwhelmed?
Because over time, all of those little experiences start answering a much bigger question for your dog:
What can I expect from this person when I don't know what to do?
In this episode, we're continuing our conversation about leadership and looking at what it actually means to become someone your dog can rely on.
Because your dog isn't the only one you're learning about.
Your dog is learning YOU, too.
We'll talk about:
🐾 Why your relationship is being built in hundreds of tiny everyday moments
🐾 What your dog may be learning from you when something unexpected happens
🐾 How our own reactions can become part of what our dogs learn to expect
🐾 Why predictable doesn't mean you have to respond the same way every time
🐾 Why being calm ALL the time isn't the goal
🐾 The importance of contrast and my "I-mean-it voice"
🐾 Why clarity matters more than perfection
🐾 One simple question you can ask when your dog isn't sure what to do
Because leadership isn't something you declare.
It's something your dog experiences.
And every interaction gives you another opportunity to show your dog:
You don't have to figure everything out alone. I'm here. We'll figure it out together.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Tracy xoxox
RESOURCES
🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
🐾 Take the Quiz!
https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
🐾 Read the Blog!
https://beyondobedience.ca/blog
CONNECT WITH ME!
Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store
🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣
Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.
Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.
👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Step 3: Ready to stop guessing what your dog needs and start becoming the partner they can actually trust? Join The Fearless Framework at the beta price of $297 before beta pricing ends August 18th.
👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
www.shawntrotter.com- Hey Dog Lover 🐾
When you hear the word leadership, what comes to mind?
Do you picture someone who's always in charge?
Have you ever worried that becoming a "leader" means being controlling or acting like the boss?
If so, you're not alone.
Leadership has become one of the most misunderstood words in the dog world. Somewhere along the way, it became associated with power, control, and making your dog do what you say.
But that's never been what leadership has meant to me.
In this episode, I'm sharing why I believe leadership is really about guidance, partnership, and knowing when to step forward—and just as importantly, when to step back. Because building trust with your dog isn't about proving who's in charge. It's about becoming someone your dog can rely on.
We'll talk about:
🐾 Why leadership gets such a bad reputation in dog training
🐾 How redefining leadership can transform your relationship with your dog
🐾 Why fearful and confident dogs both need guidance—but for different reasons
🐾 The difference between leading with control and leading with trust
🐾 Why great leadership isn't about always having the answers
🐾 A story from the woods that completely changed the way I think about leadership
We'll also explore:
leadership
trust
partnership
communication
confidence
curiosity
and why sometimes the best way to lead your dog... is knowing when to let them lead you.
Because leadership isn't about being the boss.
It's about building a partnership where each of you brings your strengths to the relationship.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Tracy xoxox
RESOURCES
🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
🐾 Take the Quiz!
https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
🐾 Read the Blog!
https://beyondobedience.ca/blog
CONNECT WITH ME!
Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store
🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣
Step 1: Join the free Living Beyond Obedience community and connect with other dog owners who are learning to lead through trust, relevance, and understanding.
Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to discover how your dog's unique personality shapes the way they learn, communicate, and respond to leadership.
👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Step 3: Ready to build a calmer, more connected relationship with your dog? Join The Fearless Framework and learn how to become the reason—and the reward—in your dog's life.
👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
www.shawntrotter.com - Hey Dog Lover 🐾
Have you ever caught yourself thinking,
"I just wish my dog trusted me."
Do you wonder what you can do to earn your dog's trust?
What if we've been asking the wrong question all along?
In this episode, I'm sharing one of the biggest lessons Levi ever taught me about trust.
Because when Levi first came home, all I wanted was for him to let me touch him.
I wanted him to choose me.
I wanted him to trust me.
But eventually I realized...
That desire wasn't really about Levi.
It was about me.
And that realization changed everything.
We'll talk about:
🐾 Why trust can't be rushed
🐾 The difference between wanting your dog to trust you and becoming trustworthy
🐾 Why consistency matters more than perfection
🐾 How trust grows through hundreds of ordinary moments
🐾 Why forcing connection often creates more pressure
🐾 The quiet ways dogs discover who we really are
We'll also explore:
trust
leadership
relationship
patience
fear
connection
and why trust isn't something we convince our dogs to give us...
It's something they discover over time.
Because trust isn't something we get from our dogs.
It's something we become.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Tracy xoxox
RESOURCES
🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
🐾 Take the Quiz!
https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
🐾 Read the blog!
https://beyondobedience.ca/blog
CONNECT WITH ME!
Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store
🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣
Step 1: Join a supportive community of dog owners learning how to build trust, clarity, and healthier partnerships with their dogs inside the free Facebook group Living Beyond Obedience.
Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to better understand how your dog naturally responds to stress, pressure, and relationship dynamics.
👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Step 3: Learn how to navigate fearful, reactive, and emotionally complex behaviour with more confidence and clarity inside The Fearless Framework.
👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
www.shawntrotter.com - Hey Dog Lover 🐾
Have you ever felt guilty for using a leash, a long line, a head halter... or even a muzzle?
Do you worry that needing equipment means you're somehow failing your dog?
What if we've been asking the wrong question all along?
In this episode, we're exploring one of the biggest mindset shifts in relationship-based dog training.
Because equipment doesn't build trust...
And it doesn't destroy it either.
The real question isn't what you're using.
It's how you're using it.
We'll talk about:
🐾 Why dog training equipment carries so much emotional baggage
🐾 The assumptions people make about muzzles, head halters, harnesses, and long lines
🐾 Why equipment itself is emotionally neutral
🐾 The difference between using tools for safety versus control
🐾 How your emotions influence the conversation with your dog
🐾 Why communication always matters more than the equipment
We'll also explore:
trust
leadership
communication
choice
safety
relationship
and why the leash...
The muzzle...
The harness...
Or the long line...
Are simply part of the language you're speaking together.
Because equipment doesn't have emotions.
We do.
And the deeper the relationship...
The quieter the conversation becomes.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Tracy xoxox
RESOURCES
🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
🐾 Take the Quiz!
https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
🐾 Read the blog!
https://beyondobedience.ca/blog
CONNECT WITH ME!
Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store
🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣
Step 1: Join a supportive community of dog owners learning how to build trust, clarity, and healthier partnerships with their dogs inside the free Facebook group Living Beyond Obedience.
Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to better understand how your dog naturally responds to stress, pressure, and relationship dynamics.
👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Step 3: Learn how to navigate fearful, reactive, and emotionally complex behaviour with more confidence and clarity inside The Fearless Framework.
👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
www.shawntrotter.com - Hey Dog Lover 🐾
Have you ever stopped to wonder what you're actually communicating to your dog... before you ever say a word?
Do you find yourself relying on commands, leash pressure, or constant reminders, yet still feel disconnected?
What if the most important conversation with your dog isn't happening through your words at all?
In this episode, we're exploring one of the biggest shifts you can make in your relationship with your dog: understanding the silent conversations that happen every single day.
Because dogs aren't just listening to what we say.
They're reading how we move.
How we breathe.
How we approach.
How we invite.
And by the time we say the word...
The conversation has already begun.
We'll talk about:
🐾 Why dogs communicate differently than humans
🐾 How body language, movement, and timing shape every interaction
🐾 Why the leash shouldn't be your primary conversation
🐾 What it really means to "ask" your dog
🐾 How relationships become more fluent over time
🐾 Why the deepest relationships are often the quietest
We'll also explore:
communication
leadership
trust
connection
clarity
body language
and why the goal isn't to become louder...
It's to become more fluent.
Because the deeper the relationship...
The quieter the conversation becomes.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Tracy xoxox
RESOURCES
🐾 Join the Online Program Fearless Framework!
https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
🐾 Take the Quiz!
https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
🐾 Read the blog!
https://beyondobedience.ca/blog
CONNECT WITH ME!
Contact → info@beyondobedience.ca
Podcast → https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
Connect → https://facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience
Resources → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Merch → https://www.beyondobedience.ca/store
🐾 NEXT STEPS 👣
Step 1: Join a supportive community of dog owners learning how to build trust, clarity, and healthier partnerships with their dogs inside the free Facebook group Living Beyond Obedience.
Step 2: Take the Dogonality Quiz to better understand how your dog naturally responds to stress, pressure, and relationship dynamics.
👉 https://www.beyondobedience.ca/quiz
Step 3: Learn how to navigate fearful, reactive, and emotionally complex behaviour with more confidence and clarity inside The Fearless Framework.
👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless
Music Credit 🎶: Shawn Trotter
www.shawntrotter.com
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About Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs
Do you wish you could enjoy life with your dog again?
Are you struggling with a reactive, fearful, anxious, or misunderstood dog?
Do walks, visitors, or everyday situations leave you feeling stressed, frustrated, or embarrassed?
I'm Tracy Franken, a retired vet tech turned dog trainer. I discovered the secret to a life of ease with my dogs; Through trust-based training, and a deeper understanding of dog behaviour, I'll help you build confidence, strengthen your relationship, and create a dog you can trust in the real world.
Because lasting change starts with understanding the dog you love.
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- Stations and podcasts to bookmark
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Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Body Language, Anxious Dogs, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs
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