Less Is More: Learning How to Move With Your Dog
Hey there!! Thanks for stopping by for another blog post!
Today I want to talk about something that has become more and more important to me the longer I work with dogs:
Sometimes… you need to shut up. 😂
Seriously.
We spend SO much time talking to our dogs.
“Sit.”
“Come.”
“Leave it.”
“Move.”
“Back up.”
“Come here.”
“No.”
“Good boy.”
“Okay, let's go!”
“Stop.”
“I said come!”
Meanwhile, your dog has probably learned more about what you're going to do next by watching your feet, shoulders, eyes, and movement than they have from half of the words coming out of your mouth.
With certain dogs especially, less is more.
Less talking. Less micromanaging. Less repeating yourself.
More watching. More movement. More awareness.
And eventually, you start creating this almost unspoken dance between you and your dog—or your entire pack.
Here are a few things I want you to think about:
What is your body saying before your mouth says anything?
Does your dog understand spatial pressure?
Are you constantly repeating yourself?
Can you move through your home together without commands?
Are you watching your dog as much as they're watching you?
What happens when you stop trying to control every movement?
Your dog is already watching your body.
Dogs are ridiculously good at picking up patterns.
You lean toward the leash and they know you're going somewhere.
You grab your keys and suddenly everyone's at the door.
You shift your weight toward the kitchen and somehow all the dogs who were dead asleep five seconds ago have materialized behind you. 😂
They notice movement.
So why do we forget that when we're training?
If I'm walking toward a doorway and I don't want a dog rushing through it, I don't necessarily need a five-minute conversation about threshold manners.
I can step into their space.
They move back.
I soften and move away.
They stay out of my space.
I continue forward.
Give. Take. Give. Take.
Eventually, we're communicating without having to say much of anything.
Spatial pressure doesn't have to be dramatic.
When people hear pressure, they sometimes picture something forceful.
It doesn't need to be.
Spatial pressure can literally be one step.
I move toward you—you move back.
You give me the space I asked for—I immediately give space back.
That's the part people miss.
Pressure shouldn't just keep coming.
The release matters.
Think about two people walking toward each other in a hallway. Neither person usually needs to announce:
“Excuse me, I am going to shift approximately twelve inches to my right now.”
One person adjusts.
The other adjusts.
You pass each other.
Nobody said anything.
That's the kind of fluid communication I'm talking about.
Stop narrating everything.
Some dogs can handle a LOT of verbal communication.
Other dogs get completely lost in it.
Especially dogs who are already environmentally sensitive, unsure, easily overstimulated, or constantly trying to figure out what we're asking of them.
Imagine someone standing over you saying:
“Come here. Come on. Come here. No. This way. Hey. Come here. Nope. Over here. Good! No. Wait. Okay. Come on.”
Eventually it's all just noise.
Sometimes I want to see what happens when we take the words away.
I move.
You follow.
I stop.
You settle.
I step into your space.
You move.
I release that space.
You relax.
Now we're actually paying attention to each other.
This becomes REALLY cool with multiple dogs.
Living with multiple dogs can either feel like you're constantly directing traffic…
or everybody can learn the dance.
Picture getting ready to walk through your house with three or four dogs.
You shouldn't necessarily need:
“Move.”
“Back up.”
“Wait.”
“Not you.”
“Come here.”
“Get out of the kitchen.”
“Guys, MOVE.”
Every. Single. Time. 😂
Instead, the dogs start learning your movement patterns.
You walk toward the kitchen—they naturally create space.
You stop at the door—they pause.
You move through—they follow when appropriate.
One dog starts crowding another—you shift your body between them and create space.
You sit down—everyone starts finding their spots.
There doesn't have to be a command attached to every single decision.
You just coexist.
Give AND take.
This part is important because spatial communication shouldn't mean we're constantly marching around making our dogs move out of our way.
Sometimes we move too.
Your dog communicates with you.
Maybe they slow down.
Maybe they turn their head away.
Maybe their body gets stiff.
Maybe they hesitate.
Maybe they move closer.
Maybe they soften.
Maybe they offer engagement.
And instead of immediately giving another command, you listen.
Sometimes I move toward you.
Sometimes you move toward me.
Sometimes I ask you for space.
Sometimes I give you space.
That's where the dance comes from.
It's not one person controlling every movement.
It's two living beings learning each other's patterns.
Body language tells you SO much before behavior happens.
One of the biggest benefits of talking less is that you start watching more.
And dogs are constantly talking.
Watch the mouth.
The ears.
The tail.
The eyes.
The weight distribution.
The speed of movement.
The tension through the body.
Where they're looking.
Whether they're leaning forward or pulling away.
A dog usually doesn't go from completely relaxed to exploding out of nowhere.
There are often smaller changes beforehand.
And when you're actually paying attention, you can respond to the whisper instead of waiting for the dog to scream.
Your body language matters too.
We talk constantly about reading our dogs' body language, but what is your body saying?
Are you leaning over an unsure dog while telling them they're okay?
Are you walking directly toward a dog who is already feeling pressure?
Are you tightening your leash before anything has even happened?
Are you nervously hovering?
Are you asking your dog to settle while you're pacing around the house?
Dogs notice those things.
Sometimes changing our behavior changes theirs without us ever touching a leash or giving a command.
That's pretty freaking cool.
Eventually, it becomes routine.
This is probably my favorite part.
After enough repetition, you stop thinking about it.
So does your dog.
You move through the house together.
You open doors together.
You navigate tight spaces together.
You walk together.
You exist around other dogs together.
Everyone starts understanding where they're supposed to be without constantly being told.
It becomes this quiet little routine you've created together.
Almost like choreography.
You step forward.
They shift.
They move in.
You soften.
Someone needs space.
The group adjusts.
No argument. No twenty commands. No constant micromanaging.
Just communication.
So… what happens when you say less?
You might be surprised by how much your dog already understands.
Training doesn't always have to look like command → behavior → reward.
Sometimes training looks like learning how to exist together.
Understanding pressure.
Understanding release.
Recognizing patterns.
Respecting space.
Watching body language.
Knowing when to step in—and knowing when to get out of the way.
And the coolest part?
Eventually you stop feeling like you're constantly managing your dogs.
You're just living with them.
You know their movements.
They know yours.
Everybody gives a little. Everybody takes a little.
No words needed.
Sometimes the quietest communication ends up being the clearest. 🐾
-Emily :)