When a dog follows instructions one minute and then ignores them the next, owners may wonder what’s going on. Most trainers know the dog is just in “the messy middle” of the training journey: the dog knows the commands and how to respond, but struggles to let go of old behaviors, habits, and coping mechanisms.

When a dog follows instructions one minute and then ignores them the next, owners may wonder what’s going on. Most trainers know the dog is just in “the messy middle” of the training journey: the dog knows the commands and how to respond, but struggles to let go of old behaviors, habits, and coping mechanisms.