meghan byers 4/29/26 meghan byers 4/29/26

What is a Good Dog?

What is a good dog? Is it a dog who knows a million trained behaviors, who always acts according to our wishes, who never steps out of line? Is it a dog who you can trust with kids, kittens, baby bunnies…?

meghan byers 4/23/26 meghan byers 4/23/26

4 ways I prepare for better dog training sessions

I won’t lie – sometimes I train my dogs messily, on the fly, with little preparation going into it. But when I’m working on something brand new or complex, there are certain ways I prepare my environment and myself to make sure we get the most out of our training sessions.

meghan byers 4/8/26 meghan byers 4/8/26

5 Trained Behaviors We Use Daily

Last week I talked about why I train my dogs and what I love about dog training. This week we’re going more practical. I’m going to talk a little bit about some of the training I use all the time with my dogs, just to reduce friction in our everyday life.

These are 5 behaviors we use on a daily basis.

meghan byers 4/3/26 meghan byers 4/3/26

Why train your dog?

Good training isn’t just about getting your dog to do what you want her to do.

meghan byers 3/24/26 meghan byers 3/24/26

When your dog says she’s done

I spent this weekend at a huge positive reinforcement training conference, packed with renowned training experts who were giving tons of fascinating presentations. I was so excited to go and learn from some of the best in my field.

But I barely got through a single full session.

And it’s not that I wasn’t interested.

Here’s what happened.

meghan byers 9/12/25 meghan byers 9/12/25

Dog Parenting on Low Battery

As a dog guardian with a chronic illness, I know what it’s like to wake up and have a “low spoon” day where you feel like garbage, but you’ve still got living creatures depending on you. I know how frustrating and guilt-inducing it can be to not be able to engage in more physically demanding activities with your dogs, like long walks or hikes. But there are lots of low-effort activities that can make these days just a bit easier on everyone.

meghan byers 7/20/25 meghan byers 7/20/25

Sighthound Training: Are Sighthounds Too Stubborn?

Are sighthounds really too stubborn to be trained? Let’s talk about it.

meghan byers 7/3/25 meghan byers 7/3/25

Training a Hand Target for Confidence and Connection

Have you ever heard of teaching your dog a hand target? This is where your dog “targets” your hand with her nose. In the most basic terms, the way it looks is you hold your hand flat with your palm facing your dog, and your dog touches her nose to the “target” – your hand. Usually, we use the verbal cue “touch.”

It’s a neat trick – but why teach it at all?