Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Behaviour Training, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs Podcast By Tracy Franken: Retired Vet Tech Dog Trainer Dog Lover Dog Bond Specialist 🐾 cover art

Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Behaviour Training, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs

Beyond Obedience | Dog Training, Dog Behaviour Training, Scared Dogs, Reactive Dogs

By: Tracy Franken: Retired Vet Tech Dog Trainer Dog Lover Dog Bond Specialist 🐾
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Do you long to have a happy, confident dog you can take anywhere? Are you worried your reactive, fearful dog may hurt someone or something else? Do you have to “prepare” yourself to take your dog for a walk around the block? Hey there! I’m Tracy, a retired vet tech turned dog trainer, mom, wife and all-around dog lover. When I realized the key to building confidence in my dog was in understanding him and NOT just tossing treats and obedience my life changed! Now I have a pack of “just good dogs” I trust to take anywhere. And I am sharing it all here! So put down that leash & let's get to it!Tracy Franken: Retired Vet Tech , Dog Trainer, Dog Lover, Dog Bond Specialist 🐾
Episodes
  • 188 | What Happens When You Stop Trying to Contol Your Reactive Dog
    Mar 19 2026

    Hey Dog Lover🐾


    Are you constantly trying to manage or control your reactive dog’s behaviour?

    Do you feel like if you’re not actively directing every moment, everything will fall apart?

    What if the real shift isn’t about controlling your dog… but about controlling yourself?

    In this episode, I’m sharing a personal turning point that changed the way I work with dogs forever.

    There was a time when I was teaching obedience classes — even though deep down I knew it wasn’t how I was actually living with my own dogs. It felt disingenuous to teach people to rely on commands and control when I knew the deeper transformation with dogs came from something else entirely.


    We talk about why so many reactive dog owners feel stuck in control mode, why obedience alone often falls short, and how real change begins when we shift our focus inward. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything you’ve been told to do but your dog still struggles, this conversation will help you understand where the real leverage is.

    Hope you enjoy!

    Tracy xoxo


    Resources and Links Mentioned

    Calm Down, Dog! Bootcamp (FREE Live Event – March 18–20)
    Join us for this free 3-day live experience where we explore what leadership actually looks like to a dog and how to guide your dog to calm without relying on constant commands, treats, or techniques.
    👉 https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp

    Living Beyond Obedience (Free Facebook Community)
    Join thoughtful dog lovers having grounded conversations about life with reactive and fearful dogs.
    👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/LivingBeyondObedience


    Connecting with You and Next Steps

    Contact → https://beyondobedience.ca/contact
    Podcast → Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or https://beyondobedience.ca/podcast
    Connect → Join the free Facebook group Living Beyond Obedience
    Resources → Take the Dogonality Quiz at https://beyondobedience.ca/quiz

    Next Steps 🐾👣

    Step 1: Join a supportive community of dog owners who feel like they’ve tried everything but still feel stuck at the free Facebook group Living Beyond Obedience.

    Step 2: Register for the free Calm Down, Dog! Bootcamp happening March 18–20 at
    https://beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp

    Step 3: Get more personalized support inside The Fearful Dog Fearless Framework at
    https://beyondobedience.ca/fearless

    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • 187 | Before the Bootcamp Starts: The One Thing Reactive Dogs Need From You
    Mar 16 2026

    Hey Dog Lover! 🐾

    This episode is a little different.

    If you’re joining the Calm Down Dog Bootcamp, consider this your bootcamp prep.

    Because before we even begin, there’s one shift that will make everything we talk about during the bootcamp make a whole lot more sense.

    Many reactive dog owners fall into a cycle:

    Something happens.
    The dog reacts.
    We try to fix the reaction.

    More training.
    More techniques.
    More management.

    But reactive dogs are rarely struggling with obedience.

    They’re struggling with certainty.

    Dogs are constantly asking questions about the world around them:

    Is this safe?
    Do I need to handle this?
    Or are you handling it?

    When those questions don’t have clear answers, dogs often try to manage the world themselves — and that’s when reactivity shows up.

    In this episode, we explore the leadership shift that helps reactive dogs finally relax and begin asking questions instead of reacting.

    The Calm Down Dog Bootcamp starts tomorrow.

    March 17–19
    One hour a day
    Live on Zoom (with replays available)

    Inside the free Facebook group, we’ve already started reset challenges, conversations, and giveaways.

    Grab your spot here:
    beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp


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    16 mins
  • 186 | Your Reactive Dog Isn’t Overreacting: So Why Are They Always On Edge?
    Mar 12 2026

    Hey Dog Lover🐾

    Reactive dogs often look like they are overreacting to the world.

    They bark.
    They lunge.
    They scan every movement.

    But what if your dog isn’t overreacting at all?

    What if your dog is simply trying to manage a world that feels uncertain?

    In this episode, we explore why reactive dogs often live in a state of hyper-vigilance and the important difference between:

    • prey drive
    • fear
    • hyper-awareness

    Many reactive dogs are constantly watching the environment because they believe it’s their responsibility to handle it.

    And that responsibility is exhausting.

    When dogs don’t feel clarity about who is handling the situation, they often try to solve the problem themselves — which leads to barking, lunging, and reacting.

    In this episode, we unpack why that happens and what reactive dogs are actually looking for from their humans.

    Hope you enjoy!

    Tracy xoxox

    NEXT STEPS 👣🐾

    Calm Down Dog Bootcamp

    The Calm Down Dog Bootcamp runs March 17–19 and is designed specifically for dog lovers living with fearful or reactive dogs.

    Three days.
    One hour a day.
    Real conversations and practical insight you can start using immediately.

    Join here:
    beyondobedience.ca/bootcamp


    Join the Community! Living Beyond Obedience On Facebook


    Got a Question?

    Leave me a message!

    www.beyondobedience.ca/contact


    Show more Show less
    20 mins
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