How to Train Your Dog: Annarose on Communication, Consistency & What “Trained” Really Means

THREE RULES & DEFINING “TRAINED”

Hey everyone. In this episode, we’re playing back a conversation about three rules I live by when working with dogs. 

Every time I talk to a new client, we always discuss their goals for their dog. What I hear a lot is, “Well, my dog isn’t trained,” or “I need my dog trained.” What I’m finding is that everyone’s definition of “trained” is different.

There hasn’t really been a way to standardize it.

A2: No, that’s definitely true of dog training overall. I almost haven’t found two people who define a trained dog the same way. It’s kind of crazy.

Annarose:
Yeah. I mean, it’s not a regulated industry. There’s not one way to train dogs or one definition of what “trained” means. Literally everyone has a different idea of what trained is and what it means.

A2: Does that bother you, or excite you?

Annarose:
Honestly, kind of neither. I guess it does excite me, but it also means I have to make sure I’m very clearly on the same page as my clients. I need a lot of clarity around exactly what their expectations are, whether I can meet them, how I’ll meet them, what it’s going to look like, the timeframe, and what their dog is actually capable of.

CLARIFYING CLIENT EXPECTATIONS

A2:
So you feel like you clarify a lot with clients?

Annarose:
So much. Yes. So much clarification. It’s super important.

I’ll talk to one client who says, “My dog isn’t trained,” and what they mean is the dog jumps on people and doesn’t know how to sit, but maybe comes when called sometimes. Then you talk to the next person and for them, “not trained” just means the dog doesn’t understand the word “no” and doesn’t listen when they say it.

Someone once kept telling me, “My dog doesn’t listen,” and I was like, “Okay, can you explain what you mean by that a little more?” What they really meant was, “When I say no, he doesn’t stop what he’s doing.”

A2:
So is that all you’re telling him?

Annarose:
Exactly. And then I have to dig deeper. Does the dog really not understand what “no” means? Or has “no” never been paired with a correction? Dogs don’t innately know what “no” means. It’s command plus correction.

Almost all the time in situations like that, dogs need an association with a word or sound for it to have meaning.

WHAT IS A TRAINED DOG?

A2:
Before we even get into what you think a trained dog is, I’m curious what your definition would be.

Annarose:
I haven’t thought about it in a formal way, but when I approach a dog, my expectation is that the dog listens to its owner. Whether the dog is greeting me at the door or walking toward me on a leash, in those first few seconds I can usually tell if the dog is trained.

If a dog jumps on you and the owner asks the dog to stop, does the dog comply? Dogs can’t help wanting to smell you or bark. That’s normal. But if the person asks the dog to do something, the dog should show some degree of compliance.

You can tell when a dog is ignoring commands because it hasn’t been conditioned to listen.

So for me, a trained dog really aligns with the owner’s expectations. Early on, before I went to school and when I was first learning, I thought there should be a standard: don’t jump, don’t get on furniture, know sit, down, and so on. To some degree I still feel that way, but if someone wants their dog on the couch, I don’t care. If they don’t care, I don’t care.

What matters is consistency. You can’t allow the couch sometimes and not other times. It has to be always or never.

BALANCING OWNER GOALS & DOG NEEDS

Annarose:
Ultimately, my goal is whatever makes the owner comfortable and happy living with their dog, but I also have to consider what the dog needs. A lot of dogs need more structure than people realize.

If an owner says, “I just want my dog to not jump on people and listen when I say no,” I might need to teach the dog four or five different things to reach that goal, depending on the dog’s temperament.

An anxious dog, for example, needs more structure to feel secure. Even if the owner doesn’t think they need that much training, the dog might.

A lot of people also don’t realize what dogs are capable of. When I demo one of my dogs, people are like, “I want that. I want off-leash obedience.” They didn’t even know it was possible. Most dogs are capable of way more than the situations they’re usually in.

A2:
That’s interesting, because you’re providing enlightenment for the dog, for the client, and for yourself. Once people see it, they understand.

Annarose:
Exactly. One of my biggest goals is education.

COMMANDS, MARKERS, & CORRECTIONS

A2:
Let’s talk more about command and correction. Dogs don’t know English.

Annarose:
Right. If a dog doesn’t understand what “no” means, it’s because they haven’t been conditioned to understand it. A puppy comes home, does something wrong, and the owner just yells “no,” assuming the puppy understands the word.

Any word you teach a dog has to be paired with something. With “no,” it has to be paired with a correction the dog finds motivating enough to stop the behavior. That looks different for every dog.

I call “no” and “good” marker words. When a dog chooses a behavior you don’t want, you say “no,” mark the moment, and follow up with a correction. Over time, you don’t need the correction anymore because the dog associates the word “no” with it.

The same goes for “good.” When they do the right thing, you say “good” and reward them. Eventually, you can space rewards out or remove them entirely because the word itself has meaning.

Even commands like “sit” are just sound associations. You could use any word.

BODY LANGUAGE & ENERGY

A2:
People joke that dogs understand full sentences.

Annarose:
Yeah, but dogs are much more tuned into body language and energy. That’s how they communicate. Their lives revolve around us, so they’re always paying attention.

If someone panics, the dog panics. I was teaching a lesson recently and a small dog came out of an apartment. I stayed calm because I knew if I showed panic, the dog would too.

Dogs read energy instantly.

A2:
That tracks. Once dogs know you, they’re like, “Okay, you’re part of the picture.”

Annarose:
Exactly. Dogs don’t randomly become reactive or aggressive. There’s usually a buildup we miss. We don’t notice subtle changes because we don’t always know how to read them.

DOG-TO-DOG COMMUNICATION

Annarose:
Dogs communicate physically with each other. If you watch dogs play, they’re constantly communicating. A paw on another dog’s back, approaching from the side, snapping at a puppy—those are all forms of correction and communication.

A2:
Like that video you sent me with the mom and the puppies.

Annarose:
Yes. She came in calmly and corrected them for mobbing her. Some puppies backed off immediately, others tried again. Different temperaments, even within the same litter.

You learn so much by watching dogs interact with each other. That’s why socialization with well-socialized dogs is so important.

WHAT MAKES A DOG TRAINER?

A2:
So what makes a dog trainer?

Annarose:
That’s even more complicated than defining a trained dog. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer. The industry is unregulated, which is both good and bad.

It’s good because training is so case by case. There’s no one-size-fits-all method. Every dog, family, and situation is different.

I start with positive motivation—food, toys, praise, whatever the dog values. Once the dog knows a command, if they choose not to comply, I introduce consequences. It’s balanced.

If I call a dog back from the street and they ignore me, that’s a safety issue. Dogs don’t understand cars. They understand consequences.

Every dog needs a different balance. Some need one correction ever. Others test you more.

EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

Annarose:
No two trainers train the same way, even with similar methods. Dogs read energy. That’s why it’s so important to transfer training to the owner.

Experience matters. You can learn from books and programs, but until you’ve worked with a lot of dogs, you don’t know what they’ll throw at you.

I’m a certified professional dog trainer through the Tom Rose School, which covers everything from basic obedience to protection and scent work. But someone with an online certification can use the same title.

That’s why I tell people: do your research. Find the trainer that fits your dog, your needs, and your lifestyle.

At the end of the day, there’s so much more to dogs and dog training than most people realize.