I'm a balanced dog trainer who loves to keep it real. I want to empower YOU to bring out the best in your dogs through training and support you along the way. I hope these episodes help you feel less alone!
A New Puppy, a Lot of Grief + What Matters to Me Now
Dog trainer Sarah reveals how a new puppy brings joy amidst grief, sharing insights on modern puppy raising and training techniques.
15 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Truth About E-Collar Training (And Why People Get It So Wrong)
In this episode of Confessions of a Dog Trainer, I’m sharing the real story behind the book I didn’t plan on writing - and why e-collar training became the thing I couldn’t stop thinking about.
After posting a few videos on Facebook and getting flooded with negative comments, I almost stopped sharing about e-collars altogether. But instead of getting defensive, something shifted. I got curious.
This episode breaks down the biggest misconceptions I see about e-collar training - the ones that keep so many dog owners stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure of what to trust.
If you’ve ever felt confused, hesitant, or judged for even considering an e-collar… this is for you.
In this episode, I talk about:
Why I started writing my next book (working title: The Truth About E-Collar Training)
The impact of negative comments on social media - and how it shifted my perspective
How curiosity changed the way I respond to criticism
The real goal behind this book: helping owners feel less confused and more confident
“It’s a shock collar” Why that label is misleading and doesn’t reflect how modern e-collars are actually used
“It electrocutes dogs” What e-collars actually are (muscle stimulation, similar to a TENS unit) and how they work
“It’s a shortcut or lazy training” Why e-collar training actually requires more intention, structure, and consistency - not less
Why saying “the e-collar doesn’t cause discomfort” can actually do more harm than good
The importance of honesty and nuance when talking about training tools
The 3 Biggest E-Collar Misconceptions:Bonus Misconception:
Show Notes:
Resources Mentioned:
My book
Dear Owner (available on Amazon) (https://a.co/d/03FNWkdu)
E-Collar Starter Guide (https://walkingdogtraining.com/newecollarstarterguide)
Reactive Dog Handbook (E-Collar Training for Reactive Dogs) (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/reactive-dog-e-book)
Separation Anxiety Guide (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/separationanxietyguide)
30-minute coaching / reassurance calls (https://walkingdogtraining.com/virtual-session)
27 Feb 2026
Barking, Ball Obsession, Cat Chaos - What I’d Tackle First
In this episode of Confessions of a Dog Trainer, Bethany answers an amazing owner email from Brooke - who did a Board and Train with her two dogs, Maggie and Ivy, back in January 2023 - and has been feeling off track lately. If you’ve ever had a season where walks feel daunting, your confidence dips, and your dog’s behavior starts getting louder (hello, yard barking, ball obsession, and fence drama), this one will feel like a deep exhale.
Bethany walks through a practical reset plan that’s realistic for real life: walking dogs separately to rebuild your “mental muscle,” using the e-collar consistently so “no” becomes believable again, dialing up in meaningful jumps (not nagging), and focusing on just one or two priorities instead of trying to fix everything at once. She also covers how to handle prey-drive cat reactions, why heel position matters more than most owners realize, when muzzle training can be a great confidence tool, and how to use management (crate-and-rotate) to reduce chaos while you rebuild structure.
This episode is equal parts training strategy and owner reassurance - because getting off track doesn’t mean you failed. It just means today is a good day to reset.
Show notes resources:
E-Collar Starter Guide (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/the-e-collar-starter-guide)
Reactive Dog Handbook (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/reactive-dog-e-book)
Guide to Separation Anxiety (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/separationanxietyguide)
Problem Solver Guide (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/problem-solver)
Seven Day Reset (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/the-7-day-training-reset)
Video Library (https://walkingdogtraining.com/shop/p/e-collar-starter-guide-videos)
Inside a recent episode
A New Puppy, a Lot of Grief + What Matters to Me Now
Published 17 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] This is because I've worked with a lot of dogs who do not do well on their own, and I do not want him to have separation anxiety. And so this is very important to me. This is also something about the more dogs I work with, the more I'm reflecting on the things that I've seen dogs struggle with. And I'm trying to think about how can I make sure that this isn't something that he struggles with? So that's kind of interesting as like a dog trainer from my perspective. I'm also not doing fancy things. Like to me, I just want a calm dog who's confident and can go places with us. That's it. So that is what this puppy quote unquote guide is. […]
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