The Regulation First™ Model

Longhaired Weimaraner in the field

Regulation is at the heart of everything

Emotions dictate experience

When a gundog is over-aroused, overwhelmed, or shut down, adding more cues doesn’t create clarity. It creates pressure and affects learning.

Real change starts when the nervous system is steady enough to take in new information and make connections. That’s what my Regulation First Model™ is built around, and it’s why my work looks different from most training you’ll have come across.

Curious about the methodology? You can read more on my approach page.

Dysregulation can look like:

  • Pulling, lunging, barking, spinning and reacting before you’ve finished your sentence
  • Shutting down, ignoring cues, moving slowly, or seeming completely checked out

All signs the nervous system isn’t settled enough to think clearly.

It’s often mistaken for:

  • “They’re just stubborn.”
  • “They know it, they’re just choosing not to.”
  • “They’re always ignoring me.”
  • “They’re trying to be the boss.”
  • “They’re being deliberately difficult.”
  • “They’re just showing off.”

But regulation looks different.

It looks like:

  • A pause before reacting
  • Eye contact instead of escalation
  • A body that can stay present even when something exciting appears
  • A dog who can think before they act

Real change begins when their nervous system is stable enough to learn and training only sticks when the mind and body are calm enough to learn.

“Each dog, and owner, are treated as individuals.”
“Even now, two years on, I am continuing to see improvements in my relationship with my dog.”
Cartoon image of dog laying down

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