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05/25/2026
MERCURY UPDATE #6
Trust the process when rehabilitating your rescue
And here's why I say this...
A few weeks ago, Mercury would have never been this comfortable,
Where he willing comes on the bed next to me.
He was affectionate but still very skeptical.
What did I do to get him to open up?
I let him figure everything out with distant yet supportive guidance.
I let him initiate EVERYTHING.
I let him approach me for attention,
Then I pet him.
I didn't force or rush anything.
And this where most new rescue owners go wrong.
They feel so bad for their poor dog that they end up overcompensating with attention and affection.
This is actually extremely counterproductive.
Why do I say this??
Because it keeps them in a constantly anxious state as they never got a chance to adjust and decompress.
So if you just got a rescue dog and you've been struggling with their visually anxious or fearful behavior,
You could actually be the cause.
And yes, I know it isn't nice to hear,
But I am not saying this to condemn you...
I am saying this to help you make the necessary changes that will help your rescue!
If you've been struggling with your rescue and need urgent help,
DM me "HELP"
PS- How did you get your rescue to open up to you?
-Marc Windgassen
No Drive... No Joy
05/15/2026
Your dog isn't pulling because they're "bad"
They're pulling because you taught them to..
Most owners walk their dog on a tight leash from day one.
The second a dog feels constant pressure, the opposition reflex kicks in and they pull harder against it.
You created the very thing you're frustrated by.
The other half of the problem is engagement.
Your dog comes outside and gets hit with new scents, new sounds, and new sights,
Which means that you become the most boring thing on the walk 😂
So they drag you toward whatever is interesting.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁
The leash stays slack. Always.
The moment your dog moves to tighten it, you give a small tug and turn 180 degrees in the opposite direction.
Then you keep walking that way until they catch up and pay attention.
The point is to make pulling annoying and unfavorable.
Dogs only repeat what is efficient and gets them the outcome they want.
If pulling toward the squirrel results in them ending up further away from it every single time, pulling stops being worth the effort.
When they come back to your side, they get rewarded with verbal and physical praise/ affection.
(an encouraging 'good boy!' in a high voice for example)
When you stop walking, they sit.
No shooting forward, no choking themselves, no dragging you down the street.
You need to have relaxed arms, slack leash, clear communication.
That's how you achieve loose leash walking.
If your dog turns every walk into a workout and has you looking like you're water-skiing behind them...
You know who to message...
Spoiler, it's me 🫣
PS- 97% of my clients have been able to stop their dog's leash pulling in 30 days or less!
PSS- Have you stopped going for walks with your dog because it's too stressful?
I won't judge, I'm here to help you as best as I can
-Marc Windgassen
No Drive... No Joy
𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺's golden retriever was chasing seagulls
on the beach and came back with ONE CALL..
This is only Honey's second time ever on a beach.
In the video you can see her far out, completely locked in, chasing seagulls because that's exactly what prey and hunt drive looks like in a Golden Retriever.
When these instincts fire... most dogs are gone.
You can call until your throat gives out, they won't come.
That used to be Graham's reality.
Honey's recall was essentially nonexistent.
Plus she was reactive on walks.
We worked on it session by session through my live 1-on-1 Zoom consultations,
Towards the exact goals Graham laid out in our very first session together.
A solid recall was one of them.
He messaged me right after this video. Elated.
Here's how he described it:
"Her recall is amazing now compared to before we started training. Her reactivity is getting better...
Anything over about 8ft away on a dog walk and she doesn't react, and that is a huge improvement from before we started when she would react to everything."
This is what the result of consistent work and training actually looks like.
Not overnight, not magic, just a clear plan and the commitment to follow it through.
Together, 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗹 and I have achieved one of his dream goals with Honey,
And that's an extremely rewarding feeling as a trainer.
I'm so proud of him and Honey!
If you'd like your dog to have a solid recall like Honey,
DM me "RECALL"
PS- What challenges do you face or experience with your dog's recall?
Marc Windgassen
No Drive... No Joy
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