“What are some important things that dogs need every day?” I opened my volunteer training session at Berkeley Animal Control with this simple question, and hands shot up around the room.

Many of us raise working dogs as pets, without realizing the mismatch. I didn’t set out to raise a working dog but that changed when I met Mick, a pup from California’s rural ranchlands.

Training dogs brings me a great deal of joy and satisfaction. But to share this passion with my students, I must first understand any reasons that may have prevented them from fully enjoying training in the past.