The Three E’s of Dog Training: Experience, Emotion, and Expression
In the world of dog training, it's easy to get tunnel vision. We're told that if our dog isn't listening, we need better obedience. If they're barking or lunging, we need a stronger “Leave it,” a tighter “Heel,” or more enticing treats. But here's the truth: obedience is not the answer to address poor outward expression—it's simply part of the equation.
If we want truly balanced, fulfilled dogs, we need to consider the Three E’s of Dog Training: Experience. Emotion. Expression.
Let’s break it down.
Experience: The Real-Life Curriculum
Experience is what your dog goes through day in and day out. It's the environments they’re exposed to, the people and animals they encounter, the challenges they face, and how they learn to navigate the world. Without experience—real, structured, thoughtful experience—obedience is nothing more than a party trick.
You can teach a dog to down-stay in your living room, but that doesn’t mean they’ll know how to handle a jogger and their off-leash doodle charging up on a walk. Experience teaches resilience, adaptability, and understanding—none of which can be learned through reps alone.
Emotion: The Heart of Behavior
Dogs are emotional creatures. Fear, anxiety, frustration, joy, excitement—these all drive behavior. When trainers ignore a dog’s emotional state and instead focus on suppressing the behavior through obedience, they often end up creating a ticking time bomb.
It's common to see popular social media trainers or big-box store classes address reactivity with surface-level solutions like:
“Use better treats!”
“Build a stronger ‘eyes on me’ cue!”
“Just tell them ‘Leave it!’ and correct them with the prong!”
These are not solutions. These are attempts to override emotional chaos with performative obedience. And often, they add pressure to an already overloaded dog.
I've worked with many dogs who are phenomenal at obedience. They can nail a Rally course or crush a Trick Title routine—but put them in a real-life situation with emotional weight, like walking past a cat or navigating a crowded sidewalk, and their behavior crumbles. Why? Because they’ve been taught what to do, but not how to feel.
Expression: The Output That Matters
Expression is how a dog communicates their internal world. Barking, growling, lunging, pacing, shutting down—these aren’t disobedient acts, they’re expressions of emotion. And here's the key: You cannot correct expression without addressing the emotion that drives it.
Trying to shut down a dog’s reactivity with obedience commands is like trying to stop a panic attack by telling someone to smile. It’s dismissive at best, harmful at worst.
On the flip side, I’ve met ranch dogs who don’t know how to sit on cue but handle new animals, chaotic environments, and kids with ease. No obedience training—but an immense understanding of the world and emotional balance.
What’s the difference? It’s not obedience—it’s the Three E’s in action.
Why This Matters
If we want dogs that thrive—not just comply—we need to stop obsessing over control and start focusing on understanding. Obedience is a valuable tool, yes. But it’s only as effective as the emotional and experiential foundation it's built upon.
So next time your dog struggles with something—before you reach for the e-collar or the bag of high-value treats—ask yourself:
What’s their Experience with this situation?
How do they Feel right now?
What are they trying to Express?
Because that’s where real training lives—in the nuance, not the commands.