The dictionary definition of  "The Third Way" is, "...any option regarded as an alternative to two extremes...".  Dog training currently seems to be polarised between the so-called "Purely Positive", "Positive Only", and "Force Free" camps, and the "Balanced Training" camp, often with the most fundamental and least skilled of each respectively representing them. The dog industry as a whole is going through a monumental upheaval as people lose access to the knowledge and skills of the real "Dogmen".  Gone are the days young and up-and-coming trainers sought out true mentors, or travelled thousands of miles to learn to work dogs from the ground up, picking poop and scrubbing kennels.  Nowadays we are told we can learn everything we need to online, from social media videos and webinars.  Nuance, feel, and total immersion in the true Art of Dogsmanship is being forgotten.  We as humans are also increasingly losing the ability to properly communicate and connect with not only our fellow humans, but also with any other species, and the dog - a species that communicates with utter clarity at all times - is no exception to this.

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As someone who has been privileged enough to have been (and who continues to be) mentored by those who understand not only a dog's true purpose but also the subtlest nuances of canine communication and behaviour, I came up in this industry believing that it is incumbent upon me to pay that legacy forward and teach people to train their dogs in the way the dog best understands.   Many people apply a label to what they do, to try and categorise the "type" of trainer they are or the type of method they use ("I'm 'Purely Positive'!"; "I'm a 'Balanced Trainer'!"; "I'm an 'E Collar Trainer'!") - but labels are a human construct; there is no such concept as a label, to a dog.  I was not taught to communicate with and train dogs (or the human at the end of the leash) using a system, a method, a technique, or a tool.  My mentors have never subscribed to the latest fads, the snappiest acronyms, or the greatest income-generating schemes.  But what my mentors have consistently done is hand me the leash and ask me, "What is the dog telling you?".  Because the dog cannot lie.

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When you hire Third Way Canine to teach you how to train your dog, you are investing in hundreds of years of tried and applied knowledge, skill, and experience accrued by dozens of generations of Dogmen who are the true custodians of a rapidly vanishing craft and way of life.  And if you are also a seeker of knowledge and truth, we will be honoured to have you join us on this journey!