Center for Canine Somatics

Our Training Philosophy

At the Center for Canine Somatics, we don’t start with obedience, we start with the nervous system.

We understand behavior as communication—not something to suppress or override, but something to listen to. Reactivity, shutdown, hyperarousal, and avoidance are not failures of training; they are signals of stress, overwhelm, or a lack of felt safety.

Safety is the foundation of learning.

A dog who feels safe has access to curiosity, flexibility, and connection. A dog who does not is operating in survival. Our work focuses on creating the internal and relational conditions that make learning possible.

We view training as a co-regulated process.

Dogs do not regulate in isolation. Human breath, posture, pacing, emotional tone, and predictability all influence a dog’s nervous system state. At the Center for Canine Somatics, we teach humans how to become steadier, more attuned partners—so dogs don’t have to manage stress alone.

We don't follow rigid methods, we respond to moments.

Every dog, every body, and every context is different. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all techniques, we emphasize observation, flexibility, and responsiveness. What a dog needs in one moment may be different in the next—and our approach honors that reality.

Learning is embodied.

Change happens through the body, not just through cognition. Movement, rhythm, rest, and recovery are integral to our work. We support nervous system capacity first, allowing behavior change to emerge organically and sustainably.

Our goal is not perfect behavior, our goal is resilience.

We help dogs develop the ability to recover from stress, stay connected under pressure, and move through the world with greater ease. We help humans build relationships rooted in trust, clarity, and emotional safety.

This isn't a quick fix, it is a deeper way of working, one that asks more awareness, more presence, and more responsibility from the human.

In turn, we create lasting change—for both human and dog.