Building Trust With Delilah: Why Sometimes Training Means Doing Less

Delilah is one of our newest board and trains at Primal Canine, and with her, the first stage of training looks a little different.

Instead of jumping straight into obedience, structure, and a bunch of formal exercises, we’re starting with something much more important — helping her feel comfortable.

Delilah came in very unsure of people and her surroundings. In the beginning, if I moved toward her, she would either pull away or immediately drop to the ground.

That tells me there’s no reason to rush.

Before we can expect clean obedience or reliable communication, we need Delilah to feel safe enough to actually participate.

Sometimes the Session Is Just Hanging Out

In this particular session, we weren’t doing much that would look like traditional dog training.

I was basically just hanging out with Delilah in the training room and allowing her to get used to being around me, the environment, and the normal movement happening around her.

That might not look like much from the outside, but for a dog like Delilah, those quiet repetitions matter.

The goal is to show her that being around people doesn’t always lead to pressure and that she can exist in the space without feeling like she needs to avoid or shut down.

A Small Win That Was Actually a Big Deal

During the session, Delilah let me pet her without flinching or immediately hitting the ground.

For some dogs, that wouldn’t be noteworthy at all.

For Delilah, it was a big step.

Just two days earlier, she didn’t want me getting near her. Seeing her tolerate contact and stay more relaxed told us that she was already starting to become a little more comfortable.

That’s the kind of progress we’re looking for right now.

Not flashy obedience.

Not a long list of commands.

Just more comfort, more trust, and less avoidance.

Why We’re Taking Our Time

Dogs like Delilah can’t be rushed through the early stages of training.

If we push too much too quickly, we risk creating more pressure around the handler and the training environment. Instead, we want to give her enough time to process, observe, and learn that the things around her aren’t as threatening as she may think they are.

As that comfort grows, we can gradually start layering in more training.

The important thing is that Delilah is mentally ready for each step before we move on to the next one.

Delilah’s Board and Train Will Be a Longer Process

Delilah is likely going to be one of our longer board and trains, and that’s completely fine.

Every dog moves at a different pace.

With her, success is going to come from being patient, reading what she’s giving us, and allowing the training to progress at a pace she can actually handle.

We’re always up for that challenge.

This first little breakthrough was a great sign, and we’re looking forward to seeing how much Delilah opens up as we continue building her confidence and communication.

Follow along with Delilah’s journey to see how her training progresses from these early trust-building sessions into more structured obedience and real-world work.

Primal Canine
Gilroy, California
primalcanine.com