The Joy-Driven Dog ~ How to Build Behavior Through Play, Fitness & Emotional Flow
- Lorrie Harris
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
How to Build Behavior Through Play, Fitness & Emotional Flow
🎙️ Wag Wisdom Daily Brief Five minutes of science, soul & strategies from my heart to yours—motivation you can’t resist, for pup parents and pet pros alike.
❗️ PROBLEM THEME
“How do I train my dog to listen… without losing the joy that made us love this in the first place?”
👋 OPENING PARAGRAPH
Hi friends, Lorrie J. Harris here—founder of Coaching Canine Companions.
There’s a moment—right before the cue, before the treat bag rustles—when your dog looks up. Not just to perform. But to connect. That moment is sacred.
And too often, in the rush to “get it right,” we rush past it. But what if training wasn’t a checklist? What if it was a dance? A way to play your way back to each other? A ritual, born from motion, breath, and spark?
Let’s dig in.
How to Build Behavior Through Play, Fitness & Emotional Flow
🧠 SCIENCE & BRAIN
The Nervous System Learns in Motion
A 2022 study in Frontiers in Psychology revealed that pairing movement with joyful learning increases dopamine and long-term memory retention. 🔗 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.829751/full
➡️ What this means for you: Your dog doesn’t just learn better when moving—they remember more when joy is woven into the moment.
🎯 Try this: Instead of ending with a treat, end with a tug. Instead of drilling, dance. Movement is memory.
🐾 TRAINING & BEHAVIOR
Joy is Not a Distraction—It’s the Bridge
That sudden zoomie? The mid-cue bark? It’s not misbehavior. It’s the nervous system resetting. It’s your dog’s body saying, “I need movement to reconnect.”
Training shouldn’t fight that impulse. It should partner with it.
➡️ What this means for you: Next time your dog "interrupts" with play, fold it in. Ride the wave, then gently redirect joy toward purpose.
Joy-based behavior doesn’t just work—it sticks.
🌞 MINDSET & WELL-BEING
You Don’t Have to Be Calm. You Just Have to Be Coherent.
You’ve heard it: “Dogs mirror your energy.” But that doesn’t mean faking calm when you feel frantic.
It means letting your energy match your message. If you're anxious—breathe with them. Move. Shake it off together.
➡️ What this means for you: Training isn’t about pretending to be zen. It’s about feeling true. Dogs don’t need you perfect. They need you present.
🎯 Today, walk in coherence—not control.
🌀 DOG PSYCHOLOGY & SELF‑DISCOVERY
The Myth of the Trickster Dog
In every myth, the Trickster causes chaos not to harm—but to reveal. Coyote. Loki. Anansi. They disrupt to show what’s broken and what could be built better.
Your dog’s wild card moments? They’re not rebellion. They’re invitation.
➡️ What this means for you: Instead of punishing unpredictability, become curious. What hidden wisdom is their chaos trying to uncover?
🎯 When your dog goes off-script, ask: “What is this teaching me?”
🌟 ENERGY & CONNECTION
The Pause Before the Play
Here’s your sacred practice for today:
● Before you cue, pause.
● Let your energy settle just behind your breastbone.
● Take one long inhale.
● Exhale into your belly with a soft smile.
● Then cue.
➡️ What this means for you: This tiny pause opens a field of trust. It anchors your cue in presence. It invites your dog, not just commands them.
🎯 Co-regulation is the hidden leash.
🧰 WAG WISDOM EXERCISES PACK
🎯 Title | 🐕 How-To | 🧠 Why It Works |
Chase Me, Then Cue | Play chase for 5 seconds before calling "Come." | Builds joyful momentum into recall. |
Sit Inside the Spin | Let your dog spin, then offer “Sit” on the downswing. | Teaches calm control within excitement. |
Power Pause | Mid-session, pause and breathe together. | Regulates pacing, builds trust. |
Treat the Tug | Use tug instead of food after cues. | Links obedience to physical play reward. |
The Trickster’s Choice | Let your dog choose the next cue once per session. | Boosts agency and partnership. |
🐶 PARTING TAIL-THUMP
“Your joy is the cue I’ve been waiting for.”
💌 Your Closing Whisper
Want more like this? Walk with me at 👉 www.coachingcaninecompanions.com/online-dog-training-store Where science meets soul… and every leash leads to love. With heart, Lorrie J. Harris Founder, Coaching Canine Companions 🐾
📎 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
● The Nervous System Learns in Motion ➝ Use movement-rich, joy-based learning ➝ Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.829751/full
● Joy is Not a Distraction—It’s the Bridge ➝ Fold spontaneous play into your training loop
● You Don’t Have to Be Calm. You Just Have to Be Coherent. ➝ Match your body’s energy to your message, not a fake calm
● The Myth of the Trickster Dog ➝ Reframe chaos as a messenger ➝ Source: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo3755552.html
● The Pause Before the Play ➝ Ground your energy through breath before giving a cue
Comments