For the Dog Lovers

A special guest post.

Romy after helping herself to the sugar bag

I just returned from a dog walk where Romy found a hoagie on the sidewalk (if you didn’t grow up in Massachusetts, like me, this is slang for a submarine sandwich). This led me to pull hard on her leash to try and get her away from the questionable snack, ending in a battle of wills and frustration all around. My neighborhood seems to be a landing spot for road snacks, so this happens regularly. It’s a hot button for me, and a field day for Romy.

If you also find walking your dog on-leash less than enjoyable, this guest post from Tara Stillwell, found of Forrest School for Dogs, is worth a read! I recently had a long conversation with Tara, which was eye opening, heartfelt, and left me hopeful about being a better dog owner. Enjoy.

The Trail Version of Your Dog Is the Real One

By Tara Stillwell

You’ve felt the difference. Your dog on a trail — off leash, moving freely, nose working, body loose — is a different animal than your dog on the neighborhood sidewalk, straining at the end of a six-foot leash, losing their mind at every dog across the street. One version looks like joy. The other looks like a problem you’re failing to solve.

You’re not failing. And your dog isn’t broken.

What you’re seeing is a dog whose needs are being met in one situation and not the other. The pulling, the barking, the reactivity on leash — that’s not a training failure. It’s a normal response to an impossible situation: an animal built for movement, exploration, and social connection, asked to navigate a world that offers almost none of it on a six-foot leash. When we start by meeting our dogs’ real needs — time in nature, consistent friendships, freedom to move — the “problem behaviors” don’t need to be trained away. They tend to dissolve on their own. And the human-focused skills, like walking calmly on leash, become genuinely teachable because the dog is no longer operating from a deficit.

That instinct you have — that the trail version of your dog is the real one — is worth trusting.

And if you’re already hiking with your dog but keeping them on leash — whether because you’re not sure their recall is solid enough, or because you’ve been told that’s the rule — you’re not behind. You’re closer than you think. The gap between leashed trail walks and safe, genuine off-leash freedom is exactly the gap this program is designed to close.

Forrest School for Dogs was developed by Tara Stillwell out of a deep focus on animal welfare and a frustration with the way conventional approaches treat dog behavior problems — too often starting with what the dog is doing wrong, rather than asking whether the dog’s needs are being met in the first place. The program has a proven track record as an intervention for both preventing and resolving behavior issues, grounded in three pillars: natural environments, stable social groups, and the skills that make off-leash life safe and sustainable. Now, Forrest School for Dogs is growing into something bigger — an organization focused on education, advocacy, and community — and right now is the chance to be part of the early days. The flagship model is the Co-op — small, consistent Packs of dogs and their people who hike together regularly, coached by a trained professional but owned and run by the members themselves. It’s not a class you take and finish. It’s a community you build and keep.

If this resonates, there are two ways to learn more. A webinar on April 25 will walk through the Co-op model, what participation looks like, and how to find or start a Pack in your area. Workshop dates will be announced at the webinar for those ready to go deeper.

Webinar: April 25 at 4 p.m. EDT — https://forrestschoolfordogs.com/co-op-webinar

Upcoming Workshops: Dates to be announced at the webinar

Follow @glimmerdog on Instagram to see the work in action

Your dog already knows what they need. This is a framework for giving it to them — together.