The Pack Feed
It’s finally starting to warm up, and I’m getting dangerously optimistic about paddle season.
One of the small games we’re running right now is PFD neutrality with the Astral Bird Dog Float Coat. The goal with new equipment isn’t “get it on the dog.” The goal is the dog isn’t thinking about it. Neutral is the win. Positive is a bonus.
So we rep entering, rep exiting, and rep doing fun stuff while wearing it until it’s just another normal part of the game.
Boston’s job description is pretty simple: go everywhere truck dog, backcountry buddy, and professional tag along for whatever my kids and I are doing. Paddleboard season is coming, so I’m getting him ready now.
Phase 1 is just little games in the yurt that build big stuff later. I’m not really telling him to do anything. I’m setting up the situation and letting him hunt for the behavior, using simple markers and a food toss game to build body awareness on a moving surface. Then I slide logs under the platform for a little instability, basically fake waves.
This is the church music before the rock and roll. Build the behavior first. Make it fun. Make it confident. Then later we’ll layer in the real on water components.
Most people don’t have a dog training system.
They have a loose pile of half-remembered advice and a growing collection of gear and toys they were pretty sure was the missing piece. Not because they’re dumb. Because they’re trying. They want it to work.
And I’m not anti-gear. I like nice stuff. But if your plan is basically try something random, hope it works, blame the dog, blame yourself, that’s not a system. That’s throwing darts at a dartboard and calling it a plan.
A system means you know the order of things. You know what you’re working on right now, what comes next, and what you’re not ready for yet.
Letting your dog track isn’t just about finding lost stuff—it’s about giving them a real shot at breathing, focusing, and leading the way. Think of it as doggy yoga, but with you getting dragged through the woods. When you stop micromanaging and let your dog’s nose take charge, you’ll see confidence, calm, and teamwork you can’t get from a “sniff safari.” Give it a shot—you might just learn something from the dog at the end of your leash.
Toughness isn’t about random pain, fear, or struggle. Done right, it’s a progressive power and attitude increaser in your training system—building a dog’s joy and confidence through real challenges. It’s good for the mind and essential for thriving in the reality of life in this modern world.