08/19/2026
Lessons from the Lead – Part 6
Choose Your Pack Carefully
There’s an old saying:
“Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”
The people around us influence how we think, how we behave and, eventually, who we become.
Dog training is no different.
Spend time around positive, curious people who celebrate progress and treat mistakes as opportunities to learn, and you’ll probably grow with them.
Spend enough time surrounded by negativity, gossip, excuses and constant criticism…
Eventually, some of it rubs off.
Emotion travels down the lead.
A calm handler can help create a calmer dog. A frustrated handler can create frustration. Our environment affects us and we affect our dogs.
But choosing good people doesn’t mean surrounding yourself with people who always agree with you.
The best people will challenge you.
They’ll ask difficult questions, point out your blind spots and occasionally tell you something you don’t want to hear.
The difference is intent.
Some people challenge you because they want you to grow.
Others criticise because they want you to feel smaller.
Learn the difference.
And remember, this works both ways.
Ask yourself:
Am I someone other people would want in their pack?
Do I encourage?
Do I listen?
Do I celebrate other people’s success?
Do I help solve problems rather than create them?
Because if we want better people around us, we also have to become better people to be around.
Not everyone needs to like you.
Not everyone needs to agree with you.
And not everyone deserves a front-row seat in your life.
Choose your pack carefully.
Surround yourself with people who make you think, make you laugh, celebrate your progress and challenge you without attacking you.
Most importantly, be that person for someone else.
🐾 Food for Thought
“A strong pack isn’t built by everyone thinking the same. It’s built by everyone pulling in the same direction.”
