Pet To Pal Podcast · August 10, 2026 · 51 min

More Control, More Freedom For Your Dog? | Eric Straetmans from Beyond The Leash Dog Training

What does it actually mean for a dog to be “trained”?In this episode of the Pet To Pal Podcast, I sit down with Eric Straetmans of Beyond The Leash Training for a wide-ranging conversation about real-world dog training, obedience, reliability, e-collar training, socialization, dog parks, board and trains, crates, and what it actually takes to build a dog that can function in everyday life.Eric has been training dogs for nearly 30 years and has built his approach around family obedience, control, neutrality and real-world reliability. We get into some controversial topics and challenge a few common ideas in the dog training industry.We discuss:-Why Eric stopped offering private lessons and focuses on group dog training-Why he hates board and train programs-Why training the owner may be more important than training the dog-Why your dog knowing “sit” at home doesn't necessarily mean your dog actually knows “sit”-Generalization in dog training and why dogs need to practice behaviours in different environments-The importance of duration, distance and distraction-Why Eric changed his mind about dog parks-Why socialization doesn't necessarily mean letting dogs play with other dogs-Neutrality and calm coexistence around people and dogs-Eric's philosophy on balanced dog training-E-collar training, corrections and conditioned responses-Learned optimism vs. learned helplessness-Whether stress during training is necessarily a bad thing-Why crate training can remain useful even after a dog no longer needs a crate every day-Why more control can actually give a dog more freedom-The difference between training a dog for real life vs. dog sports-Why reliability matters more than simply having a dog perform obedience in a controlled environmentWe also talk about the evolution of Eric's training philosophy, including why he went from being completely against dog parks to taking a more nuanced position, and why he ultimately chose to focus his career on family obedience rather than trying to be everything to everyone.If you're interested in dog training, dog obedience, balanced dog training, e-collar training, dog behaviour, reactive dogs, leash training, off-leash reliability, dog socialization, crate training or real-world obedience, this episode is worth watching.Guest: Eric StraetmansBusiness: Beyond The Leash TrainingPodcast: Beyond The Leash🎙️ Pet To Pal PodcastConversations with dog trainers, veterinarians, groomers, behaviour professionals and other people working in the pet industry.#DogTraining #DogTrainer #DogObedience #EcollarTraining #BalancedDogTraining #DogBehavior #PetToPalPodcast