I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I’ve always loved to train dogs (and horses). As a child I wanted to teach something to every dog or horse I encountered. (I tried cats, too, and they remain an enigma to this day; gerbils were somewhat responsive, goldfish not so much). Why? What is it that draws me to this? After some contemplation I realized that quite simply, it is the ability to establish communication with another species, the reward of building a relationship and developing a rapport with the animal. And witnessing all of those moments when everything clicks and the dog “gets it.”