THE MACKAY WAY

Dog Behaviour & Leadership Specialist

Cricket & Tanner

From Frantic Herding Drive to Joyful, Focused Companion

Every herding dog carries a fire inside her. In the right environment, that fire is breathtaking. Cricket, a spirited Corgi, arrived at The MacKay Way caught in a storm of her own instincts — and Tanner arrived right alongside her, looking for a way through.

Before: When the Drive Runs the Dog

[ PHOTO: Cricket before — intense, hyper-vigilant, full of frantic energy ]

Cricket's eyes were always moving — scanning, tracking, fixating on everything. Walks had become something to brace for. Her nervous system was constantly fired up, and calm felt completely out of reach.

Tanner felt it too. Two beings, each watching the world a little too hard, trying to navigate it together without a shared language.

The Work: Clear Leadership Changes Everything

Christine structured Cricket's routine to drain her intense herding energy first — giving her instincts a productive outlet before asking her to settle. The slip leash became the tool of communication, and for Cricket, that clarity changed everything. She finally had a signal she could understand and a leader she could trust.

Her reactive habits shifted within sessions. The frantic scanning softened. The whining faded. Cricket began checking in with Tanner instead of managing the world on her own.

Today: Joyful, Focused, and Free

Cricket after — calm, settled, eyes on Tanner

Cricket goes to dog parks now. She has made friends. When a trigger appears, she glances at Tanner, finds her footing, and moves forward. Walking the dog has become something Tanner genuinely looks forward to — and his own anxiety has eased alongside hers.

"Cricket gets to enjoy life so much more now due to training." — Tanner

Empowering One Pack at a Time.

Training the Human. Transitioning the Dog.

"Cricket gets to enjoy life so much more now due to training!" — Tanner

Where Instinct Meets Obedience