The 'Black Coffee' Analogy

Black coffee isn’t commonly liked.

Not because it's bad.

It’s just not everyone’s preference.

Some people love black coffee.

Some people prefer it with milk or sugar.

Some people don’t like coffee at all.

None of those preferences make someone inherently wrong.

What these preferences are saying is...

• You can accept that something exists without needing to like it.

• You don’t have to add, fix, sweeten, or change something just because it’s not to your taste. You can just choose not to have it.

• Disliking something doesn’t make it bad or broken.

"What does this have to do with dog training?" I hear you asking...

Well, some dogs are black coffee dogs.

They’re not broken.

They’re not “bad”.

They just aren’t everyone’s preference.

One dog loves strangers.

Another prefers distance.

One dog thrives in busy environments.

Another finds them overwhelming.

That doesn’t make one dog right and the other wrong - just different.

Why this is an important analogy when it comes to dogs...

Too often, dog behaviour is judged like this:

• “They should like other dogs”

• “They should enjoy being patted”

• “They should cope with busy places”

But that’s like insisting everyone drink their coffee black because some people enjoy it.

Training through the 'black coffee' lens

Force-free training asks:

• What does this dog need to feel safe?

• What environment suits this dog’s nervous system?

• How can we support them instead of trying to change their flavour?

Training isn’t about turning a black coffee dog into a caramel latte. It’s about learning how to serve black coffee well.

What success really looks like...

Success might be:

• A dog who chooses distance instead of reacting.

• A dog who opts out rather than shuts down.

• A dog who feels safe being themselves.

Not every dog needs to love everything. They just need to feel understood and supported in a way that is true to them.

Your dog doesn’t need fixing. They just need advocacy.

And just like a human's coffee preference - a dog's preference is not a behaviour problem ☕🐕