I've been training dogs professionally since 1989 when my English setter Charley got a steady gig on Late Night with David Letterman as "Charlie the Bubble-Eating Dog."

My approach is different from those used by most other trainers. Instead of focusing on dominance or giving your dog rewards for "good behavior," the approach I use is based on the principles of Natural Dog Training, created by Kevin Behan.

Between 2002 and 2007 I wrote a series of popular dog- related mystery novels for Harper Collins/Avon.

In 2009 I was asked by Psychology Today to write about dogs for their website. In the next 4 years I wrote over 100 science- based articles on canine behavior and learning, working alongside other experts like Dr. Marc Bekoff and Dr. Stanley Coren, getting nearly half-a-million views.

The relationship between dogs and humans began over 40,000 years ago when our ancestors and our dog's ancestors hunted woolly mammoths together.

We didn't dominate our dogs or use positive reinforcements to motivate them. We were hunting partners. We were on the same wavelength, in tune with Nature and with one another.

What's most important to dogs now? Getting rewards for good behavior? Being dominated? No. Dogs want to feel emotionally connected to us, and to feel like they're part of a team.

Natural Dog Training is the only training system I've found that enables you and your dog to feel connected on that deepest level. And once your dog feels that connection, obedience comes naturally.