The Mr. Rogers Hack: How Talking to Your Dog Builds Trust, Reduces Anxiety, and Strengthens Your Bond

You’ve probably heard someone say, “I feel silly talking to my dog.” But what if that small act of chatting with your pup could change your entire relationship—and help your dog feel safer, more confident, and better understood?

Enter: The Mr. Rogers Hack.

Inspired by the gentle wisdom of Fred Rogers, this approach takes a page from his playbook—calmly and clearly explaining the world to someone who’s still figuring it out. Just like Mr. Rogers helped children navigate life’s challenges with kindness and clarity, we can do the same for our dogs.

Why It Works

Dogs, like kids, are constantly observing and processing the world around them. But unlike us, they don’t get context. They don’t know why the garbage truck sounds like a monster, or why a stroller suddenly appears on the sidewalk.

This is where the Mr. Rogers Hack becomes so powerful.

By narrating your dog’s world, you give them a sense of understanding and predictability. That understanding helps lower their anxiety and builds trust in you as their guide. You're essentially answering your dog’s silent questions:

“What was that?”
“Should I be scared?”
“Is this safe?”

How to Use the Mr. Rogers Hack

Think of yourself as your dog’s parent, tour guide, or narrator. You’re offering real-time commentary on what’s happening, how they might feel about it, and what it all means. Here’s how: READ MORE.

Using a “CURVE” When Walking Past Distractions

If you’ve never used the “curve” when walking your dog, you are missing out on helping your dog stay calm, feel comfortable, and communicate friendliness with distractions; regardless of if it’s another dog, a person, or a scary object.

Unleashed Program Launching July 7th!

Ready to give your dog the freedom they crave while building skills and confidence? Our Unleashed Program is designed to let dogs be dogs—in the most enriching, fulfilling way possible. Through a mix of sniffy walks, off-leash play, guided hikes, and mentally stimulating enrichment activities, we help your pup tap into their natural instincts in a safe, structured environment. Whether your dog needs to burn energy, build social skills, or just explore the world with their nose, Unleashed is the perfect blend of fun and functional. Let us do the work—your dog just gets to be wildly, wonderfully dog.

Limited availability. Email us with the subject line “Unleashed” to be the first to access upcoming appointments.

Listen wherever you stream your podcast or click here.

YOUR DOG is not broken, and YOU have not failed.

Building a relationship with your dog or training them is not about compliance and conditioning. It's not about control.  It's about meeting your dog where they are, for who they are, in recognition of all that they bring to the table in their unique recipe of interacting L.E.G.S. (Learning, Environment, Genetics, & Self).

Just as is the case with any individual animal on Earth, dogs are biological animals whose behavior is the collective product of the interaction between Nature AND Nurture. It's not one or the other like you've been told. A dog's genetics do not predict their behavior, and it's not "all how you raise them". 

Rather, it is a complex orchestra of elements designed to interact in cooperative harmony for organisms filling distinct niches in various ecosystems. Captivity and controlled breeding have interrupted this natural system of checks and balances, and THAT is what results in "behavior problems" in our modern pet dogs. 

So what do you do? How can you help your dog? The very first step is to get the TRUTH so that you can understand what might actually be happening for your dog or prevent issues from arising. Follow this link for a FREE one-hour video that will change your life with your dog forever.

For Dog Pros, if you have not taken Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S. Course, you are missing out on the most important educational material available to you, as a professional. She has a big sale going on now! Learn more here.