https://www.metcalfmethod.com/articles daily 0.75 2025-11-25 https://www.metcalfmethod.com/articles/a-guide-to-dog-personalities monthly 0.5 2022-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1650728248431-0VT6FGQMMY58UM9RYIPI/rabbits2.jpg Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/5deb886e-f76a-4641-a76b-afb10500abf5/41vvstuymvl._sx334_bo12c2042c2032c200_.jpg Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/e60defd9-2d29-41e2-998b-5ab2ca145ad8/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.28.59.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out The Leader: The top dog. These are the stallions, often kept for breeding or placed with experienced trainers because their uninhibited nature requires a skilled hand to manage them. A handler who emphasizes control is a good placement. The Leader personality thrives with an authoritarian approach as long as you win them over first. Otherwise, you risk rebellion. The more sensitive the breed the more likely the Leader personality will balance out a delicate temperament. Although you could end up with a sensitive dog that acts like a tough guy. I used to prefer the Leader personality because I admired their strength and independence. But after owning some of these fabled hard dogs, my curiosity about them was satisfied and I went searching for more trainable animals. Did you ever hear someone say: ”That dog is testing you”? This statement is more judgment than helpful instruction and too many trainers use this tired trope for just about anything. However, some dogs do test you. All dogs want to better their circumstances but Leader personalities push boundaries directly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/03623be0-bc97-4332-a6b7-f9923ca68792/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.32.52.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Follower: Most successful competition dogs are Followers. Followers perform well in tests and generally are the best overall pups. They are known to be bold/ but biddable–an excellent combination. The trouble with the Follower enters when his valiant eagerness starts to annoy because he overdoes it. These interactive dogs are often termed “affiliative. ” They love to nudge you and say “Do something with me.” Just as Leaders and Shy dogs are here on earth to be teachers, Followers are eager students. They want to believe in us. When someone says this dog “wants to please,” it’s most likely a Follower. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/753bb2ff-b7cc-4078-a64a-e4337c447740/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.34.08.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Aloof: When I first read about this way of evaluating dog personalities, my young mind had little room for anything but Followers or Leaders. I read that Aloof personalities were perfect for older trainers. Now that I’ve gotten older, I love this category just as Jons’ book predicted. The Aloof personality is less social and can get nervous and defensive if pushed. Because of this outlook you can confuse reserved for well mannered. A quality I like about the Aloof is that they do not grovel for your attention, and they try to keep their composure at all times. Aloof dogs make great demo dogs, because they will ignore the outside world and focus on the handler. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/72fecb96-03b6-4121-a609-4680fc34d3e3/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.35.32.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Shy: Everyone knows not to pick the shy one, that is the the common advice at least, and I’m not going to dispute it. It can be a burden to always buffer stressful experiences for your Shy dog 24/7, 365. Shyness is an abundance of caution, if you throw caution to the wind you end up dead. We need a little shyness to balance out boldness, but too much shyness can be a problem especially in an urban environment. However I’m not here to judge a natural survival strategy. All around us there is shyness and many dogs and handlers have learned to work with it. Some have even turned it into an advantage by capitalizing on the Shy dogs natural responsiveness. Shy dogs are best with someone who desires to nurture. You might be a hard ass but another thrives off nurturing. A by-product of training a Shy dog is enjoying a dog that is loyal and easy to control– in most circumstances. The shy dog needs to be drawn out of its’ shell, whereas a leader dog needs to be pushed back in. Drawing a dog from its shell may be a joy to some and torture for others. I do it for a living, and I can tell you, that’s where you show all the patience and skill you’ve spent years developing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/eabb40dd-f45c-498d-a755-749ea8b84343/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.41.30.jpg Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Creating Balance. When left in its own echo chamber, any dog personality can spiral into a self-reinforcing cycle. Being shy works so being more shy offers more relief. Being aloof works so being an introverted crank works better. Being a leader works so being a bossy prick works better. Being a follower works so being a bratty busy body works better. You need to work with your dog in its strongest suit but provide the antidote to his excesses. What I mean by this is while your leader dog may be the apple of your eye, after all he is so bold, but if you don’t provide checks to his leadership he may become a little tyrant. Your Follower might be the “best boy in the world” but along with that comes being an attention seeking brat if you don’t work on his independence. Your Aloof personality dog might have you tricked into thinking he is very polite and obedient, but if you push him out of his comfort zone, he will become nervous and defensive. Your Shy dog is perfect off leash, but unless you have guided him through the times when the world floods him with panic you never know what could run him off. Encourage a Shy dog to break the rules. Encourage a Leader to follow you. Encourage a Follower to be independent. Encourage an Aloof personality to be gregarious. Bring the Leader down a notch. Set the Shy dog up to have emboldening experiences. The Follower can be patient, the Aloof should learn tolerance. The best dogs are made by people who are aware of their dog’s deficits and work toward a balanced personality. Personality combos. The four personalities are reductions of complicated canine characters. These personalities are actually complex blends. Not only in a linear way from boldest to shyest but also non adjacent traits can be present in the same animal. For instance a Leader most of the time but with a Shy component. Dog’s aren’t fairytale heroes. Like us, they’re flawed. I have evaluated litters where the bravest pup (the Leader) in the nest becomes the shyest pup in a new place and the Follower pups become the new Leaders because they gain strength from each other. When you have a dog that’s a combination, embolden the component of the personality you have more use for. For instance, my dog Schwartz is a Follower with a Shy streak. Encourage him to be headstrong and he barely seems Shy; inhibit him and after a while the Shy shows through. Today, it’s hard to believe that Schwartz was ever Shy–but an experienced dog tester could unravel him in seconds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/01ce150b-cd7e-4765-9279-63763c2f6910/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.47.02.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Old shoe new shoe. A new dog can be a shock. You forget how you trained the last one and feel friction “breaking in” the new one. That’s normal. But a new dog with a new personality type can leave you scratching your head. Question yourself about the differences between the personalities of your past and current dog. If your last dog was a Leader and your new a Follower, watch your bossiness. If your last dog was Aloof and now you have a Leader, learn assertiveness. Here’s something I’ve encountered: A breeder gets a call from an unknown party and sells them a dog on the Shy spectrum. The owners do a great job raising the dog, so next time around the breeder gives them the pick of the litter AKA the Leader. This owner is now dealing with a whole new personality type, and can feel overwhelmed. With a Shy pup you can do nothing but nurture and habituate. A Leader pup needs boundaries otherwise he will soon be bullying you, in an innocent but pushy way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/4ee15050-042b-4f71-bd71-3c8a6a4685cc/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.48.10.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out How to adjust your training for each personality type. Leader: Win them over by being a source of joy. Be their partner, then their guide. Do slow routines with an emphasis on control. You don’t want to fight against the Leader personality, you want them devoted to your cause, so make them think it was their idea. Follower: Followers are interactive and forgiving; they want to work with you. Play games with them. Do fast, friendly routines together. Keep a nice ratio between repetition and variation in your training. Too much of one or the other and the dog gets bored or confused. You determine “nice-ratio” case by case. As I tell my students, “Train the dog in front of you.” Meaning: Not the dog you had a few minutes ago. Meaning: not the dog you wish you had, but the dog sitting before you now. When you train the dog in front of you with vision unclouded by hopes, you tend to make the right decisions. Aloof: Let them come to you. Watch your gaze, your reach, and your stoop (i.e., bending forward to interact with the dog). If you must stoop down, bend at your knees. Not your waist. Lower yourself without going over the top of the dog. I call this “staying in your tube.” An Aloof dog will not want to be physical with you immediately. If they sidle up to you with a hip, they’ve accepted you. Shy: Show no intention; just ignore and let the shy dog come to you. Stay in your tube. Don’t show frontal eyes. Front facing eyes are the eyes of a predator. Look anywhere but directly at the dog and watch the dogs movements in your peripheral vision. Do not hold still; instead, gently shift your weight and your gaze in a friendly, casual way, as if you were whistling a tune. A Shy dog may experience stress from either social or environmental sources. For example, being stared at (a social stressor) may bother him more than a fluttering tarp (an environmental stressor) or vice versa. It’s important to parse out which source of stress your dog is dealing with and create a training plan that puts him at ease in these conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/4ae9721f-d580-4b5a-b930-d9d65339da3f/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.49.09.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out You Should know: Most people should select a dog in the middle; not the Leader and not the Shy dog. Most people can train a Follower, but you need more skill to deal with the ends of the spectrum. All four of these personality types routinely end up in the shelter and they all can develop behavior problems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/b1177f35-5de1-4b19-b75c-34be0c85cea5/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.50.56.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Poison on a slow drip. They say water is the universal solvent, It can carve a canyon through rock. Similarly, your interaction with your dog on a day-to-day basis will slowly change him, for better or worse. Naturally, we want it to change him for the better, but it doesn’t always work out that way. If your handling habits undermine the dog’s confidence and your dog has a deficit in this area, his confidence will drop. If your handling habits reinforce confidence with an overconfident dog, there is potential to create aggressive behavior. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/e912e514-0846-4261-b390-81e3c1b46d1c/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.52.02.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Still water runs deep. No talk about evaluating dog personality would be complete without reminding you not to confuse physical activity with drive. Drive is an in born urge to perform a set of behaviors. Physical activity on the other hand can be undirected, the dog could be physically active but not committed to a set of objectives like we see when a dog is in drive. A lazy dog can have a high prey drive and a hyper dog can have low prey drive. A high energy dog can have low drive and a sleepyhead can wake up and find a river of drive when exposed to the right conditions. As the saying goes, still water runs deep. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/76c76d55-68be-4e97-9439-bbf4dbe8ed66/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.53.31.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Curiosity is life. That yearning to know a little more about something, to me, is like a religious experience. But when you reduce something to 4 variations, you can flatten it, compress all the dynamics out of it. You can begin to talk in judgmental and callous tones about the way other beings navigate this world. Or, instead you can build on these observations and use them to cultivate more understanding of the whole dog. When I was younger I didn’t intend to get experience with Aloof or Shy dogs because I was narrowly focused on dog sports and performance. But these dogs exist, and in the process of learning about all dogs, I learned about the personality types that differ from the beloved Follower, and that made me a better trainer. I hope you take this road map of dog personality types and familiarize yourself with these different ways of being, especially the lesser understood ones. We all know that the only thing two trainers can agree on is what the third one is doing wrong, but no matter what your training philosophy is, I hope you will find this writing useful for the betterment of all dogs. Thanks for reading, ~ Francis T. Metcalf https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/e608e4f8-c909-4e23-b26f-55b379954f4d/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+13.54.43.png Articles - A Guide to Dog Personalities - Make it stand out Photos are from the book Prince and other dogs II “A passport to tenderness” By Libby Hall. This little book of old photographs is beautiful, you can order it here. {Thanks to our rad Canine Circus School students, Rachel & Chong, for giving us this book.} You can order the book An Introduction to the Royal Dutch Police Dog KNPV Training Program by J Jons, here. Join us! in the ring for Circus class. Check out our Class Schedule here. All personality types welcome. If you’re having problems dealing with too much personality or want help with specific training needs and goals, please be in touch for a private lesson. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/articles/note-to-the-american-public-belgian-malinois-look-dont-touch monthly 0.5 2022-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1650733821068-YZC7KSCLCIB3IQTVX6MV/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.09.58.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out I know what you are thinking. Since a Belgian Malinois was used by Navy Seal Team Six on the raid of the Bin Laden compound, it would make a perfect family pet. Just park it in the living room next to your Apache Helicopter! The work of the Belgian Malinois in Bin Laden’s assassination placed a spotlight on the breed likely to spike the breed’s popularity. Think of it as the 101 Dalmatians effect. Think of Creulla De Ville in Fauve Charbonné (the top-secret Malinois coat color). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/860e0357-9d0e-4e81-9bb9-2d879c4bf827/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.16.33.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Balzac working on former Department of Defense trainer Andrew Ramsey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/096627eb-d418-46bc-a2f8-18956b3cda55/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.18.30.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Balzac showcasing the full driving grip of the Belgian Malinois https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/48065837-539d-4bcd-bef6-bd72a9b01b43/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.19.52.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Sandra Mannion and Havoc du Metcalf earn blue ribbons in Rally https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/37c01646-50ee-4cfe-91fc-cd8a52786e64/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.21.38.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Leon Destailleur, Founder of French Ring Sport. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/ebaa721b-1b1c-4f26-bf90-56646b0fb70b/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.23.23.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out One of my prize possessions: My old dogs score book with an autograph from Leon Destailleur, Founder of French Ring Sport. It reads, "For Francis my new American Friend" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/74992e50-bdb5-496b-a873-8fde2ce1aa21/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.24.39.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/000ff9d1-c89f-4cae-9c2d-98b51c0acb74/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.25.59.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Emotional Comfort and psychic protection: Nothing is more comforting to the lone hominid than the company of a dog. A furry shoulder to cry on, a best friend that sees you at your worst without passing judgment. This is one of the pure joys of having a dog. This is the path most dog lovers travel. There is a dog waiting out there to share this vision with you. He is loving, protective and stable. He is in a shelter BUT he is not a Malinois. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/968bb5c0-957e-43ef-b935-c7b07fd5e4c5/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.28.27.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Honesty of the Hunt: Some of us feel a need to go deeper into the human-canine relationship. We want to become a wolf pack or run with a pride of lions. We want to see the honesty of instinctual behavior. We want to control it, and be controlled by it. Our path is similar to that of the Hunter and Farmer who provide their own meal even if it means discomfort. Malinois are steely workers eager to please if you can meet their needs, they do not make a good shoulder to cry on until you have tempered them through years of work. The motivation of the Malinois handler differs from that of the pet dog lover. The Malinois Handler derives his joy from witnessing an animal engaged in the hunt, an animal at the peak of his health and power. We do not wish to see a subservient animal weakened by human domination. Ringsport and Malinois allow us to take part in the predators epic journey, not as spectators, not from behind a lens but as an equal partner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/cd085e7f-a61b-43b4-8470-bb85ca77161f/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.32.01.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out For many of us who live in urban areas, being a hunter or a farmer is unrealistic and not pertinent to our existence. The bullet holes in the street sign in front of my house speak of a different world. Unfortunately, it is a world where protection from one another is more in the zeitgeist than pursuing your own game or rounding up sheep. People who seek to work with this predatory energy now have a modern option. Thanks to a handful of visionary trainers on the border of war-torn Belgium, the art of Ringsport has risen from the ashes of the agricultural economy. The unemployed shepherd found work guarding his human flock, and a new type of working dog discipline was founded. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/5956bf42-fa82-4402-90a7-9bf67f028949/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.35.44.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out This happened 100 years ago. Since then the knowledge of how to work a Malinois has been passed from master to apprentice. The knowledge was not passed in writing, on video, not even verbally. It was passed through participation. The breed, the techniques, the selection process, the genetics, the sport is passed down by doing. The dog and the sport are inseparable. This is why if you wish to learn the secrets of the Malinois, you will not learn them at Lackland Airforce Base, or at the AKC dog show. Instead you must subject yourself to humiliation of the trial field, you must show your hard work and dedication before the secrets are revealed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/f03cce17-d293-43e8-9784-c1c96bbeeb9a/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.36.41.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Ringsport Judges at the Championships of France https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/25fc244b-a9d3-4e72-9c8a-09ac8332f862/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.38.22.png Articles - Note to the American Public: Belgian Malinois, Look Don’t Touch - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/articles/evolution-of-the-mondioring-decoy monthly 0.5 2022-05-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/096627eb-d418-46bc-a2f8-18956b3cda55/Screen+Shot+2022-04-23+at+14.18.30.png Articles - Evolution of the Mondioring Decoy - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/about daily 0.75 2024-08-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/0a490747-1996-4e0b-9fdd-598f76eb426e/cb0cf-9ead6f0f-bd50-4fe6-9abf-90d995a6cf64.jpeg Contact - Make it stand out Francis Metcalf is an innovative trainer who uses his breadth of knowledge and creativity to get the most out of any dog. His unique approach deconstructs training so that it’s easily learned by both dogs and people. Francis has won national level competitions in French Ringsport with his Belgian Malinois and has certified as a decoy in both French and Mondio Ring. His American Bulldog, Gubby, was the first of his breed to compete in Mondio Ringsport, a project motivated by Metcalf’s love of Bullbreeds. He also trained hearing dogs for the San Francisco SPCA service dog program. Francis has worked with multiple local police departments, US Customs, and Homeland Security for the procurement and training of dogs. Francis’s 30 years of experience have led him to develop a unique method for the evaluation and education of dogs from diverse genetic backgrounds and temperaments. The Metcalf Method was born from his desire to bring the nuances of great training to all dogs and handlers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/82146499-3894-4ddc-94bd-8362bf35b24e/tempImageqdDRao.jpg Contact - Turbeaux the Belgian Malinois 1997 French Ring 1 National Champion 1998 French Ring 2 National Champion 1999 French Ring 3 National Vice Champion https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/76a121ea-91e8-496d-848d-2ec1df35c4b2/tempImage1fN40m.jpg Contact - Gubby the American Bulldog First Mondioring titled American Bulldog in the world. French Ring 2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/47361216-fe35-433d-8c63-6a8dc422ffe8/tempImagezBO1Oy.jpg Contact - Balzac the Belgian Malinois 2014 French Ring 1 Western Regional Champion 2014 French Ring 1 National Vice Champion Movie Dog https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009438734-H02JIA9LP6BJQ84052MW/oaklandnorth-masthead-12.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009404349-YC9Q8CLNO3W64ER16373/opengraph_default.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009306543-447E45GWOJUMCUED14RI/unknown1.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009284590-IG8XJKWFMMY9M6UCOG1I/unknown.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009116108-38CN06TQ1I4FN67E9OYK/2000x.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009251231-L2I1AEL8C6SY9139BWX0/c95ff-oakland_magazine_logo-e1616020602158.jpg Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009267700-4GO4GYNLLEU66JKAC1WM/images.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009141639-FXS1DMPI76NLJHOTD4IE/64015-logo-e1616020843549.png Contact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009226905-FAP3IKSXTM2D96PTJFTU/73331-sfchroniclelogo-e1616020318689.jpg Contact https://www.metcalfmethod.com/home daily 1.0 2026-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/efc0faea-0d5a-460f-a385-f033d734b2d4/canine-circus-school-servincing-seal.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009438734-H02JIA9LP6BJQ84052MW/oaklandnorth-masthead-12.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009404349-YC9Q8CLNO3W64ER16373/opengraph_default.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009306543-447E45GWOJUMCUED14RI/unknown1.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009284590-IG8XJKWFMMY9M6UCOG1I/unknown.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009116108-38CN06TQ1I4FN67E9OYK/2000x.jpg Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009251231-L2I1AEL8C6SY9139BWX0/c95ff-oakland_magazine_logo-e1616020602158.jpg Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009267700-4GO4GYNLLEU66JKAC1WM/images.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009141639-FXS1DMPI76NLJHOTD4IE/64015-logo-e1616020843549.png Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009226905-FAP3IKSXTM2D96PTJFTU/73331-sfchroniclelogo-e1616020318689.jpg Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/0bc0061c-0e71-47db-a9f4-b1bb5a56868b/cb0cf-9ead6f0f-bd50-4fe6-9abf-90d995a6cf64.jpg Master of Hounds Academy: Home of the World Famous Canine Circus School - Training dogs and dog owners to be extraordinary for over 30 years Francis Metcalf is a leading expert in dog training who has spent over 30 years studying both modern and traditional dog methods - training every imaginable type of dog and function - pets, working dogs, protection, competition, and performance. He’s culminated his knowledge and experience into The Metcalf Method - an integrated approach to developing high-functioning dogs tailored to your dog’s unique personality type, challenges, and goals. His training programs are effective, easy to apply, and always designed to be in the best interest of both you and your dog. He’s also the founder and head trainer of the World-Renowned Canine Circus School - where dog owners become exceptional handlers and dogs build exceptional skills. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/classes daily 0.75 2026-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/999b9bcc-69d8-4ed5-a5eb-31fd1bd84fdd/Screen+Shot+2022-04-26+at+13.07.55.jpg Classes - Circus 1: This class is for dogs of all ages(including puppies), shapes, and sizes. Learn the basics of trick dog training, make shy dogs more confident, and get control of the overly bold. Our tried and true method has been educating dogs of the Bay Area for over a decade. Dogs and handlers will both gain skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Here, you and your dog learn basic obedience and basic tricks routines. Small classes allow us to offer individualized instruction. We focus on setting a strong foundation so that your dog can excel at advanced work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/f547ce69-e2a2-49f6-b882-45b3fe44e716/img_9434.jpg Classes - Circus 2: Circus 2 is for students who have completed Circus 1 and their dogs show a complete grasp of the Symmetrical Foundation. A 1 minute stay, 20-foot Send to a pedestal, 10-foot Send Around Cone, Sit Pretty, Bow, spin. More importantly, Circus 2 dogs show an ability to work away from the handler in a distracting situations. Level 2 dogs practice syncopated group drills at a faster speed and with more precision. Our trick repertoire is expanded and handlers are expected to start cueing the dog from a distance. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/9a968d62-36fa-4e43-a5d9-be0240c2d43f/circus-3.jpg Classes - Circus 3: This is our advanced trick class, except we take it a step further and include stunts and gags. Circus 3 will teach you to get creative with your dog’s training. More advanced students work on agility, stunts, synchronized behaviors with other dogs,and useful service dog behaviors. Get your creative juices flowing while conditioning physically and building confidence. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per). Pre requisites: Circus 1 & 2; or if you have trained privately with Francis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/6b090135-f1e8-453f-9cab-1d89003bc755/img_5470.jpg Classes - Circus 4: In this class we work on building up your schtick. Circus 4 focuses on advanced object manipulation and service dog skills as well as performance and improv drills. Teaching you to put your audience into a state of awe with just your dog and few props. This is a 6-week course (meets once per week for six consecutive weeks, 1 hour per). Pre requisites: Circus 1-3 , Shaped Retrieve competency. This class relies on the dogs understanding of the Shaped Retrieve exercise learned in Circus 3. If you do not have a good grasp of the Shaped Retrieve please continue in Circus 3 until you have. Mailbox routine: The old Lassie routine with a few twists Light switch: easily score this service dog classic by recombining already learned behaviors. Rope hoist: a mind bending string of behaviors first seen as performed by Benji Quoits: An ancient bar game now fun canine challenge Continued perfection of other routines learned in prior classes and how to build new ones. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/press daily 0.75 2025-11-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/a8311783-61f5-413f-bfd2-c6184c73c46b/Header_v7_FullView.jpg Press - Make it stand out Read about Canine Circus School on This Dog’s Life Blog https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009306543-447E45GWOJUMCUED14RI/unknown1.png Press - Make it stand out Read about Canine Circus School on This Dog’s Life Blog https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/134ee3af-3968-46e5-82a9-c4d5b8fe42db/04-2018-home-page-and-web-art1.jpg Press - Make it stand out Click to read article https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009438734-H02JIA9LP6BJQ84052MW/oaklandnorth-masthead-12.png Press - Make it stand out Read about Canine Circus School on This Dog’s Life Blog https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009116108-38CN06TQ1I4FN67E9OYK/2000x.jpg Press - Make it stand out Click to read https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/68e759e7-2ab7-4a5d-b99c-740b53e3ebd4/Screen+Shot+2022-04-27+at+11.04.53.png Press - Make it stand out Read about Canine Circus School on This Dog’s Life Blog https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009284590-IG8XJKWFMMY9M6UCOG1I/unknown.png Press - Make it stand out What’s a hound without a hearth?” Metcalf asks, gesturing to the maplewood wet bar and the cast iron wood stove. “St. Roch’s fulfills the dream and fantasy of having a dog. We didn’t want it to be like a hospital waiting room.” Design and decor aside, the instructor himself, built like a Victorian weight lifter and mustached accordingly, is not without flair. During class, to the tune of a Django Reinhardt recording, Metcalf stalks the training yard in tiger-striped cowboy boots, periodically shaking pom-poms, tooting a hand horn or rolling out “the German Wheel of Death” – an oversize hamster wheel used for advanced routines. Read article here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/9c13cae8-bfda-4a91-84bd-4b91ce5494ef/Screen+Shot+2022-04-27+at+11.01.23.png Press - Make it stand out What’s a hound without a hearth?” Metcalf asks, gesturing to the maplewood wet bar and the cast iron wood stove. “St. Roch’s fulfills the dream and fantasy of having a dog. We didn’t want it to be like a hospital waiting room.” Design and decor aside, the instructor himself, built like a Victorian weight lifter and mustached accordingly, is not without flair. During class, to the tune of a Django Reinhardt recording, Metcalf stalks the training yard in tiger-striped cowboy boots, periodically shaking pom-poms, tooting a hand horn or rolling out “the German Wheel of Death” – an oversize hamster wheel used for advanced routines. Read article here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009141639-FXS1DMPI76NLJHOTD4IE/64015-logo-e1616020843549.png Press - Make it stand out What’s a hound without a hearth?” Metcalf asks, gesturing to the maplewood wet bar and the cast iron wood stove. “St. Roch’s fulfills the dream and fantasy of having a dog. We didn’t want it to be like a hospital waiting room.” Design and decor aside, the instructor himself, built like a Victorian weight lifter and mustached accordingly, is not without flair. During class, to the tune of a Django Reinhardt recording, Metcalf stalks the training yard in tiger-striped cowboy boots, periodically shaking pom-poms, tooting a hand horn or rolling out “the German Wheel of Death” – an oversize hamster wheel used for advanced routines. Read article here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/e08ed123-ee49-4de3-b861-e458ce3564bf/img_7321-1.jpg Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009404349-YC9Q8CLNO3W64ER16373/opengraph_default.png Press - Make it stand out What’s a hound without a hearth?” Metcalf asks, gesturing to the maplewood wet bar and the cast iron wood stove. “St. Roch’s fulfills the dream and fantasy of having a dog. We didn’t want it to be like a hospital waiting room.” Design and decor aside, the instructor himself, built like a Victorian weight lifter and mustached accordingly, is not without flair. During class, to the tune of a Django Reinhardt recording, Metcalf stalks the training yard in tiger-striped cowboy boots, periodically shaking pom-poms, tooting a hand horn or rolling out “the German Wheel of Death” – an oversize hamster wheel used for advanced routines. Read article here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/3efc946d-cd40-4a0b-9ab1-170a1271039d/francis-in-chronicle.jpg Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009226905-FAP3IKSXTM2D96PTJFTU/73331-sfchroniclelogo-e1616020318689.jpg Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/784f99d5-c78a-4cb2-b05c-a4a0df44ed87/img_7833.jpg Press - Make it stand out What’s a hound without a hearth?” Metcalf asks, gesturing to the maplewood wet bar and the cast iron wood stove. “St. Roch’s fulfills the dream and fantasy of having a dog. We didn’t want it to be like a hospital waiting room.” Design and decor aside, the instructor himself, built like a Victorian weight lifter and mustached accordingly, is not without flair. During class, to the tune of a Django Reinhardt recording, Metcalf stalks the training yard in tiger-striped cowboy boots, periodically shaking pom-poms, tooting a hand horn or rolling out “the German Wheel of Death” – an oversize hamster wheel used for advanced routines. Read article here https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009251231-L2I1AEL8C6SY9139BWX0/c95ff-oakland_magazine_logo-e1616020602158.jpg Press - Make it stand out Check us out in the Jan-Feb addition of Oakland Magazine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/4918c3f5-afff-4943-9a81-64a69c5ca332/canine-circus-school-chewy-lancealot.jpg Press - Make it stand out Once you walk through the bulldog-emblazoned gates at Friends of the Family Dog Training, everything will become clear: This is not where dogs come to learn to sit, stay, and roll over. Oh, no. At this imaginative break in normalcy, Francis Metcalf and Norma Wood Metcalf have created a decidedly out-of-the-box academy where dogs are taught to walk backward, balance balls on their noses, and weave through their handler’s legs. This is where dogs learn to literally jump through hoops. Read more from Oakland Magazine here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/1651009267700-4GO4GYNLLEU66JKAC1WM/images.png Press - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/aa4f6848-8a50-4e3b-8041-5ce9ded7819c/picture-from-chronicle.jpg Press - Make it stand out Pictured Below: Francis Metcalf working at UCSF Children’s Hospital. Read article here. Watch CBS news piece here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/955ba4ac-8cfe-496b-9787-e6853c15117c/izzy.jpg Press - Make it stand out Listen to a radio interview with Francis on Animal Cafe. Listen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/9b95e2c3-bbf6-4e4d-a905-37b039722fd6/braunstien-circus-school.jpg Press - Make it stand out Check out our dog sport club on Gypsy Gentlemen, a tattoo history and travel log. We start at 5:00. Watch here. https://www.metcalfmethod.com/contact daily 0.75 2026-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6244fddbe2497e3ff0df169c/01b9c05a-2a40-4822-a470-5fc8ff21b3ab/contact.jpg Contact - Contact us. 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