Whether you like dogs a little bit, love them a lot, have always had dogs, or are thinking about getting one for the first time, you need to know about Matt Beisner. He's the star of the Disney+ hit dog training show, Dog: Impossible, which is not your regular show about how to get dogs to sit and stay, and stop pooping on your carpet. As the name suggests, Matt works with last-chance dogs on the show — dogs who, in many cases, other people won't work with because they're considered so aggressive.
What makes Matt, who is also a dad of two young kids, so interesting (and so genuine) is how different his approach is from that of other dog trainers. He's almost more of a dog therapist because he really seeks to understand what's going on with the dogs he works with. The result is a hit TV show, yes. But more importantly, Matt helps his clients reshape family dynamics so that dogs feel secure. He's also saving lives.
Matt didn't come to his approach overnight, though. He says his challenging past, including addiction and a paralyzing fear of dogs, was actually essential in helping him come to his sought-after training method.
In a video chat from his home in Austin, Texas, Matt opened up to LittleThings about his past. The talented trainer was once deeply afraid of dogs, he shared, revealing that as a child, he was bitten by a dog. But the fear didn't fade with childhood. It grew and even fed his addiction to alcohol.
"I would go to someone's house, and I would definitely have something to drink so that that dog didn't scare me as much," he said.
After a DUI and a stint in jail, Matt found himself living with his girlfriend at the time and her aggressive dog, Kingston, who is now featured on the show. Detoxing while living with an aggressive dog became a turning point in his life.
"That's actually how this journey began," he said of confronting his fear — and growing from it.
Through that experience, not only did Matt learn to overcome his fear of dogs, he also learned how to help the aggressive dog. He says the crucial realization that he came to later was "that when I do what's good for the dog, my life changes for the better."
That perspective — doing what's good for the dog — is evident in Matt's training technique. A part of this perspective that Matt says is absolutely "vital" is giving dogs plenty of opportunities to socialize.
"It meets so many of the dogs' needs," he said, noting that, in addition to their physical needs like running, using their mouths, and bumping into each other, it also causes the release of feel-good chemicals in their brains and gives them the opportunity for true "connection."
According to Matt, socialization is massively important, but it's also a part of dog ownership that, in many cases, has gotten lost in modern society.
Matt says it's definitely crucial to start socializing your dog when they're relatively young, but that "it's never too late." He even mentioned a dog he met who had never played before, then finally had the opportunity at age 7.
"He played like he'd been playing his whole life, so it was in him," he said. Matt believes those experiences have a "profound effect" on how dogs understand who they are "in the world."
Giving dogs socialization is a crucial part of Matt's training technique. But maybe even more offbeat — when it comes to working with dogs with aggressive behaviors, at least — is giving them compassion and understanding before anything. While a lot of people, even dog trainers, might not want to give aggressive dogs the benefit of the doubt, Matt says a dog's behavior is "100% appropriate based on the way they experience the world." The perspective allows him to better help dogs, he explains.
"From the premise … I don't have to have a judgment about the aggression," he says. "My job is to help understand the way the dog experiences the world."
Still, Matt acknowledges that "our world is getting smaller," and that makes for a lot of struggles for dogs who are anxious and acting aggressively as a result. He says that years ago, dogs used to run the streets.
"Modern-day domesticated living doesn't allow for that," he says, which, in some ways, may be a good thing, as we aim to make the world a safer place. However, it also means many dogs aren't getting their needs met. For that reason, Matt says there's an "epidemic of dogs that are suffering." The good news is that the Dog: Impossible trainer is bringing awareness to the issue and, in many ways, helping to bridge the gap.
Letting dogs experience the world a bit more naturally is something Matt believes in deeply. It's apparent in just about everything he does, even in the brands he chooses to partner with. He just teamed up with Wondercide, which offers plant-based pest protection for pets, families, and homes. Matt describes the company's mission as "treating nature with nature," which is why he appreciates it so much. He says that "there are few things more natural than being with your family, being with your dog, and being out in nature." Plus, because it's a natural product, he loves that he doesn't have to worry about using the product around his kids.
Matt Beisner is definitely passionate about the products, but dogs are still pretty high up on his list of priorities. While he didn't always feel such a kinship to them, it's clear that he's deeply dedicated to helping the world understand dogs a little bit better. With that understanding, we absolutely can make the world a kinder place for dogs. And in turn, they'll be kinder to us.
After all, as Matt says, "there are no bad dogs," just dogs who aren't getting what they need. Thankfully, he's helping to change that.
