YOUR REGULATION-FIRST CUSTOM ACTION PLAN
You probably didn’t land here because training is going great.
You’re here because something keeps breaking down:
- Behavior falls apart.
- Progress is fleeting.
- Advice that works for other dogs doesn’t seem to work for yours.
That’s not because your dog is “difficult.” It’s because traditional dog training failed your dog.
Regulation-First Training looks behind the behavior and balances the nervous system first so training is possible.
We restore your dog's ability to listen & learn first.
Then we layer in training that will actually hold fast in the moments that matter.
When regulation comes first, training works.
Get Your Dog's Regulation-First
CUSTOM ACTION PLAN
Because you can't train a dysregulated dog
{ they don't have access to their prefrontal cortex }
Do you feel…
… angry because you've spent $$$ on trainers and courses, but your dog still can't ‘sit’ outside?
… guilty because you've seriously thought about dropping your dog off at the shelter?
… judged when your dog can't stop barking at everyone and everything?
… confused because you don't know what is legit dog training and what's permissive, what's harmful, and what's just noise.
DOG TRAINING IS BROKEN
not your dog
Traditional training tries to teach a brain that is offline.
Regulation-First Training plugs it back in.
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Traditional Training vs. Regulation-First Training
Traditional Training:
- Starts with behavior: skills, cues, and routines
- Tries to manage emotions after things fall apart
- Works only for dogs who are already regulated.
But for dogs who are anxious, reactive, over-aroused, shut down, or easily overwhelmed, traditional training fails because, in moments of stress, your dog can’t access what they’ve learned.
That’s not stubbornness. It’s neurobiology.
When that happens, owners are often told their dog is being defiant, distracted, or “just needs more practice.” But the problem isn’t the skill - the problem is access.
Regulation-First Training (RF)
- Starts with state. We check the nervous system before we cue behavior.
- Restores regulation so learning is actually available.
- Then layers skills, cues, and structure that hold fast under real-life pressure.
Instead of asking “How do I get my dog to do this behavior,” we ask “Is my dog able to learn or respond right now?”
This doesn’t replace training
It makes training possible
When regulation comes first:
Dogs recover faster from stress
Training sticks instead of falling apart under pressure
Progress becomes more consistent
Setbacks make sense instead of feeling mysterious
It’s sequence correct training
regulation → access → skills → stability
Regulation precedes cognition. State precedes behavior. Learning follows safety.
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Your Regulation-First CUSTOM ACTION PLAN
$247
MONEY BACK GUARANTEED
What Changes When You Start With Regulation?
Training holds fast under real-life pressure
Your dog can access what they’ve learned even when excited, frustrated, or overwhelmed.
You know precisely what to work on - no more guessing
Your plan is built from your dog’s unique regulation profile, not generic advice.
Your dog recovers faster from big emotions
Meltdowns don’t spiral as long, and recovery becomes part of the process.
Progress becomes more consistent
You’re building capacity before asking for performance, so change actually sticks.
Setbacks make sense instead of feeling personal
You’ll understand what’s happening in your dog’s nervous system when things fall apart.
You feel calmer & more confident handling real life
Because you have a plan for regulation, not just behavior.
"Calm" ≠ Regulated
A "calm" dog isn't necessarily regulated:
they may be shut down, inhibited, or in learned helplessness.
An excited dog isn't necessarily dysregulated:
they can still be fully capable of listening, learning, & responding.
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Most training treats regulation like a single switch: calm or not calm.
Your dog's nervous system is more complex than that.
The goal isn't a calm dog.
It's a dog whose brain doesn't short-circuit when things get intense.
Your dog's Metrics measure not whether your dog looks calm, but whether their nervous system is actually functional across 8 core regulatory capacities that control:
Access to learning. •. Recovery from stress. •. Focus and engagement. •. Emotional processing
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The Core-3
Composure, Sensitivity, and Focus
These are the foundation. When these are dysregulated, your dog can't learn, recover from stress, or respond flexibly. Everything else depends on these.
•
The Relational Channels
Connection and Expressiveness
These govern how your dog bonds with you and communicates what they're feeling.
•
The Modulators
Independence, Adaptability, & Affective Bias
These fine-tune how everything else shows up day to day; how your dog handles change, how much autonomy they need, and whether they interpret the world optimistically or pessimistically.
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From Type to Data: You've already taken the first step by identifying your dog's Regulation-Type (If you haven't yet, take the quick test here).
Type tells us how your dog regulates, and how you need to show up to support them. That alone changes outcomes. But…
Results multiply when we pair Type with real Metrics Data.
From Data to Plan: Once we see exactly where dysregulation is blocking learning, we build a custom 12‑week action plan to bring your dog back into the Functional Zone where listening and responsiveness are available again.
No other training plan starts here
This is data-powered, sequence‑correct training.
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Your Metrics-Powered CUSTOM ACTION PLAN
$247
MONEY BACK GUARANTEED
When regulation comes first,
training actually works in the moments that matter
Here’s what you get with
YOUR CUSTOM ACTION PLAN
Your Dog's Metrics Profile: A clear map of where learning access is blocked and where capacity is already strong.
A 12-Week Regulation-First Custom Action Plan: A phased plan that progresses only when your dog is ready.
Regulation-Type Matched Approach: Because each Regulation-Type needs a different training strategy.
Fast, Doable Drills: Step-by-step exercises anyone can follow, so you see progress quickly
PDF Deep Dives: See the neuroscience and methods behind your plan, so you implement with confidence and get faster wins.
Your
Bonuses!
Bonuses that Accelerate Results
✬ The Exclusive MD FIELD NOTES App
You can't change what you don't know - but nothing existed to help me easily gather the data I needed in real time, so I created the FIELD NOTES app for RF Training. Exclusively for MariDog Dogs!
✬ Weekly Lives with Mari
Get personalized guidance from Mari in weekly live Q+A. Replays included. Available for 12 weeks after your purchase.
✬ Private Regulation-First Community
A moderated space to share wins, ask questions, and stay oriented to regulation-first principles. Available for 12 weeks after your purchase.
You've got this, and I've got you!
~ Mari
Your 12-week Custom Action Plan
Week 1
Take Action
Get Clear.
- Study your Metrics Profile + Custom Action Plan.
- See exactly where your dog is dysregulated and which metrics are driving the behaviors you’re struggling with.
Action: Read the Overview + Phase 1 only. Take notes. Email Mari your questions & get clear.
Strategize.
- Understand what training approach is right for your dog.
- Review “Your Training Persona” video to understand how you need to show up for your dog
Action: Write or speak the exact ways that you will communicate with your dog, and why that works with your dog's Type.
Build The Foundation.
- Focus on one foundation exercise with skills progression.
- Dial in your own mechanics + skills, not just those of your dog's.
ACTION: Commit to two 3-15 minute skills building sessions with your dog every day.
hint - do them just before feeding time and it'll become routine
By the end of Week 1
- You started building your dog's regulatory capacity that makes everything else possible
You understand your dog’s nervous system better than most trainers do.
WHO THIS IS FOR & WHO SHOULD SKIP THIS
WHO THIS IS FOR
- You’ve tried trainers, tools, and courses but you're still stuck and second-guessing yourself.
- Your dog is anxious, reactive, shut down, or over-aroused and you want a plan that works in real life, not on just in your living room.
- You want to understand the “why” behind behavior, not just shut-down symptoms.
- You believe your dog deserves better than “bad” or “dominant” labels ; you want a humane, science-led path.
- You understand that this is a journey - a joyful one - that takes consistency + time.
WHO THIS IS NOT FOR
- You want a quick fix or a 3-day board-and-train miracle.
- You plan to use punishment, prong, or e-collars as your primary strategy. Regulation-First is incompatible with pain- or fear-based methods.
- You think Cesar Milan is a great dog trainer.
- You’re seeking medical treatment. We’ll flag health red flags, but this is not a substitute for veterinary care.
❂ MARIDOG ❂
Meet Mari
I come from the world of behavior systems. As a professional dog trainer and behavior consultant, my work has always centered on understanding what's happening underneath the behavior: the nervous system, the regulation capacity, the emotional architecture that drives everything your dog does.
You don't need a degree in behavioral science to help your dog, but you do need a system that works with how your dog's brain actually functions, not against it.
That's exactly what the Regulation-First Training gives you.
If you've ever felt like training kind of works, but never in the moments that matter — like your dog gets it at home but falls apart in the real world — this framework will change how you see your dog, how you train, and what you expect from the process.
With a background in teaching, design, and behavioral science, I specialize in translating complex systems into clear, usable methods. I synthesized the best of canine behavioral science — from Kim Brophey's LEGS framework to Leslie McDevitt's Control Unleashed to Denise Fenzi's drive-based work — and built what was missing: a system that measures regulation first, then builds training on top of it.
This isn't about a calmer dog. It's about a more resilient one. And that changes everything, for both of you.
How This Fits With Training You've Already Done
Regulation-First Training doesn't replace the training you've invested in. It makes it accessible.
If you've worked with a balanced trainer, a positive-reinforcement trainer, done group classes, board-and-trains, or online courses — that training isn't wasted. Your dog may have learned those skills. The problem is that dysregulation blocks access to them.
Think of it this way: your dog might know "sit" perfectly in your kitchen. But if their nervous system is flooded the moment they step outside, that skill isn't available. It's not a training failure. It's a regulation gap.
Your Custom Action Plan addresses the gap. Once regulation is restored, the skills you've already built have a foundation to stand on.
This works alongside any ethical training approach. It's the missing first step.
The Science Behind Regulation-First
Regulation-First Training is grounded in affective neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and canine behavioral research. The principle is straightforward: when a dog's nervous system is dysregulated, the prefrontal cortex (the brain region responsible for learning, impulse control, and flexible behavior) goes offline. No amount of skill training can override neurobiology. Regulation must come first.
The Regulation-First Guarantee
Follow the plan. Log your metrics. If you don't see a regulation shift in 30 days, we'll refund you. No gray area.
We're confident in this system because it's built on measurement, not guesswork. Your Metrics Profile gives you a baseline. Your Custom Action Plan gives you the path. If you do the work and the numbers don't move, you get your money back.
We can make this guarantee because regulation shifts are measurable, not subjective. You'll see it in your dog's scores, and you'll feel it in your daily life.
faqs
Do I need to have taken the MariDog Regulation-Type Test first?
The MDRT (MariDog Regulation-Type Test) identifies your dog's Regulation-Type, which is the foundation for your Custom Action Plan. If you haven't taken it yet, you can do that here [link]. It's free and takes about 5 minutes.
What breeds or behavior problems does this work for?
All breeds, most common behavior concerns — reactivity, anxiety, inability to settle, leash pulling, separation distress, over-arousal, and more. The Metrics Test doesn't rely on breed stereotypes. It measures your dog's actual nervous system functioning right now.
Is this positive reinforcement only?
Regulation-First Training is compatible with reward-based, positive reinforcement methods. It is not compatible with methods that rely on pain, fear, or intimidation as primary tools.
What if my dog has multiple issues?
That's exactly what the Metrics Test is for. Most dogs we work with have more than one area of dysregulation. Your Custom Action Plan prioritizes which metrics to address first based on the intervention hierarchy: Core-3 capacities first, then Relational Channels, then Modulators.
How much time per day does this take?
Most daily regulation practices take 5–15 minutes. The plan is designed for real life — including apartment living, busy schedules, and urban environments. You don't need a yard, agility equipment, or hours of free time.
Can I use this alongside my current trainer?
Yes. Regulation-First Training provides the missing foundation. Many owners find that sharing their Metrics Profile with their trainer helps both of them understand what's happening under the behavior.
What if it doesn't work for my dog?
Follow the plan, log your metrics, and if you don't see a regulation shift in 30 days, we'll refund you. No gray area.
START AT THE BEGINNING
Every training method in the world assumes your dog can access what they've learned.
Regulation-First Training is the only approach that checks whether that access is actually available - and builds it when it's not.
Your dog isn't broken. Training just started in the wrong place.
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This isn't a course. It's not a list of tips.
It's a precision-built roadmap for your dog.
Because you can't train a dysregulated dog.
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Your Dog's Regulation-First Custom Action Plan
$247
Your dog's Metrics Profile. A custom 12-week plan. Regulation-Type matched approach. Daily practice structure. Weekly live Q+A with Mari. Private community access.
100% money-back guarantee.