The Art of Softening the Mood: Samantha (Pack Life LA) on Defense Drive, Raw Feeding, and Power Struggles

The Art of Softening the Mood: Samantha (Pack Life LA) on Defense Drive, Raw Feeding, and Power Struggles

From Doggie Stoic by Happy Go Lucky Dog Company

April 2, 2026 · 1h 20m

About this episode

Samantha from Pack Life LA discusses her empathetic approach to dog training and the importance of softening the mood in behavioral issues.

In this episode of the Doggie Stoic podcast, we’re joined by Samantha of Pack Life LA , a trainer known for her deep empathy and "loosey-goosey" approach to complex behavioral issues. Samantha shares her journey from pre-med to becoming a head trainer under Cesar Millan, and eventually developing her own philosophy centered on "softening the mood" rather than winning power struggles. We dive deep into the nuances of defense drive versus prey drive, the realities of behavioral euthanasia, and why your dog's nervous system is often a mirror of your own.

People in this episode

Guest: Samantha

Topics covered

  • dog training
  • behavioral issues
  • raw feeding
  • defense drive
  • power struggles
  • nervous system

Keywords

  • dog training
  • behavioral euthanasia
  • defense drive
  • prey drive
  • nervous system
  • softening the mood

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pack Life LA

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