Picture this: 35 dogs running free in a 175-acre forest. No leashes. No commands. No chaos. Just one guy leading the pack, and every single dog follows him.

How is that even possible?

In this episode, I sit down with Sam Amalsadvala, a former merchant navy chef who accidentally became one of the most insightful natural dog trainers I've ever met. Sam doesn't train dogs — he listens to them. And what he's learned will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about "training" your dog.

Coming from India where dogs roamed freely and leashes didn't exist, Sam moved to Montreal and couldn't speak French. In that isolation, he realized something profound: dogs live in that space every single day. They can't speak our language. They're frustrated, misunderstood, and judged. So he stopped treating them like problems to be fixed and started treating them like beings who needed to be understood.

This conversation will change the way you see your dog — and maybe even yourself.

KEY INSIGHTS:

✨ How Sam walks 35 dogs off-leash in a Canadian forest — and why they never run away, fight, or get lost.

✨ Why socialization matters more than traditional training — and how it prevents behavior issues that lead to shelter returns.

✨ The three things every dog needs: physical activity, mental stimulation, and social time with other dogs.

✨ Why your dog's "anxiety" might actually be blocked energy — and what freedom, play, and socialization can do to fix it.

✨ How to teach recall through play and curiosity instead of commands and treats.

✨ The truth about neutering and aggression — it's not hormones, it's lack of social skills.

✨ Why growling isn't bad behavior — it's communication. And what happens when we punish it.

✨ Leadership isn't about dominance — it's about consent, understanding needs, and walking at the pace of the slowest dog.

✨ Management before modification — how to keep everyone safe in the moment, then work on behavior later.

✨ Replace the word "training" with "learning and observing" — and everything else falls into place.

✨ The microbiome connection: how ear health, gut health, and behavior are all linked.

RESOURCES:

Sam Amalsadvala: https://linktr.ee/thesamaysam

Canivie: https://linktr.ee/canivie

FREE RESOURCES FROM SAM:

• Mindfulness Guide to Happiness

• Short workbook based on insights learned through working with dogs

• Access free resources and community: https://pro.speakerhub.com/speaker-feedback/?qr=e728a6d2-a5d9-4219-a39c-b33a96339bab

FOLLOW:

Integrative Pet Wellness Center: https://integrativepet.com Integrative Pet Wellness Center on Instagram: @integrativepet

Dr. Lily Chen on Instagram: @dr.lilychen @the.unicorn.vet

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