About Scott Elliott
Dog Aggression Specialist
in Bend, Oregon
My Story
I’m Scott Elliott, founder of Nature In Play, Inc. — a philosophy built on understanding dogs naturally, not through obedience commands or products.
This isn’t traditional dog training. It’s a return to the natural laws that dogs instinctively understand.
For over a decade, I’ve worked to understand and help dogs the world had written off —the aggressive, the reactive, the difficult, the ones everybody gave up on.
This isn’t just a business.
It’s my life’s work.
While I specialize in helping dogs and owners throughout Central Oregon, my work extends far beyond — reaching people across the United States and around the world who are seeking real change. But the road that brought me here wasn’t straight, easy, or obvious.
Discovering a True Connection
My Journey from Feeling Misunderstood to Finding Purpose
From the beginning, I found connection where the human world couldn’t offer it — with dogs and nature.
Growing up, I often felt misunderstood and that I didn’t really fit in.
It often left me feeling alone, even in a crowd.
But in the presence of my dogs and the natural world around us, I found a bond that felt real — something grounded in truth.
When I welcomed my first puppy, Karma, I knew I wanted a relationship that was natural and true — not built on obedience commands and products.
I initially found guidance in the principles of Cesar Millan, which resonated with my desire for a more natural connection.
As I navigated puppyhood with Karma, I found myself drawn to helping others with their dogs — particularly those facing severe aggression and reactivity issues whose owners had been advised to euthanize them.
These were the dogs I was drawn to — the misunderstood dogs.
These were the ones I wanted to understand, help, and save.
But the more I helped others, the more I realized something was missing — not in the dogs, but in the methods we were being taught to use.
Hungry for deeper answers, I immersed myself fully — reading countless books, attending seminars, watching endless videos, and personally seeking advice from dog professionals.
Despite all this effort, something still felt missing.
It wasn’t until I discovered Brandon Fouche that I realized the conventional, modern dog training methods were missing the natural component I had been seeking all along.
Brandon reminded me of what had initially drawn me to this path — a connection rooted in nature.
That was what had been missing the entire time.
“Dogs can only think like dogs, and they expect us to think like them.”— Brandon Fouche
Those words shook me awake — and changed everything I thought I knew.
After this revelation, I felt a deep responsibility to my clients.
I realized I had been leading them down a conventional, modern path — one that had never truly aligned with my soul or the truth I had been seeking all along.
I reached out to each of them, offered full refunds, and invited them to join me on this new path back to nature — grounded in the truth I had all along been seeking.
That realization didn’t just change my approach.
It changed my life — and the lives of the dogs and people I would help from then on.
“If You Do What is Easy, Your Life Will Be Hard. If You Do What Is Hard, Your Life Will Be Easy”
– Les Brown
A Different Way
Reconnecting Dogs and People Through Nature
Most people today are taught to manage their dog’s behavior through obedience commands, products, treats, and endless activity. But there’s a deeper — and far more powerful — way. Dogs don’t think like people. They think like dogs. And if we want true connection, we have to meet them where they are.
At Nature In Play, I don’t teach obedience commands.
I teach you how to step into your dog’s world — how to communicate clearly, lead naturally, and build a relationship rooted in respect, trust, and understanding. Helping dogs and people reconnect with nature isn’t just what I do — it’s who I am.
If you’re ready to walk a different path — one rooted in understanding and truth — I’m here to guide you.