Of your dogs’ needs, control and the freedom of choice, are in my mind as important as shelter, love, play and food.
Consider our human relationship with the idea of choice and control.
We exert control and choice all day everyday by changing lanes in traffic, eating what we want, sleeping in late, living in a particular city, picking our friends, staying inside or exercising how we like to. As Americans, we have access to more choices than anywhere else in the world. When our choices are limited or made for us against our will, we become frustrated and anxious. See recent pandemic behavior. Under stress, our digestion and sleep may start to change over time and we may start forming unwanted habits and notice our behavior changing for the worse. When we feel out of control we can become quick to react or become aggressive friends and loved ones. We may act depressed if we feel our situation is helpless and our attempts to communicate our distress are ignored or unanswered.
The truth is, most problem behaviors stem from unmet needs and lack of control. You and your dog don’t share the same language so communicating these needs can be difficult and seemingly fall on deaf ears for your furry friend.
- Communicate and interact better with your dogs (understand body language)
- Introduce more choice and control for your dogs (reducing stress)
- Manage the environment so your dogs make better decisions (set up to succeed)
- Reinforce desirable behaviors more consistently (human training)
- Be less reactive to problem behaviors. (patience and understanding)
- Enrich your dogs’ life through engaging play and training (mental stimulation)
What I DO NOT do:
- Teach my clients how to intimidate their dogs, which includes the use of aversive tools like prong, choke, or shock collars or other tools that increase fear like shaker cans or spray bottles.
- THESE TOOLS AND TATICS SUPPRESS BEHAVIOR, THEY DO NOT INSTRUCT THE DOG ON WHAT TO DO. THEY OFTEN MAKE AGGRESSION, AND ANXIETY MUCH WORSE IN THE LONG RUN.
You will need:
- Several types of yummy food and treats
- Toys
- Patience
- An open mind
- The confience to ask questions
I work with dogs but I am hired by their humans
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For training to work we need to connect and feel comfortable as well.
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You are your dogs’ teacher forever and I’ll be your coach if you will allow me.
Be well and wag tail!
