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Troubleshooting your training

6/20/2022

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When it seems like your training isn’t working, your dog isn’t getting the concepts and/or training is frustrating instead of fun, check out the troubleshooting items below:
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  • Medical – Is there an underlying medical or neurological issue that needs to be resolved first?  Does the dog have health problems that cause pain or discomfort?  Is the dog on a quality diet? (Poor diets can cause dogs to feel crummy and can affect behavior and training.)
    Post spay/neuters, dogs in heat and pregnant dogs find focusing and training challenging.  Take a break during these times and make sure they get physical exercise and plenty of chews and food dispensing toys.
  • Environment – Have there been changes in the dog’s life that are causing stress, is the environment too distracting or are there events that make training difficult? (In the process of moving, thunderstorms, family member is in poor health, etc…).
  • ROR (Rate of Reinforcement) – Are you rewarding the dog frequently enough for them to connect the rewards with the desired behavior?
  • Quality of Reinforcement – Are you paying well enough for the behavior you want?  For example, if Kibble is a low-value reward for your dog, you can’t expect them to work for that around high-level distractions (like other animals or finding cheesecake on the ground).  Try upping the value of the reward.
  • Timing – How well do you time your marker and rewards after the desired behavior?  Studies tell us that we have tops 2-3 seconds after a behavior occurs to give a marker and reward the dog will connect with the behavior.  However, if the dog offers multiple behaviors within that window, they will associate the reward with the last behavior they did.  This is why the timing of markers is so important.
  • Attitude – Are you treating training like it’s a chore or a game?  Your dog can tell the difference!  They get excited about what you get excited about so bring on the energy and the happy tones!  DO NOT train if you’re in a bad mood or you’ve already had a stressful day.  Take a break from training and give your dog something else to do instead.  If you don’t feel a little silly when you work with your dog in front of others, you might not be doing it right.
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  • Length of sessions – Try shorter training sessions with just 2-5 repetitions at a time.  Many dogs struggle with new exercises and don’t have the brain power and attention span to handle longer training lessons.  When starting new behaviors, train for 5-10 minutes max.  Keep in mind that puppies, adolescents and seniors tend to struggle more with focus and attention span.  The key is multiple short sessions each day.
  • Take a break – sometimes dogs, just like people, get burnt out and need a break.  Especially with any training that can cause additional stress (like reactivity training).  It takes 72 hours for stress hormones to leave the body.  Start with a 3-day training break (but still play with them and give them things to do), then try again.  Puppies and adolescents in particular, seem to need longer training breaks sometimes.  Try giving them up to 7 days, then try again.
    Note that you don’t always need to take a break from ALL training.  Known cues or easy behaviors for your dog should be fine to practice.
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  • Check your three Ds (Distance, Duration and Distractions) – Are you adding too much at once? Are you going too far too fast?  Remember that training often happens in baby steps.  Go back to an easier step and use the 90% rule.  Don’t increase the difficulty in any area until your dog is 90% consistent in performing the behavior at the asked-for level of difficulty.
  • Learning style – changing the approach to teaching may greatly benefit your dog depending on their learning style and likes and dislikes.  Pairing recall with a fetch and retrieve game might work better for a dog who loves to play fetch.  Pairing recall with a chase game might work better for a dog drawn to movement. 
  • Threshold – This really falls under the 3 Ds, but it’s worth repeating.  The point at which your dog no longer takes treats, won’t listen, or can’t perform known behaviors (like sit), is their threshold point.  They literally can’t focus on your and can’t learn because their brain is in a state of over arousal.  Don’t punish them or get frustrated, just dial back the difficulty a few notches by decreasing the 3 Ds, then try again.
    *Note that for fearful and reactive dogs, if they’re past threshold, their brain goes into fight or flight mode.  Learning will not occur in this primal survival mode their brain is locked in if they’re past threshold.  The best thing you can do is put distance between them and whatever’s causing the reaction.  If they do have an outburst or run to hide, give them a break for three days while you practice easy stuff or work on your relationship at home.  This will give their body a chance to flush stress hormones. 
  • What are you rewarding? – Make sure you’re rewarding desired behaviors far more than correcting undesired behaviors.  Remember that reinforced behaviors occur more frequently and punished/ignored behaviors decrease.  Only the learner decides what’s reinforcing and what’s punishing. 
  • Management – Management simply means taking steps to ensure they can’t reinforce themselves for bad behaviors.  For example, if your dog likes to get into the trash can, put the trash cans behind doors or out of reach when you aren’t actively supervising your dog.  Are any of your management areas failing?  If so, fix them or find alternative management methods. 
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Don't forget to reference the Human Hierarchy for help with which tools to use and when!  If you need help or have questions, please contact us.  We're more than happy to help and we offer online lessons as well!
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Before hiring a dog trainer, read this (Part 2)

5/30/2022

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Let's continue what to look for when finding an ethical, skilled dog trainer with an up-to-date tool kit.  In part 2 we'll discuss the red flags (bad), the green flags (good) and other considerations to think about.
Red Flags
-  If they talk about being dominant, alpha or pack leader, find someone else.  They’re working off of outdated and long-debunked info.
-  If they’re physically moving your dog into positions or using the leash to force your dog to move where they want them to go, find someone else.  Not only can this be really stressful for your dog and actually damage your relationship with them, but it can physically hurt them.  Plus, your dog will learn MUCH faster if they’re having fun and they’re choosing to engage and make the decisions themselves.
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-  When they use the same tools and exercises for every dog they work with.  This doesn’t include safety gear like your basic leash and collar or food rewards.  But if they put every dog into a board and train regardless of personality or background, they use an e-collar for every dog they work with, they use a clicker for every dog they work with, etc.  They should consult with you about your dog’s history, your preferences, then make a personalized plan.
-  If they use tools that have a high likelihood of being aversive, causing a stress response and creating additional physical/emotional damage to dogs, they better have a dang good reason.  These tools include physical corrections, e-collars, choke collars and prong collars, but this can include anything that your dog finds aversive.  Even food rewards can be used in an abusive manner. 
For the record, the majority of trainers who use these tools because they genuinely want to help and create positive outcomes.  They just might not have as big a toolbox as other trainers who dedicate more time and effort to productively honing their craft with updated methods and techniques.  They’re doing the best they can with the information they have.
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-  Trainers who don’t refer out and don’t play nice with others.  Trainers who refuse to refer out care more about their bottom line than getting you the best possible help.  If they don’t have a good network and don’t talk with colleagues, they aren’t going to learn nearly as much.  You learn the most from other colleagues and trainers will often seek advice from each other.  If that network isn’t in place, you’re doing a disservice to your clients and yourself.
-  Similarly, trainers who seem to offer every service.  Ever heard the phrase “Jack of all trades – Master of none.”? If they focus on too many things (basic obedience, reactivity, agility, bitework/protection, trick training, search and rescue, service dogs, etc.), they aren’t going to get really good at any of those. Unless it’s a really large training company with a lot of different trainers who each focus on a few areas, you’re not going to get the most knowledgeable service.
I personally know trainers who'll often only spend a few days/weeks learning a new skill before offering those to the public.  In some cases, like a technique for loose leash walking, to get better attention or a training game, that's fine.  But for an entire branch of training, like any dog sports, service dog work, competition scent-work, etc, these skills take much longer to learn and years to master.
-  If they don’t have a contract and don’t take any form of client history about your dog.  It’s a sign that they aren’t legally organized, which means less protection for you.  They may not have insurance or have their business license.  If they aren’t taking client history, they don’t have the information needed to better build a custom training plan (for private lessons).
-  Really low pricing.  Unless they’re running a massive promo and/or they’re getting some other value from you, if they’re charging less than $70 a session, there’s a reason.  It’s probably because they’re a hobby trainer who has minimal experience and education, probably no license, probably no liability/business insurance, might not have a business set up or registered, and might make all of your problems worse.  You get what you pay for.
Green Flags
- They use terms like positive reinforcement, science-based, fear-free, and LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive).  Although you do still need to be careful, because again, these are marketing terms and aren’t regulated.  Anyone can use them and not actually use those methods.  I know trainers who claim to use LIMA methods who actually use pretty outdated and stressful methods.  Positive reinforcement in particular is a huge marketing buzzword right now and a lot of trainers will use positive reinforce one second, then use a harsh correction the next second.  This is extremely confusing and stressful for your dog.
-  They have alphabet soup at the end of their name. These show levels of education and certifications earned.  Again, check these to see exactly what they mean.  Some trainers have gone so far as to put the acronyms of organizations they’re a member of behind their name.  They never earned anything, just paid money to join an organization (which doesn’t enable them to use those letters after their name anyway).
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-  They ask you lots of questions and ask you to participate in the training process as much as possible.  They also ask for your consent and read your dogs’ body language to make sure they’re comfortable.  They stop if your dog shows signs of stress or anxiety. They listen to your concerns and modify the training plan to meet your needs.
-  They don’t typically badmouth other trainers and they don’t often have videos of dogs who are stressed, reactive, showing signs of fear, aggression, etc.  Their goal is to never get the dog in those states of mind and to keep the dog as happy and stress-free as possible. Real, ethical dog training is fairly boring to watch.  It doesn’t make for good TV (which is why you don’t see science-based trainers with TV shows).
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-  They often have titles they’ve earned with their personal dog (tricks, obedience, sports, etc.)
-  They try to turn training into a game for your dog and make it as fun as possible.
-  They do a lot of continuing education.
-  They network with other trainers/pet pros and have a good referral network.
-  They don’t make time-based or behavior-based guarantees.  The reason for this is each dog is an individual and will behave differently and take different amounts of time than another individual to get from point A to point B.  Putting a time limit on behavior puts a lot of pressure on the trainer and the dog and turns the process into an aversive experience for everyone involved.  It’s setting everyone up for failure.  Guaranteeing behaviors of a living animal is risky at best.  Guaranteeing the behavior of a live animal that doesn’t live with you where you can manage their enrichment, day-to-day training and interactions with other people and animals is impossible.  There are far too many variables.  We cannot and would not control the behavior of others just to make a silly marketing guarantee.
Other Considerations
-  Reviews don’t mean what you think they mean.  I mean this with all the love in the world for dog owners – many dog owners haven’t learned to read their own dogs’ body language or interpret what their dog is trying to tell them.  Many dog owners seem to think the easiest solution is the best solution.  Many dog owners also just buy into whatever any dog trainer tells them, without looking at the whole picture. And a whole ton more dog owners don’t feel comfortable for various reasons leaving honest reviews of bad experiences.
There are also a number of ways to collect lots of non-authentic 5-star ratings.
All of this adds up to a decent number of companies that have just the worst training methods, ethics, customer service, etc (I mean, I can tell you some stories, and not just about dog training companies) that have dozens to hundreds of 5 star reviews.
The best thing to do with reviews is to look at the owner responses to the negative reviews.  That will tell you a lot more about the business than the reviews will.
You can also ask trusted friends and family members about their experiences.
-  Experience isn’t everything.  A trainer may have decades of the wrong kind of experience.  In fact, if they’ve invested lots of time and energy into a certain way of training, they’re much less likely to be open to changing the way they train – even if they know how they train is less effective and more likely to cause harm. Ego can be very powerful. 
I have and will continue to refer to trainers who only have 1-2 years of experience (for easier clients) over other trainers who have much more experience, but the wrong kind.
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-  Similar to reviews, just because a trainer has a large following, travels to lecture, gives lots of workshops or charges sky-high pricing, does NOT necessarily mean they’re a skilled trainer.  They may just have good people skills.  There are also some amazing dog trainers who can train circles around a lot of the more popular trainers who don’t have any following yet because they don’t know how to market themselves.
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Before hiring a dog trainer, read This (Part 1)

5/27/2022

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The dog training industry in the US isn’t regulated.  It’s regulated very few places in the world actually. 
This means that it’s hard to find accurate, science-based, up-to-date information – not only online, but when trying to find a professional to work with.  It’s not fair to ask dog owners who are just trying to do the best they can for their dog, who may already be feeling overwhelmed and on the edge of giving up hope, to also sift through a ton of conflicting information.  That’s what you’re looking for help for in the first place!
Unfortunately, until there’s GOOD regulation practices set in place, you are responsible for doing some research to get the best possible experience and care for you and your dog.  This post is to give you a guide to make that process easier – to inform you of some of the dirty little secrets and red flags in this industry as well as the things you want to look for.
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As always, there are exceptions to every rule, so the number one thing to keep in mind is how you and your dog feel about the experience you have. 
Ask yourself these questions when working with a dog trainer:
1.  Do I feel comfortable with this person?
2.  Do they listen to me and my concerns?
3.  Does my dog look happy during training?
4.  Does my dog appear to be excited/happy when they see the trainer? (Obviously this doesn’t apply if your dog has a history of reactivity, fear of strangers, or they don’t seem to care for anyone outside the family already)
5.  Does your dog get to make choices during the training process and choose to be involved in the training process?
6.  Does the trainer force your dog to do things they don’t like?
7.  Does the trainer customize the training plan for your individual dog (for private lessons) or do they use the same tools/exercises for every dog they work with?
8.  How does the trainer respond to negative reviews?  If something happens, do you feel comfortable with them responding the same way to you?
9.  Is the training plan effective? Changing behavior can take time. Some behaviors take more time than others, but if you’ve been training for weeks or months with no change at all, that’s a red flag.
10. Is the trainer willing to refer you to someone better qualified if needed?  Are they willing to place your dogs’ best interests over their paycheck?
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Marketing Terms    
 Because most labels are not regulated, dog trainers have come up with a variety of titles to better market themselves.  The vast majority of these don’t actually mean anything.  There are no credentials, levels of experience or knowledge/skill assessments behind them.
These include: Dog Psychologist, Master Trainer, Expert in Dog Psychology, Dog Behavior Specialist, Expert Consultant in Dog Psychology, or any similar variations. People make up some weird stuff.
     Real Terms
These are actual dog trainer terms based on tested levels education, knowledge and skill.
Dog trainer – this is your basic dog trainer. Literally anyone can call themselves a dog trainer and charge whatever they want and practice however they want. Again, it’s not regulated.  Many dog trainers have very high levels of education, knowledge and skill though.  They may have one or more certifications, they may be members of one or more professional organizations, and they may have earned one or more titles on their dogs.  This takes a lot of work and skill.
Example: Us! Though we have aspirations to become behavior consultants soon!
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Behavior Consultant – this is a dog trainer who has earned this title through a butt-ton of experience and through passing a knowledge (and sometimes skills-based) certification exam.  They have to agree to a code of conduct and ethics and must upkeep their certification with continuing education units.  Those who fail to do so will lose their behavior consultancy status.
Example: Allie and Emily with Pet Harmony
Behaviorist/Behaviourist – This is a professional who has a master’s degree or higher in one of the behavioral sciences and has passed their certification test.  They are usually affiliated with a veterinarian organization.  They are able to diagnose and prescribe.
(Note that true Behaviorists aren’t common and this is a regulated field.  There are trainers who claim to be behaviorists, who don’t even know what a real Behaviorist is.  Check their credentials!)
Example: Lynne with Pets Decoded
Veterinarian Behaviorist – This is what it sounds like – a veterinarian who also has their Behaviorist certification.  These pros are the top of the behavior food chain and take the most extreme cases.  They often use a combination of behavior modification, management and medication.
Example: Chris Pachel with Instinct Dog Behavior and Training
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Benefits of Trick Training

5/3/2021

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Many people view trick-training as something to do just for fun - that tricks have no real purpose other than to show off or look cute.  While trick training is certainly a lot of fun (at least in my opinion, and many of my clients would agree), it's good for so much more than that!
Let's talk about some of the benefits of trick training I can think of off the top of my head - I'm sure there are more!
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1.  Builds better relationships - when you spend time with your pet engaging in activities you both enjoy, where you have to work together as a team, that's a HUGE boost to your relationship bank account.
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2.  Builds trust - same thing here: when you engage in activities with your pet where they consistently learn you play fair and follow the rules, they learn you're a safe and trustworthy person to be around.
3.  Builds confidence - learning new skills at a pace they can handle and being in control of their learning environment helps pets build confidence and life skills they can use in the real world.
4.  Better communication skills - working together as a team to learn a variety of new behaviors allows you and your pet to learn to better communicate in a variety of contexts.  You get to know each other and your learning styles and comforts much better when you learn to listen and pay attention to each other.
5.  Pets learn how to learn and you learn how your pet learns - especially as you learn more intricate and complex behaviors, you'll become a master of understanding how to teach your pet based on their own learning style and they'll become better and better at trying new and more complex behaviors.
6.  Best way to physically wear pets out in small space - what do you do if you live in a small space? Or it's raining outside?  Or you're physically limited but your pet is bouncing off the walls?  Trick training is great for getting lots of pent-up energy out in a small space!  You can work on balance, coordination, circles, jumps, leg weaves, etc, all in one room!
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7.  Great mental exercise - just like us, mental exercise is important for pets too! Did you know that a study done recently in dogs suggests that mental exercise tires them out 4x faster than physical exercise?  Trick-training is a fantastic mental work-out and a 5-10 minute session teaching them a new trick will often wear them out faster than taking them on a 30 minute run!
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8.  Body coordination and awareness - there are tons of tricks that focus specifically on teaching pets to target specific muscle groups and be aware of how their body moves.  These tricks are fantastic foundations for dog sports, but are also great for teaching them to be careful around children or people/animals with physical limitations.  Some of these tricks are also used for older pets to help with mobility or pets recovering from injuries/surgeries.
9.  Teaches obedience behaviors - There are many tricks that can be used to teach traditional "obedience" behaviors.  I have some favorites I like to use for recall and loose leash/heel in particular.  People tend to treat trick training like a game and obedience like a chore, so guess which behaviors the pets prefer? Trick training of course?  So I use as many tricks and games in training as I possibly can. :)
10.  Teaches useful skills (like item retrieval, spacial awareness and other tasks – service dog tasks are essential tricks) - would you like a pet who can help around the house? Maybe they could help put their toys in a bin (or your kids toys in a bin)? Go get you a soda from the fridge? Get your slippers?  Hit the lights?  Find your lost remote? Guess what? That's trick training!
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11.  Makes your pet more approachable - obviously this is a personal preference and some people like their pet to appear more intimidating in certain contexts (and that's totally fine!).  But maybe when your 5-year niece or your grandmother comes over and sees your large black and tan dog, your black cat or the beak on your cockatoo and looks frightened (if they shouldn't be), having your pet do some silly tricks often changes people's attitudes.  It's a lot harder to be scared of a dog who flops over on it's back and wriggles around when you tell them to play dead. 
12.  Trick Training is kid-friendly - kids often love pets, but sometimes the feelings aren't mutual because pets feel overwhelmed by the sudden movements, noises and physical interactions of children.  If you teach children how to engage with pets using tricks the pet knows and loves, the children are entertained by the silly antics of the pet (and they never have to touch the pet and overwhelm them during this time) and the pet enjoys the company of the child because they get to do the behaviors they enjoy while the child is present and rewards (usually treats) appear while the child is present. 
If you'd like to get started with trick training, we have an online intro to trick training class for just $30.  This class will prepare you to test for the Novice Trick Training Title through the AKC if you're interested in that option. You can learn more by clicking the buttons below.
Intro to Trick Training
AKC Trick Titles
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    Kat & Haylee

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