I have heard it said before “all good things come to an end.” Maybe that is what is happening now. With my heart in my throat at the thought of what I’m about to do. I am looking forward to a career where I can reach many more pet owners beyond just our local community. Maybe I’m a little crazy and those who know me well probably can attest to this. My drive to do more and accomplish something different has left me with the difficult decision to permanently close our training facility. The KAS Schoolhouse. Thinking back the last 3 years have been a rollercoaster but one thing has stayed consistent, the Schoolhouse. This place I had bigger goals for and never achieved. To paint, or build more agility equipment, put up beautiful huge photos of the individuals that helped shape Kind Animal Services and will forever be remembered. I dreamed of classes for all aged dogs. Educational programs (or 4-H) for children to help teach the next generation how to communicate and work with animals in the least intrusive and science based way. There is so much potential and ambition that exists in this place titled the KAS Schoolhouse but it’s time to pack it up. My little/big classroom for all animals. The doors close at the end of December. I will greatly miss seeing puppies experimenting with their social skills and learning conflict resolution, adolescent dogs learning skills like self-control, and adult dogs finding joy in learning and spending time with their humans. The Schoolhouse offered a warm place in the winter and shade in the summer for dog training year around. It brought in many new people that I eventually even called friends because of how close I got to them and their dogs. Now listen up before you go looking for another trainer/dog walker/pet sitter we are NOT going out of business! I want to thank you for all your support over the last 3 years through covid and the wake it left. KAS is still recovering from the financial strain of the pandemic. My plan moving forward is to try and build back up the cushion that is now totally depleted. Earlier in the year I chose to discontinue our Dog School program due to the lack of consistent registration. My best guess is the market’s needs have changed again but I am out of ideas and money. Personally I’m a bit overwhelmed by the never ending list of things that are expected of a business owner. Additionally, burn out is always nearby when I care so much about animal welfare. Animals deserve to be understood! No matter how loud I yell, the echo sounds as my voice bounces off the walls. Those beyond the wall not ready to hear the message breaks me. Some days I just don’t want to bother any more because what’s the point? Thank you for being here, reading this post, and continuing to be an advocate for the humane treatment and training of animals. You are the reason I will not give up hope and continue sharing the message. It’s your support that is driving me to this next iteration of Kind Animal Services and my career growth. So what's next? Kind Animal Services is continuing to offer our current services from your home or we can meet in public spaces. Training classes though nothing is scheduled yet, we will be seeking individuals, local businesses, or vet clinics that want to partner or host small classes. I’m open to individuals holding master classes or workshops in their home or business. If you want to see KAS continue the work of live classes and sessions then this might be a place where you can help. I will be open to traveling the pacific northwest and maybe further in the future. If you are interested in hosting a class or workshop just reach out and we can talk about logistics. Veterinarians and groomers I would like to partner with you to host individual private training or if space allows a small group class dedicated to teaching pet parents cooperative care training that ultimately makes your work easier. In Person Consultations will continue to be available in the pet’s home or we can choose a public space to conduct our sessions. Recently, I have started specializing more in difficult behavior cases and modification of these behaviors. In these types of cases an in-home consultation is usually more beneficial than having you load up and bring in your anxious or challenging animal to our space. There were a few exceptions to this but we will creatively figure that out when the need arises. Behavior Modification (Virtual Consulting) and specializing in increasingly difficult cases will be the focus of KAS in 2023. The really neat part of working with these cases is that many behaviors can be addressed without the physical presence of the trainer. In fact it is recommended that the case be done through remote consulting solely. Why? Have you ever taken a class or hired a trainer but felt like it didn’t really work? Or was it only effective while in the classroom or when the trainer was present but as soon as you were left alone with your learner (dog) the unwanted behaviors creeped back in? This is a common issue with in person training or even board and train programs. Virtual behavior consulting offers pet parents a platform to be consistent in their behavior modification programs as they have guidance every step of the way (everyday). The secret to a successful behavior modification program is consistency in real life and at home situations over time. I know it can feel like the quick fix to take your dog to a trainer but reality is as a living animal there is almost always a relapse of the behavior. My goal is to teach you the pet parent how to teach and control your dog for life. Now don’t get me wrong my plan is to continue to offer In Person Consultations where applicable but consider doing a few virtual sessions first to save money and get more out of your in-person sessions if you choose to go that route. Finally, We are still offering Tutoring sessions –2-3 hour enrichment/training sessions with a trainer. We will be now offering this as a pick up/drop off service from your house. Tutoring sessions are the catch all dog adventure and training service. Dogs are taken on adventures. If we can, we may provide the training session in your home as well. It really all depends on what you set as your goal behavior and what you would like your dog to get tutoring on. To see where we will be located and what class opportunities are available into 2023 please check out our Event Calendar page. One final service I would like to mention before I log off is our exclusive Puppy Immersion Program. I will be taking puppies into my home for a fully immersive educational experience. This program is for puppies 10 weeks to 6 months old and is specifically designed to provide the very important developmental education that young puppies need to construct viable coping mechanisms and produce well adjusted adult dogs. The program is 4 weeks long in total. More information will be coming out about this later. Once more thank you for reading and being a loyal client of KAS. Cheers to 2023 and the future of Kind Animal Services. Founder and Animal Behavior Consultant –Kelsie Scroggins

The martingale collar can be a useful tool but it is not a training tool. For that matter there are very few tools I would say are training aids. Is the martingale collar right for you? If you have a large dog that you are struggling to maintain control of. However, I would rather you just train the dog using a harness and if necessary a halter (head collar). A martingale collar can offer temporary relief to leash pulling but don't delay training! Aggressive dogs who can snap unpredictably and you are putting them in situations where the risk of an aggressive outburst is possible. This shouldn't be done without guidance from a behavior expert and lots of other management tools should be in place. (The collar is not for training but to make sure you can quickly and effectively control the dog in more risky situations if it becomes necessary to do so.) Dogs that have learned to slip out of their collars or are fearful run a risk of bulking. Again the collar is not going to help train the dog out of fear responses but it is a necessary tool to keep the dog from slipping away and darting into traffic. I recommend that a martingale be used in conjunction with a body harness and as a secondary system if things get complicated. It should not be the first or only equipment being used. Warning: Do not leave a martingale collar on a dog when not attached to a leash. This is specifically and most importantly true for prong/pinch collars. Speak with your behavior consultant before deciding if a martingale collar is an appropriate tool for you and your dog.

What is the behavior of no? I understand that in the normal human mind you think you are accomplishing something when you tell your dog off, by saying no. Reality is that you have been trained by your environment to say no. Trained meaning the behavior you perform -shout “no” in a gruff stern voice to the dog- is reinforced. So your brain takes that information and you will repeat the behavior. (This is the definition of reinforcement.) I bet you never turned the tables and asked why you bother to say it in the first place. Now you know. You don’t say it because it’s effective dog training. You say “no” because the environment has been effective at training YOU! No is a lack of behavior and for well balanced healthy animals lack of behavior isn't exactly obtainable. If put in a mathematical equation it is minus behavior. However, look at this a little closer and you will realize that minus behavior equals a dead organism. Here is the kicker: all living things are behaving all of the time. Sure, some behaviors are big and some are very small and you have to examine them much closer to notice. If your dog is still breathing - that's a behavior. You say “no”. No, what? Follow me through this example for a moment of a pretty common conversation I have with clients. Client: I tell the dog no and it works. They stop doing the things I don’t like. Me: How often do you have to say “no”? Client: Every time they do something I don’t like. Me: Have they learned to not do the thing you don’t like? Sounds like you have to say it pretty frequently. Client: Yes, but I know they know what I mean when I say it. Me: How do you know? Client: They stop doing it and they look guilty. It’s clear they understand. Me: But you still have to say it and remind them frequently. What have they learned to do? When you say “no” what is your dog's observable response? Client: They stop doing that annoying (enter in the blank). Me: Then what happens? Client: The go back to doing the thing I don’t want them to do and I have to call them to me (or insert some other action). Me: What is the purpose of “no” in the situation you just described? Why not just call them to you and avoid the headache altogether? Client: I want them to know it’s not okay to do what they are doing. Me: And if we look at the data and how frequently you have to remind them with this method do you think they have learned to not do it any more? Is there something you could ask them to do that would stop them and avoid you taking trust out of your trust account? …And the conversation continues as we figure out what we want the dog to do when they say “no” or so that they don’t have to say it at all. No, no, no! Conversations like this make me want to start shouting no at them and hope that they get it but I understand that this is not going to teach the client. No, your animal has not learned to stop. They are still doing it and you are still shouting at them. And around you go. No, your animal cannot stop all behavior. They are still DOING something! What are they going TO DO? No- is not effective changing behavior long term. So, I ask again, what does “no” accomplish? When you say "no" to your animal what behavior should they respond with? I heard from a parenting channel once that they define "no" in their family as "stop and listen". Brilliant! I think freeze might be more descriptive as to what the individual is doing. So when they say “no” the receiver should freeze and listen. A subtle difference between our pets and other humans is that because they are a different species you have to remember that they are not thinking in the same way as you. They don’t understand what it is they are supposed to be stopping and that this thing is not okay. Again, no behavior would mean they are dead. When it comes to training animals it’s most effective to think in verbs. Freezing is an action and listening is also an action. Easy! We can teach actions. Something that “no” means in my household is “try again”. It’s easy to scold them during training when they didn’t do what you asked but instead I say “oops” to help myself keep calm. Also, “oops” tells the dog to try another behavior. Let’s walk through an excited barking dog behavior. What is your dog doing when they are not barking? Answer: their mouth is closed. That is a behavior we can teach. You would start this by teaching them to close their mouth outside of the environments that trigger the barking you don’t like. Once they are fluent with the ‘closed mouth’ behavior. When you say “quiet” the dog closes their mouth (an action). You will then start to ask for it in more challenging situations working up to the ultimate environment where the dog barked previously. Remember to always reinforce the new behavior with preferably the same consequence that they received for barking. Sure this will require some work on your part but this program I outlined actually trains the dog. Where, that “no” wasn’t teaching anything or giving them a direction. For those of you over achievers who realistically know that you will still use the word ‘no’ in your everyday life I recommend that you teach your animal what to do when you say it. Four example when I say “no” I might teach my cat to look for me and come to me. Looking around for me and coming over to me is usually enough to get him off the counter, or to stop clawing the couch. I then would reinforce it with food or affection. I reinforce EVERY TIME because it’s important for me to be able to effectively stop him when he is doing some normal cat behavior but in the wrong place. If you want to be God status in your relationship with animals then I would challenge you to just delete the word from your vocabulary when referring to your pets. Are you struggling with a specific unwanted behavior or you are not sure what your next steps should be-- book your virtual behavior consult today. If you would rather we can also do in person consultations at our training center (Schoolhouse) or your home.

Getting to meet someone, new or familiar, is often a very exciting thing for a dog. There are new smells to take in, potential pets to be had, and a new friend to be made! So they jump up to get close and smother strangers with kisses to get as much love as they can. Does this sound familiar to you? This display of adoration and love may seem endearing, but aside from being a rude invasion of space to an unwilling participant, it can turn from cute to dangerous in a heartbeat when your dog decides to enthusiastically say hello to the wrong person. Allowing this sort of behavior to continue is just not worth it. Working with your dog to design an appropriate way to get them all the love and attention they want will benefit you, your dog, and everyone that gets to meet your furry companion. To give you an example, I’m going to describe what I would call a “perfect greeting” between a stranger and my dog: A stranger my dog has not met before approaches. My dog stays by my side, not pulling towards the stranger or shying away. As the person gets closer, the dog checks in with me by looking at me then looking back at them. The stranger asks me permission to say hello to my dog. Since my dog is relaxed and not showing any signs of fear or anxiety, I say “Sure,” then cue my dog by saying “Go say hi!” The stranger waits as the dog approaches them calmly and gives the person’s legs and hands a sniff. This meeting may have less dramatic flair than a bouncing pup, but it is an incredibly respectful way to honor any boundaries either party may have. The stranger decided to initiate the interaction and my dog was given a chance to consent with their body language when the stranger paused to ask me first. My dog was able to approach on their own terms in a calm manner, and was given the chance to engage further or back away. From here, me, my dog, and our new friend can assess if we want to continue saying hello or go our separate ways. Things won’t always play out this way, of course. That was an ideal scenario, not necessarily a realistic one. Dogs and humans are often unpredictable, after all, and we can only do our best to set our dogs up to guide them towards the perfect greeting we’ve imagined for them. As the one thing you can control most is your own actions, this must start with you. I’ve seen many well-intended people lean down to give their dog love while the dog is actively jumping all over them in excitement, which immediately teaches the dog that jumping gets them attention. Think about how you and your dog say “hi” to each other then create a checklist that details what you want those interactions to look like. How can you give your dog lots of love and affection in ways that don't reinforce impolite behavior? It might be hard to know where to go from here. You and your dog will be learning how hard habits are to break at the same time, so be committed and patient. And know when to ask for help from a trainer who can keep you on track, this stuff is difficult! Of course, the humility of finding out it’s not just teaching your dog to keep their feet on the floor, but also teaching yourself what to do when they don’t, reveals how often you’ll find yourself human-training when you begin to introduce your dog to other people. This is often much harder than dog training. Human training requires clear communication from you and a willingness from them to do things on your terms. Both of those things can be hard to achieve, so be kind to yourself throughout the process and get comfortable telling people your checklist and what to do if your dog doesn’t follow it. Trust yourself. You know what’s best for your dog. Be unyielding in your instructions, regardless of what they push back against. Reminding yourself needing to practice advocacy is a completely normal part of the process. If you don’t trust the person will be capable of listening to your instructions, don’t be afraid to say “No. You cannot meet my dog right now.” “No” is your strongest ally. A person who is unwilling to listen to your boundaries around greeting your dog will set your dog up for continued failure and reinforce the exact behavior you are trying to change. Having trusted accomplices (usually friends and family) who understand your checklist and are willing to follow your instructions will be invaluable in the beginning. Make sure to cover your guidelines thoroughly so everyone is on the same page, including yourself. Don’t forget to get your “No, you can’t say hello right now,” ready. Try as they might, people do and will make mistakes. You are the first and last defense to stop an interaction if you notice your dog isn’t being polite or isn’t comfortable. Speak up when the situation doesn’t feel right. You have the power to set them up for successful greetings by preventing a greeting gone wrong. With time and lots of consistent practice, soon your dog will be the star of any social interaction they engage in. Your dog will come to understand how to properly begin an interaction with someone and get the love they want. You will feel confident advocating for your dog’s needs and knowing their limits. If you are struggling with this skill and unsure where to start your checklist, reach out to Kind Animal Services. We know how to stand in as that trusted accomplice or habit-free teacher that can create an individualized plan to get you and your dog on track to getting your dog the attention they deserve in private or group training classes. Continue reading for outlined instructions and a checklist template… We would start with creating that checklist I mentioned earlier. Reminder, this is a checklist of how you would like your dog to behave when they greet someone. It details the signs you look for when evaluating if you will say “Yes” or “No” to someone wanting to say hello. To further use my example from earlier, mine would look something like this: Pays attention to me around distractions, especially other people Does not approach stranger until told/invited to Calm Relaxed muscles Still/loose tail, maybe wagging a little Soft eyes Responding to and following known cues (like “sit”) Attention not hyper-focused on any particular thing; willing to disengage and change focus Quiet (no barking) Four feet on floor (not jumping) Not showing signs of fear/anxiety Panting Excessive grooming/itching/licking/yawning Wide eyes Tense muscles Curled lip Flicking/fast wagging tail Tucked tail Hackles up Ears flat on head I’ve included a lot of body language cues to my checklist because the way a dog holds their body will tell you a lot about their capacity to succeed as well as their comfort level with the situation. Know your dog’s limits. Dogs are just like us, and sometimes they are not in a social mood! Just because someone wants to say hello, doesn’t mean your dog does. So know their body language for “No thanks,” and make sure to pass along the message before they do. Be extra aware of this if you have a shy dog who struggles to be around people. Set your dog up for success by using the advocacy skills you’ve been practicing and ask others to let your dog approach on their terms. As described in my ideal situation, the dog is offered the option to go say hello and does not necessarily include any further interactions. Not all greetings will involve petting and sometimes all your dog can handle is being in the presence of another person. A short, “My dog is learning to feel safe around people, please only interact with them on these terms,” is perfect. Describe what your dog is comfortable with; “Let them sniff you and walk away,” “We will be in the same room, but don’t give them any attention and instead you and I will just chat,” etc.. Now, you may be asking yourself, “I now know when I need to say “No,” but how can I get my dog to the point where I can confidently say “Yes!”? I have goals set for them, but I don’t know how to help my dog reach them!” Great question. With your checklist in mind, compare your dog’s skills to those on the list. Think about what behaviors they display now and what they will be replaced with. Say your dog is a jumper. One of the most basic things you can replace this with is sitting! After all, it’s a lot harder to jump on someone with their bottom on the ground. In order to make this a reliable behavior, do lots and lots of practicing in as many situations as you can. Start in your home and cue sits in every room, rewarding them for a job well done. Slowly add distractions like music, toys, or someone in the room. Take this work out into your yard and practice there, starting with no distractions (as the outdoors is full of them on its own) before adding others. The more your dog is able to focus just on you and the cues you’re giving them while the world moves around them, the better! If they struggle, lower the intensity and distractions to a level they are confident in before moving forward again. Other ways you can reinforce and build this behavior include: When your dog approaches you to say hello, cue a sit and only reach down to pet them if they follow through. If they don’t, or they get up halfway through their pets, simply ignore them and walk away. Tell anyone who wants to say hello to do this too. Add “sit” into your play routine. Play a little then ask for a sit while their energy is high. Don’t continue to play until their bottom hits the ground! Play pattern games. Set up stations around your space and start at your first station by cuing a sit. Once they do, move to the next station and reward them, then cue another sit. Repeat this process and slowly amp up the energy level by going from walking between stations to jogging, skipping, running, etc. (This exercise is pulled from practices established by Leslie McDevitt. For more information on pattern games, check out this video.) By playing these games and building this skill, you are effectively teaching them that “sit” is a gateway to treats, love, playtime, and all the attention they could want. When they get amped up to meet someone, their body will remind them of this and they’ll be more than willing to take a seat and wait to see what their reward will be this time. If they don’t, it’s on you to remind them with the cue. If they continue to struggle, advocate for your dog and their training plan by saying “They only get to say hello if they sit. Right now they aren’t capable of meeting this criteria, so they don’t get to say hello.” “Sit” is not the be-all-to-end-all of replacement behaviors. In my ideal scenario, sitting is not a requirement for my dog to say hello, just keeping their feet on the ground. I like to use the target games (also known as “Touch,” “Here,” “Go Say Hi,” etc) to show a dog where their head should be when someone comes to say hi. The goal of this game is simple. A person displays their flat palm to the side of their body then the dog approaches and touches their nose to the exposed surface. Just like sitting makes it difficult to jump, having a place their nose needs to aim for prevents them from trying to aim elsewhere, like, say, someone’s face. To add this to your dog’s repertoire, start small. Present your palm in front of your dog's nose and reward them when they inevitably sniff it wondering what you’re doing. Do lots of repetitions of this, starting close and slowly adding distance as your dog catches on so they have to move to accurately target your hand. Make sure this is fun and amp up the challenge as they build confidence! Put your hand in interesting positions like between your legs, way out to the side, on the ground, etc., and reward them with yummy treats, physical affection, and/or play time. Again, we want them to learn that this behavior grants them access to good things! Applying targeting into real world greetings does involve a little human-training as well. You will need to direct whoever wants to say hello how to display their hand by their side (luckily this tends to be a natural reaction and a lot of people will volunteer this without prompting) and what to do if your dog doesn’t target it (ignore the dog and walk away). Apply the same process to teach your dog to target their hand the same way they did yours, and voila! You have a dog approaching people with an appropriate place to put their nose. There are a variety of other techniques you can use to build these skills. If these don’t match up to the behaviors on your checklist, try to come up with other replacement behaviors you could introduce on your own or reach out to a professional for more ideas. As you move forward, remember that all methods will boil down to these same main ingredients to reach your end goal: Go at your dog’s pace. Be patient. Know your dog’s limitations and abilities and do not throw them into the deep end without teaching them how to swim first. Be ready to say “No.” And even harder, be ready to say “Actually, I thought they could say hi, but I’m seeing now they don’t have the skills to do it properly and we need to do some more training before we can continue.” Trust yourself and your decisions. You know what’s best for your dog. Be consistent. Clearly distinguish what works (being polite) and what doesn’t (jumping, barking, etc.). The goal is not to stop them from receiving the love and attention they want, but to show them how to appropriately ask for it. Practice skills both in and out of context. Practice at home, in your yard, at the park, and on walks. Prepare them before they are in a situation where they need to apply their skills, then take those skills into the real world. Having these things in mind will immediately put you on the right track and set your dog up for success. Replacing behaviors is a long and sometimes frustrating process, but trust yourself and trust your dog. With teamwork, practice (and maybe some help from a trainer), you and your dog will be well on your way to becoming star citizens!

We have all been there chasing after our dog red faced and embarrassed as they are bolting away from us. We try yelling and flailing our arms in the air. When that doesn’t work and in our frustrated state we yell instead at the people around us “they’re friendly!” What happens after this stressful event is what always shocks me as it is a critical part of what the dog learns. When we finally catch our dog we grab at them quickly and abruptly as we try to get a hold of their collar. Then it’s a scolding, “no”, “bad dog for running away”, and sometimes this scolding turns into full on lashing for the dog's poor choice. What did this experience teach the dog? I will give you a hint: it wasn’t that coming back to you is a better choice. In many of these cases the dog learns 2 things. (1) Getting away, running, being chased, or chasing is super fun. 10 out of 10, highly recommended, and likely will do it again. (2) My pet-parents are kind of scary sometimes. Note to self I should be sure to avoid them better next time so that I don’t get into that situation again. Did your dog learn to “come” to you? Nope, they sure didn’t. Learning is happening all the time and a mistake that can really catch people up when trying to train their dog is that they think they can use human logic and talk their way through the dog's lesson. Dog’s don’t speak human language. How do you form this relationship that fosters communication? You start first by listening. Listen closely to your dog's wants, needs, and desires. While you're listening, respect their choices. If they show fear, move away so they don’t have to be afraid any more. Doing little things like this will help your dog learn they can trust you and you are listening. Observe your dog and find out what their favorite things are. This is critical because if you are using a low value item, say a leaf in your hand, your dog has no reason to listen to you. I’m sorry if this is new to you and you were hoping that your dog would follow your commands because of your status as their “owner” or because you are a human. Your dog needs more than that to begin developing a deeper bond with you. Next, give it a little time. Don’t be the person who lets their newly adopted dog off leash even at the dog park. Letting them have too much freedom early on in the relationship could easily drive a wedge between you. Your dog doesn’t see you setting them free as a sign of love, yet. While in this observation and get-to-know-you phase, keep things calm and close. Don’t assume what your dog likes or dislikes. They are individuals after all. If you have been living with your dog for a long time but you now want to start recall training then I recommend you step back and pretend you are meeting your dog for the first time. We often get complacent in our long term relationships but our relationships with our dogs evolve over time. So even if you have had your dog for many years, take a step back for a few weeks and see what new traits have developed since the last time you truly got to know your dog. I say this from experience because when I do this with my dog I learn of her new ailments or new stressors. Like she needs to be with me all the time now when she couldn’t wait to get away from me when she was young. While you're getting to know your dog you want to make sure there is no opportunity for them to get away from you or for you to ACTUALLY call them in a real world scenario. This is usually made pretty easy with the use of leashes or safely fenced and productive environments. This can be a tough rule to follow for some people but there is no gain without grit. Remember you are bonding. You can think of the leash as a way of physically connecting to your dog until you have a strong enough bond and training is in place that the leash is no longer needed. This is one reason why KAS doesn’t recommend or take dogs off leash for hiking or enrichment activities, because our pet professionals are not you and don’t have enough time to get to know your dog to be able to let them off leash safely. With that being said we do have some very regular clients that we can take off leash. Start taking your bonding on the road. A dog with lots of positive experiences and one that is well socialized is going to feel more comfortable and in the end be more in tune with you when away from home. This happens because for most, not all dogs, they become oh-hummm about the chaos of the outside world. They have seen it all. This helps them focus their attention on things that matter. Have you ever seen that kid that doesn’t have a TV at home go to a friend's house and become fixated on the tv? This is kind of what happens to your dog if you don’t get them out and expose them to a variety of experiences. Shameless plug: This type of experience and socialization training is exactly what Dog School is good for. Alright, now that you have spent some deliberate time with your dog, getting to know them as an individual, and building trust - You can begin the more formal part of your recall training program. Hopefully, up till now you have avoided any situation where your dog has escaped from you and you would have needed a recall. If not that’s okay maybe take another week in the bonding phase before you move on. List out your dog's favorite things. For my one dog chasing squirrels trumped everything, for my other dog it was children. Be as specific as you can. Below is a little table that might help you brainstorm. If all you can think of is food and praise then you need to go back to observing and getting to know your dog. Great, our following step is going to be to name our top reinforcers. Again, my dog chasing squirrels was huge! I named that ‘chase the squirrel behavior’–“Get It!” So go through each of these and come up with different words and hand signals (or environmental cues) that will let your dog know that that reinforcer is now available. This may sound silly but even if you don’t do anything else this tip alone could improve your relationship with your dog. Next we want to teach our dog what the end of the “come” behavior is. I like to teach my dogs that when I call them they are expected to touch my hand or even better put their own collar in my hand. This is a useful skill that can help you get a hold of them which is most likely why you are calling them to you in the first place. What does that look like? It looks like teaching, what you will probably hear called, a nose touch or a hand target. This is the process of teaching your dog to touch their nose to the palm of your hand. Once this is an established behavior you can shape it into putting their chin or collar in your hand later on. To do this, reach into your treats and pull your hand out empty (your hand smells like treats) and show the palm of your hand to the dog at their nose/head level, so they don’t have to reach up or look down to see your hand. As soon as the dog sniffs your hand you will say “yes” and using that same hand, get a treat and feed them. Wait till they are done eating to repeat for another rep. Over time you want to ask for a little more pressure on the palm of your hand. Only attempting to raise the criteria when your dog is successful at the behavior level you are currently working on. Once the dog is consistently and satisfactorily pushing into your hand you can name the behavior “come” or (my preference) “here”. You will do this by adding your cue prior to offering your hand where the dog already knows how to touch. So it looks like this: Say your cue / “come” Lower/offer your hand “Yes” for the dog touching Remove target-hand and get out a treat Feed treat Wait for them to finish eating before repeating With a really strong history of reinforcement of touching your hand you can now begin the process of what we technically called back chaining. We are going to then start the dog from further and further away. It can be helpful to have a helper for this. My favorite and most effective way to focus on distance and have lots of success up front is to have someone gently hold your dog starting at about 5 feet away from you. The Helper can engage with your dog if the dog enjoys that or can just wait neutral. However the former can be more helpful for the training. I highly recommend a harness and leash because there is a strong likelihood that your dog will be leaning to try and get to you the moment that you call. The pressure a collar causes to the neck could be damaging. As soon as you call your dog’s recall cue (the same one you practiced earlier) the Helper should stop engaging and let go of the leash so the dog can choose what they want to do next. As your dog is approaching, cheer them the whole way. I frequently encourage my students to tell their dogs how wonderful they are for as long as it takes to get to them. When your dog reaches you your hand should already be in position and they should bump your hand. When you feel them make contact you're now going to start implementing the ultimate reward system for coming to you. If you have a ball crazy dog then your reps might look like this: Leave your dog with a helper Back away from your dog about 6 feet. Call your dog (Helper is to drop the leash and disengage all contact with the dog the moment you call) Put your hand out to give them a target Dog will touch your hand, Say “Fetch” (we named the reinforcer above.) Pull out the ball you had behind your back and give it a toss Assuming the dog returns the ball you can keep repeating in this fashion. Depending on what your dog absolutely loves then use that. When my Squirrel crazy dog came back I would immediately say “get it” after she touched me. This training doubles as a great exercise game working both the mind and body. Note, that if your dog is really active and gets strung out on physical activity it would be advised to use it sparingly and take frequent breaks to let them calm down between reps. In this way you can back up and call your dog from a variety of distances primarily in a low distraction environment but the more variety of low distraction environments the better. I.e. The park after hours, your neighbors or friends yard, or the middle of a quiet street can all work really well for practice. It can also be useful to have a long line or rope attached to them just in case they choose poorly during a training session. What if my dog makes a mistake? No big deal. We all make mistakes when we are learning something new. Be understanding but reset the exercise as swiftly as possible so that they don’t learn they can just leave the session. Notice if they need a break before they make a mistake. Sometimes our brains retain information better when we take breaks, it works for your dog also. So if they check out of the training session make note of how long or how many reps they were capable of staying focused for and try not to go over that number next time and end earlier. Some games and exercise variations I like to play that involve recall and make practicing the skill fun. Most of these games can incorporate your dog’s meal so feel free to capitalize on using food for treats. Treat Tosses If you don’t have any other games your dog will play you can always use a treat to throw them away from you, wait for them to finish eating, then call them to you. Don’t forget your hand target. Hide & Seek With this game you will probably need a partner unless your dog has been taught a rock solid stationing behavior. Sometimes you can play at random throughout the day-If you are on a hike or in the backyard and your dog is slightly distracted, duck behind something like a tree or bush. Wait momentarily before calling to see if they will notice. Then call them and have them find you. Place Training / Stationing Where you send your dog to an active station and then call them to you. This is the skill I’m talking about in the Hide & Seek solo game but it shouldn’t be taught as a stand alone skill just for recall. However, it makes for a great supplement game to play occasionally. Retrieve Training If your dog loves to fetch this is a great way to build in some recall because it’s naturally occurring when your dog returns the toy to you. If your dog does not bring you the toy you may have to teach them. This training process is easier than you think if you have a ball/toy motivated dog. Emergency Recall / Value Charging This is where you are going to spend say a week charging up your recall word or sound. Take an extra special food item your dog doesn’t normally get. Now there is only one rule when you say the magic recall word (cue) you will present immediately after the amazing and valuable item. I usually recommend real meat from your refrigerator. That’s it. For this game you are using Pavlov to the fullest to ring the bell to deliver food. THE DOG DOES NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING! This is only effective if the reinforcement you are delivering is not available any other time. You will need to block out the week or two you plan to implement the training and let the games begin. While you are playing don’t use your recall cue for other practice. With all games be ready to pay out the winner for their efforts. Your dog plays for pay. I hope this helps you get started teaching your dog to ‘come when called’. It is worth noting that recall is a complex skill that has many parts and the dog especially off leash has lots of options! This type of experience is a privilege that I don’t think puppies are fully capable of. I will usually recommend to go slow with your recall training and do it right. Don’t expect or rush a young dog to be perfect. The result when they are just a little older will be a dog that can stop mid squirrel chase and come back. Giving your dog choices and freedom is great but only if you are prepared to follow it up with worthwhile rewards when they make the right choice. Punishing your dog or even adding uncomfortable stimuli to your dog and then releasing it when the dog makes the right choice (negative reinforcement) can be effective, it’s reinforcement after all but it doesn’t help your dog learn to use their own brain. It doesn’t make them excited to come back to you, it makes it the only option they have. If they don’t they will continue to feel the uncomfortable mild zapping or tapping until they comply. It’s my recommendation that you put your relationship at the front of your recall training and with a healthy relationship your dog really won’t have a lot of reason to run away. With any training method there is still inherent risk letting any animal be free and not fenced or tethered. They are still going to be a dog and sometimes that instinct will be more than you have prepared for. It’s not personal so no need to get mad at them. Do your best to recover them and love them harder. If you're interested in learning more or getting guidance on teaching a recall founded on trust and relationship, Kind Animal Services is here to support you in your journey.

This article outlines the main types of aggressive behavior presented in animals of all kinds. However, this will be most relevant to dogs. Aggression is a very large topic that means and evokes different emotional responses to different people. Aggressive looking behaviors happen for a variety of reasons and if you are living around an animal you are scared of please seek the help of a professional. I can not give exact advice on how to fix aggressive behavior because each situation is vastly different. This is for your safety or the safety of your animal’s victim in their aggression bursts. Let’s first start with this idea of “fixing” behavior. First off as an animal behavior consultant or even a trainer we don’t “fix” animals. To fix something assumes that something is broken in the first place. Just because your animal might behave in a way that causes you distress does not mean they are broken. In fact they are very whole. Their behavior reflects (in most all cases) their ability to learn, to achieve outcomes, and be a successful member of their species (as far as they are concerned). As part of being an animal is the ability to behave as means to an end. Never lose sight of the idea that all behavior has a purpose--this includes aggressive behavior. There are a few behaviors that often fall under this label of an aggressive animal that as a behavior consultant we will most likely tell you the solution is terminal management or in extreme cases euthanasia may need to be considered. Predatory aggression - This is when an animal (usually predatory animals, primarily dogs) finds attacking and even killing animals (of any kind) to be reinforcing. This real and very scary type of aggressive behavior frequently relates back to an animal's genetics. They are often a predatory species predisposed to finding attacking, chasing, biting, shaking, and ultimately killing to be intrinsically reinforcing. Brain damage/Mental illness - Yes, animals of all kinds can suffer from mental illnesses. Trauma to the head or a developmental/genetic defect can trigger severe aggression in an animal. I have to bring this up because this category is often forgotten. Just like us they have brains in their skulls that are fragile and subject to illness, trauma, and defects. Unfortunately, aggression related to this frequently goes unnoticed and completely untreated. I suspect that many behavior euthanasias were because of something wrong with the brain. How often do puppies get dropped on their heads? Sick/rabid or animals in pain - The final aggression category that I want to put here is sick animals or animals in pain. Illness and pain can put anyone in a bad mood or make them irritable and more likely to use aggressive behavior to “feel better” or protect oneself. This is why we will frequently ask if pet parents have consulted a veterinarian depending on the type of behavior they are describing. Pretty much all aggression related consultations will be referred to a veterinarian before beginning their behavior modification program. One last comment about the above reasons for aggressive behavior. I am in no way saying that it is a lost cause to help animals that suffer from these reasons for aggression or that they should all be euthanized! I have had people try to twist my words on the topic before–I am saying that I would support euthanasia of an animal for the safety and welfare of all parties involved. This is not an easy decision but I want those who are currently living in the anxiety an aggressive animal causes to know, I see you and support whatever decision you ultimately come to. If you want to keep on fighting for your animal and are doing everything you can to help them I support you too. There is no right answer to dealing with an aggressive animal and what is feasible for one family may not be for another. Alright, so above I mentioned 3 triggers for aggressive behavior that are what I would call management-for-life categories. The rest of this article is about aggressive behavior that can more easily be modified and results are possible. Fear Aggression - Fear related aggression is where an animal feels threatened and they have discovered that aggressive behaviors will help them get the scary thing to go away. Resource Guarding/Aggression - Some aggressive behavior stems from an animal feeling that their livelihood is at risk. They are protective of what they find reinforcing and probably fear it might be taken away or tampered with. They anticipate that there is risk to their valued resources and the aggression is learned as means to maintain possession of the resource. Safety & Security - Most animals become worried when forced to do something they are unfamiliar with. It’s for this reason we push socialization for young puppies so hard. It’s also a huge proponent of behaviors labeled as aggressive behaviors. When an animal feels that they have no choices this very well could be seen as a breach of their safety. Where security is concerned, I like to think about how a human we feel secure when we are with someone we trust to have our back. When an animal doesn’t feel secure or safe they become more irritable and they may learn that aggressive behavior benefits them. Frustration Induced & Redirected Aggression - Sometimes our animals find themselves in a situation where they are prevented from getting to something that they want or find reinforcing. As time goes on they begin to develop a pattern of aggressive behavior on usually innocent beings or items around them. I see this most with dogs but it could happen in rats or birds who are kept in cages and teased. Dogs I faced with the restriction of leashes when walking about highly distracting (and often with lots of possible opportunities for reinforcement) areas. They become outwardly frustrated and in their cognitive inhibited state lash out. Those are the core types of aggression (if I’m missing something please comment below). It’s apparent that aggression comes in many forms and stems from many different emotional experiences. I should also point out that there can be cross over between any of the aggression categories I have listed. They are by no means black and white. Aggression is typically a very deep multi-level problem and where we might have success in manipulating one form of aggression the dog could still be aggressive in another scenario. We need to be specific about labeling aggressive behavior and understand the different stems of aggression. These types of aggression, if you will, will be handled in different ways and why a blanket label, “aggression”, and general help can be incredibly harmful. Professional help from a professional who is well versed in behavior modification is needed. Aggression should rarely (and most cases never) be handled by using aggression. Furthermore, correcting aggressive outbursts will only suppress the behaviors. Correcting pre-cursing aggressive behavior like growling in dogs will most definitely worsen your situation! Please disregard any advice to scold, punish, correct, or use force as a means of solving aggressive behavior. What can you do? First understand what emotions are underlining the aggressive behavior. Observe and be meticulous about all environmental factors around aggressive outbursts from your animal. Take notes and mention the time of day. What happened leading up to the behavior? Who was involved? What were they doing? What other influencers were in the environment (sights, smells, noises, social interactions, or forcers)? Ask yourself what is the function of the behavior? What is the animal gaining or what is the outcome for their behavior? Is there something they want and it is now maintaining the aggression? Now, make a plan. Starting with how can you avoid situations that trigger aggression? Is there a way to provide the same outcome the animal is seeking without them needing to use aggression? Understand your budget both financially and energetically. What resources do you have available and will you utilize throughout the modification process? Part of your plan should be getting your veterinarian and a behavior expert involved. Avoid and stay safe! Prevention through management is worth its weight in the safety of your loved ones, yourself, and the community. The last thing you want is the animal to continue to rehearse and ultimately strengthen the aggressive behaviors before you can begin your behavior modification program. I want you to know, I know, that aggression of any kind and to any severity is still frightening. Even if no one has ever been hurt, the potential for the animal to escalate aggression is real and should be avoided at all costs. Please seek the help of an educated professional to assist you. If hiring someone is outside of your budget then if nothing else join the KAS Supporting membership to get templates and advice through our forums. We also do periodic free public support group sessions for dog-parents. Check out events to find when the next session is happening. There are free resources out there but I just advise that you stick with a couple trusted groups or platforms. If you try to follow too many different advice avenues it can become confusing and most certainly will lead to failure to achieving your desired outcome.

Trust: It Starts With Consent With names like force-free training and cooperative vet care, it should come as no surprise that consent is a vital step in the way we approach working with animals. In fact, it is a huge part of why these methods are the fastest growing and most successful approaches to animal training and vet care in modern society. Consent is the doorway to a happier relationship between pet and parent. With consent comes trust, and with trust comes confidence in your ability to tackle the world together as a team. We all, human and animal alike, need to be seen and heard when we say “yes” or “no.” Having to constantly monitor our boundaries in fear of them being crossed causes acute stress and anxiety. This is an unenjoyable way to live and can lead to a loss of trust, as well as issues with learning and memory. Lack of communication presents as behavioral issues like lashing out physically or verbally towards their environment. When an animal's brain is focused on their safety, you may notice them stop responding to cues they know really well and lose interest in games or activities they once enjoyed. They may also begin to growl, lunge, or bite at the aggressor crossing a boundary. If you’ve ever tried to pick up a cat without their permission, you’ve probably experienced this first hand. You may be saying to yourself, “Yes, but there are things my pet must do. If given a choice they will never opt in.” And you’re right, sometimes procedures must be done! We are human and they are our “pet”, after all. They don’t understand the dynamics and nuances of day-to-day life in society like we do; there are absolutely limitations on what we can allow our animals to do for the sake of everyone's health and safety. This means it is on us, the humans, to do our best to make sure anything they must do, is something they want to do or at least comfortable with doing. This starts with consent. Knowing a boundary will be listened to, makes opting-in an easy choice because opting-out is still an option if the animal changes their mind. Many pets fear the vet because there is a history of nonconsensual partaking in uncomfortable and scary situations. Begin integrating cooperative care practices, which provide the animal with the option to communicate when they want to stop, and you will see the animal actively choosing to partake in physical inspections, blood draws, vaccinations, and other invasive procedures. Most zoos across the world are integrating these practices into their health-checks with the animals in their care. The handler's safety is always at risk when working in close proximity with zoo animals, and using cooperative care gives the animal a way to communicate to the handler before anything dangerous happens. Plus, the animals are more relaxed during the process, which means they are less likely to hide any symptoms because they don’t feel there is a threat to their safety. This means it’s easier to find and treat health issues earlier and faster. An added bonus is the animal isn’t traumatized and further instilling distrust in their caregiver. Your domestic dog, cat, horse, etc. will reap the same benefits if you establish a similar communication system. Brains also learn better and retain lessons longer from experiences we choose, rather than ones we were forced to participate in. We are also more likely to show improved performance and enjoy events more if we’ve actively decided to be there. Think about how this might be true in your own life. To pull from my own personal experience, I remember far more from the elective classes I took in high school than I do from required classes like math and history. Much of that is due to actively wanting to be there, rather than wishing I was somewhere else and spending the whole time watching the clock. So how do we begin integrating consent into our pet’s lives? Start small, look for opportunities throughout your normal routine. Simple things like daily walks, affection and cuddles, or brushing all lend themselves to situations you could provide your animal with more agency. Think about ways you can ask them their preference and check in if they’d like to continue engaging. Include them in the leashing and harnessing process before the walk and ask (with body language) what direction they would like to walk in. Stop the activity frequently to check in and remember to always allow them the option to stop. One example is physical affection and touching - while petting your animal, pause for a moment and observe their response. Every individual will have their own way to communicate. Some may lean in and nudge your hand for more. Others might disengage and start cleaning or itching themselves as a way to say “I’m done.” For further example, every time I want to pick up my cat we have a routine. I verbally ask him “Can I pick you up?” and reach towards him. If he backs away I take that as “no,” and move on. If he arches his back towards me, that’s my cue to scoop him up. Likewise, when I’m trimming his nails I sit on the floor and invite him to come over. When he approaches, I place him on my lap, trim a few nails, give him a treat, then release him. I repeat this process until all of his nails are trimmed. At first I could only trim one or two nails before he asked for a break by not coming back after being put down. By respecting this boundary and giving him breaks when he asked, now he comes back every time and we can finish all of his nails in one session. There’s no power struggle, no biting, or fighting to be put down. Nail trimming is completely stress-free for both of us and it can be for you too. The life you share with your pet will be changed for the better the more often you give your pet space to speak to you. Start with understanding how your pet communicates and creating ways you can ask when you aren’t sure. Then you’ll be able to work with your pet to find ways to help them feel comfortable and safe in situations they’d otherwise say “no” too. Learn about cooperative care and work with fear and force-free trainers to find all the ways you can build trust with your friend and foster that life-long bond. More consent means less stress and more fun for both of you! Come by during our Open Training for a session on Saturdays. We are open form 10-4 every Saturday to help you with your training challenges.

I was thinking the other day, as I pondered why people choose trainers that use force, intimidation, and coercion. I see these trainers using starvation, exhaustion, and physical pain to get compliance from their students and “train” them. This thought occurred to me when I see Facebook posts asking for training recommendations and I watch as people I know choose these types of trainers over myself, Kind Animal Services. This whole thought process leads me down a very dark path of feeling like I’m not good enough. I must not have the knowledge or I’m lacking some skill in my execution. However, in my heart I know this can’t be further from the truth, I do good work. Among my colleagues there is an ongoing conversation about burn-out. It’s a problem because as a fear free trainer and a positive reinforcement based trainer it feels like we are at war. It’s emotionally exhausting to explain over and over again why people should be considering their animals emotional and mental welfare. I know this can also be true for those amazing individuals that specialize in nutrition or physical therapy in animals. There are some sections of our industry that add to the misinformation about behavior and training techniques. Veterinarians give sometimes troubling behavior advice and support trainers that use less than ideal techniques to “solve” behavior problems. Breeders frequently set new puppy parents up for failure with their new family member when they give advice stating that this breed requires a specific type of training process. What makes a good trainer? Someone who knows they don’t have all the answers and don’t recommend a one size fits all. They ask LOTS of questions and take in lots of information about the behavior before deciding the best approach for that individual. They consider the human end of the leash and are empathetic to all involved-- “We are in this together and I will support you through these stressful times”. They also try to ensure that they are using a minimally invasive and aversive approach. Really ensuring quality of life for the animal as well as the pet parent. They understand that no training plan is a fixed schedule and while some behavior modification can happen quickly other programs may take years to reach the end goal. I would say a good trainer is always seeking further education about species typical behavior, learning, science, and utilizing industry network and experiences to troubleshoot more tricky behaviors. It’s probably time I do another post about shut down and emotional welfare but I will save that for another time. In my opinion a poor trainer is one that recommends exercise (exhaustion) as a solution. Fixes behavior in a set amount of time. They want pet-parents to leave their animal with them because they don’t think that the pet parent is capable of training their own pet. Some us the “us vs them” techniques to win over the humans-- “It’s the dogs fault”. Others directly insult pet parents for making decisions in the past-- “You have already ruined your dog and there is no hope but to use my aggressive technique”. These trainers tend to be flashy, with tricks that if you are not well versed in recognizing stress in animals you would only see the “well behaved” animal. They utilize lots of coercion in that they don’t give the animal choices and they often spend time “correcting” behaviors instead of addressing the function of the behavior. I started to realize that the “good” trainers, trainers I would recommend. Often don’t stay in the industry for the long haul; they tend to hop in and out. Why is this? We are tired. We are tired of feeling like we are swimming upstream, always against the current. Marketing and poor trainers continue to capture the media's attention and with that, the attention of well meaning pet parents. The market is saturated with so much contradicting information it’s hard for any pet parent to know what is the newest more mindful information that considers the entire animal. While other pet parents are results based and don’t think twice about the animals experience. When I started Kind Animal Services over 10 years ago I dreamed of making a dent in the industry. I opened the KAS Schoolhouse with the dream of bringing in people and dogs and teaching individuals and groups. I wanted other trainers to use the space to do presentations and workshops. It would truly be a Schoolhouse for animals (and the people that love them). Unfortunately, I too feel tired of swimming upstream. There are days, months, and lately It’s starting to feel like years of not moving. Where do the good trainers go? They go away. Many move on to other work. It takes a toll on the individual to feel so unheard and see so much suffering that goes unrecognized. We often care and know too much. It’s an ongoing conversation among my peers - talking about how you take care of yourself while also continuing your work with animals. Kind Animal Services is taking a short hiatus from some of our more taxing services while I’m reconsidering the direction of the business. I, Kelsie, am still openly taking behavior modification cases and private training. My staff (Jane & Natasha) is continuing to take on pet sitting and dog walking opportunities. At this time, with the state of the economy and increasing expenses you may notice changes to our service prices. I genuinely appreciate each individual who takes the time to read our blogs, watch our videos, and continue to follow our pages. If you have any desire to reach out please don’t hesitate. I’m human too and I care, A LOT, about your success with the animal-relationships you hold.

Hi, My name is Kelsie and I want to answer your questions about board & train programs. Although there are some benefits to having your dog trained by a professional trainer, pet parents should proceed with caution. Before I dive into details of what a board and train program is and is not I want to discuss briefly about the human expectation of a perfect dog. The thing is your dog owes you nothing. They have absolutely no obligation to listen or obey you... And the tough truth to face is sending your dog away to boarding school WILL NOT solve your problems or get more obedience. Obedience is a construct we (humans) made up. It would appear to an outsider looking at us earthlings as though we were all drunk off some potion that made us entitled to control every other earthly being around us for our own benefit -- including other humans. So let's take a moment before trying to learn about board and train programs for dogs, please remember your dog is not a computer or robot. No you cannot "reboot", "reprogram", or "design" the perfect dog. Moving on - When is sending your dog to boarding school a beneficial option? Puppies!!! Young puppy's are developing at such a rapid rate and it benefits them to have exposure to a variety of stimuli in a positive and productive manner. This also includes socialization with other animals, dogs, and people of all shapes and sizes. The last thing you want to do is shelter your puppy from the world. Boarding school for developing puppies can bring loads of lessons that they will carry long into adulthood. The down fall to sending your new puppy away to boarding school is that you miss out on that beautiful and sometimes ouchy phase of puppy raising. If you choose your boarding school poorly you could damage your puppy physiologically and emotionally - this expensive mistake could cost you later on in adulthood. However, not socializing and learning how to maximize your puppy's experiences in your own home could also cost you dearly. Choose your puppies boarding program wisely, and we will talk more about selection in a minute. Adolescent or younger adults under the age of 5 years old can be a good fit for boarding programs when dealing with issues like hyper activity, resource guarding, or basic manners. Think about it this way board and train is essentially what a service dog would go through before they are matched with a disabled handler and put to work. Keep in mind the most successful service dog programs do not use aversives (shock, prong, or choke chains) in their training. Why these programs work is because 3 things are working for the service dog -- 1) genetics, these dogs were bred to be attentive, easily motivated to work for people with even temperaments. 2) They are primed as puppies by their breeding programs through early socialization and usually not taken from their family too early. 3) They are then immediately put into training programs and usually not put on the job until the age of 2 years old. That's almost a 2 year long board and train program. So do board and trains work? sure! However, they are best attended by younger dogs who are more equipped to adapt and under go the some times heavy stress of learning. It's not that older dogs can't learn but they are going to be slower and the approach often needs to be more gentle for dogs over the age of 5. This leads me to the next question -- How long is long enough for a board and train program? Any trainer who says they are going to train your dog in a week does not understand a key concept about learning. (Remember I said dogs are not robots.) Well you can't expect any real progress to be made in a week. You, the human, could learn some valuable training techniques in a week that you could apply over months and eventually see results but your dog will not be cured in a week of their bad habits. I mentioned earlier , ideally your dog would attend training and be in training for upwards of 2 years if you would like real lasting results from your program. This is one of the reasons why I often try to steer people towards a more sustainable training program they can commit to and continue to improve over the course of years not weeks. Kind Animal Services sometimes offers boarding school on a case by case basis. Our recommendation is 2 week minimum for puppies under 6 months. 4 weeks minimum for dogs over 6 months. For real results we recommend 3 months. Why? It just seems to be the magic amount of time that at about 3 months dogs seem to finally gain enough knowledge and start grasping concepts. With most species that get sent away for training programs (I think of horses primarily) they are sent away for months at a time. If you want your board and train program for your dog to actually reap rewards in your home the longer you can send your dog the better. If I'm sending my dog away for so long what can I expect to pay for boarding programs? All boarding programs I'm aware of are upwards of thousands of dollars. Think about the fact that a fully trained service dog costs around $23,000 (this was a few years ago). So you probably wont be sending your dog to boarding school for 2 years but consider the work that goes into training a dog. For starters there are no days off! Every opportunity is a training opportunity. The best boarding schools are immersion programs that immerse your dog into a household, into an environment similar to the one they will return to. (Or at least that's what KAS offers.) Kennel boarding environments are still expensive but in my opinion should be less expensive than full immersion training programs like the KAS boarding school. In short when it comes to cost no matter how you try to slice the cake it's going to be a lot of $$$. Put that in your head now. You are paying for someone else's time to train your dog. If you want discounted training take a group training class and do the training yourself. Alright it's time to talk about selecting the perfect boarding school for your dog. Now please don't be deceived by all the glitz and glamor you will be sold by many trainers. Again, it would be wise to proceed with caution, this is your four legged child you're sending away to get schooled. Ask questions, even the dumb ones! Where will your dog be housed? During the day? How about at night? Will they get bedding? If not why does the facility choose to operate this way? How much time out of the kennel will they receive every day? (ask for an hourly amount and assume they are inflating that number. You can cut it in half.) How does the organization ensure that dogs are doing well? To use an emotional term "happy". WARNING: heavy exercise and a physically drained dog is not a happy dog. Panting is not a smile. Don't be deceived. Can you visit your dog? If not be warned! If they are concerned about attachment issues when you visit there are still ways to work around these concerns and not back slide any training that is taking place. The trainer may make rules or guide your interaction with your dog but you should always be allowed to visit. How are dogs fed? It is not uncommon for boarding schools to withhold food from your dog to create motivation. Be sure you discuss exactly how this will be done as to not jeopardize your dogs health. Will your dog be allowed socialization with other dogs? Is play involved? Supervised and organized play for young dogs is critical for normal development. If your dog is safe to socialize be sure that it's not a free for all "play group" but that the dogs are allowed time to play and interact. What tools will be used on your dog? And drill hard as to why the trainer feels these tools are necessary. If you're reading this blog you probably already know that prong, choke, and shock collars have no place in training. Damage to the neck is a real concern from over correcting a dog labeled as "stubborn". I strongly suggest you only utilize a fear-free boarding school. Yes, fear free can solve aggression. How many dogs do you board/train at time? The answer should be no more than 5 and that is almost too many in my opinion. Facilities that have staff can work with more dogs successfully but again the dogs in these places may not make as much progress because the environment is free from the original behavioral triggers presented in their home environment. What follow ups and training for me (the human) is included in the program? Do you send updates? (KAS board and train programs provide pet parents with a youtube playlist of all their dogs training sessions and instructional videos on what they can do to maintain the training long after the dog is sent home.) Onward - the emotional & phycological stress that dogs in all boarding situations under go can be compounded when improper training techniques are used. What does emotional or phycological damage look like? Board and train programs are really good at overwhelming the dogs system with so much stress. That the dog that goes home after a board and train feel magically improved. They are in a state of helplessness! The vast majority of dog boarding school programs utilize crates, withhold food, under go multiple hours of training, are intentionally exercised to the point of exhaustion (so they sleep in their kennels at night), and "correct" unwanted behaviors using intimidation or forceful techniques. They restrict, control, and strip down the dogs existence to make the job of "trainer" easier on themselves with disregard to the dogs total wellbeing. I have said it before a tired dog is not a good dog they are simply just tired. I have witnessed some horrifying things that trainers do in the name of training when the parents aren’t looking and can get away with it. Your dog can't speak up about the abuse physically or mentally that they endure while in a boarding program. This is the reality... Your dog is sitting in a labor camp. Forced to preform tasks obediently and mindlessly. If you want to crush your dogs sole in hopes of achieving the perfect dog then sign up for your nearest board and train program. Look I don't want to say that ALL boarding options are a bad idea but I do want to open your eyes to the fact that MOST are operating in ways you probably wouldn't approve of if you knew better. Even well-meaning people who board dogs in their private homes are clueless about dog behavior but ready with loads of advice. Again proceed with caution. This is your dogs education and ultimately their future that is at stake. It's not a decision that should be taken lightly. The last and final point I want to cover is the human training and follow up procedures. Every program is different when it comes to how much and in what way they share information with you (the pet parent). KAS provides a video library where others might offer a group class that you attend with your dogs classmates. Others still might follow up via virtual consults or in person consults for a few weeks following your dog returning home. When selecting a program ensure there is a robust follow up plan. You don't want to get your dog back just to have them fall back into old habits. It's up to you to keep in touch with your trainer and make sure you milk every last drop of information you can out of them. It's important not only to learn the cues that your dog may have learned. In the programs I design I want you to go home with the tools to continue your dogs education from home. That you have an understanding of how to teach them moving forward in your life together. In summery I would like to advice you to triple think about all the options before sending your dog away to boarding school. Most other options will be much cheeper in the long run as well. It is my suggestion that pet parents work closely with an educated trainer in behavior modification and fear-free positive reinforcement based techniques. If you are interested in learning more about our immersion program or our boarding school please email heytrainer@kindanimalservices.com. Boarding programs are scheduled on a case by case basis that starts with a conversation because we encourage your to ask questions first and decide for yourself if a board and train option is the right choice.

As a pet professional, I hear this question a lot. Even outside of work I am often turned to when friends or family have pet-related questions and problems and it can be a fun way to apply my knowledge. However, the biggest thing I run into is the assumption I will have a short and sweet answer to their question. They are often very surprised when I respond with 20 questions of my own before I can even begin to “diagnose” their animal and give them the proper tools to deal with their situation. When someone brings questions about their animal’s behavior to anyone, it should be a huge red-flag if someone offers a “fix-all” solution without attempting to understand the full circumstance of the behavior. It’s best to avoid this type of advice-giver at all costs. They may seem like logical and easy solutions to your problem, but, not only can the advice be completely irrelevant and unhelpful, it can also be dangerous! Two dogs that bark at strangers might need completely different training plans in order to address the behavior. A tip that works for an excited dog that needs a reminder to ask politely for attention could lead to a fearful-barker who is asking for space to lash out and hurt someone. A cat that is chasing and attacking their pet parent could be overstimulated and asking for space, be bored and begging for more interaction and play time, or really hate the new scent their pet parent put in the diffuser! Each of those scenarios would have completely different solutions and trying to address them with the same technique is going to have very different (and mostly unsuccessful) results. Any behavior modification must start with understanding why the behavior is happening in the first place. This is why it is always important to come to a trainer with as much information as you can about a particular behavior, and have patience with them if they tell you they need more before they can begin giving advice on how to help. A good trainer knows they must get a full view of the circumstance before moving onto creating a training plan. So, when gathering information to bring to your trainer, start a journal and log your answers to the following. Be as specific as you possibly can - every detail can be important. When did you notice the behavior? Is it new? Were there any smaller/less noticeable behaviors that pre-cursed this one? Are all of their physical and mental needs being fulfilled? What is their history? Any recurring health issues or past traumas? How often does it happen? Are there any specific times or triggers that cause it to occur? Has anything recently changed in their life - diet, health, age, daily routine, location, amount/frequency of interactions, other behaviors, etc.? What do you think their motivation for the behavior is/what is the outcome of the behavior? How do you react when the behavior occurs? How do others in the house react? These are only the basics, and with each answer might come more questions from your trainer. Be patient. Remember effective training begins with understanding the nuances of why the behavior is happening in the first place and cannot be truly successful without this step. The following training plan created with this knowledge in mind reduces stress for you and your animal and saves you time in the long run. You’ll avoid using methods that won’t address the root issue and thus won’t effectively change behavior, and instead will be working with your animal’s needs to find a solution that works for both of you. As trainers who understand this, Kind Animal Services will always strive to understand before we strategize. If you are having trouble with a particular behavior your animal is exhibiting, reach out to our pet professionals and KAS Trainers so we can help begin the process of understanding why. Then we can move onto the fun process of modifying the behavior as a team! Book a session now to get started. Contact us at heytrainer@kindanimalservices.com. Your first conversation is free.

Society has generally accepted a wagging tail to be the universal sign of a happy dog. Any swing to a dog’s tail is taken as an overriding indicator the dog is excited and willfully engaged. However, this is a myth that puts dogs and humans in danger. Yes, dogs often wag their tails when feeling happy, but they also wag their tails when scared, or when they are intensely focused. This makes it hard to diagnose why your dog might be wagging their tail on tail alone. There are a lot of factors to consider when asking yourself “why?” and a misread could lead to confusion, at least, or physical injury, at worst. So what can you learn by looking just at their tail? If you see a wagging tail, the only information you can guarantee is that their arousal levels are rising. That’s it. And let me clarify: Arousal is a reference to an animal’s heightened physical and emotional state. Arousal can mistakenly be used interchangeably with the word excitement, though they are two very different things. Excitement has a positive association and generally can be attributed to anticipation for fun or enjoyable things. Arousal has no positive or negative connotation and can be caused by a variety of things like happiness, pain, confusion, etc.. Meeting a new dog or person, seeing a wild animal, passing a loud train, or going to the vet are all examples of situations where your dog might experience a change in their arousal levels. In each of these instances a dog’s tail might wag, but could be communicating a wide range of emotional/physical states in reaction to whatever they are experiencing and doesn’t necessarily mean they are enjoying themselves. Knowing how your dog naturally holds its tail is a great first step to understanding how your dog uses their tail to communicate. Look at your dog’s tail and hips when they are in a calm state. Notice the tail’s position on their back end. Is it curled up or hanging loose? Does it swing slowly or stay still? Usually there will be little to no rigidity to their tail and their muscles will be relaxed, but pay attention to the specifics of your dog. Noting what a relaxed tail looks like will help you identify when your dog’s arousal levels are beginning to change, as their tail will change positions. The stiffness of a dog’s hips while their tail is wagging is a great secondary indicator of how the dog is reacting to stimuli. Hips that wiggle back and forth with the motion of the tail can express excitement or happiness. Rigid hips and a spread leg stance, combined with a wagging tail that’s held tall and stiff, indicates yo ur dog is alert and their arousal levels are high and intense. A tail held lower than its usual position or between their legs can point to rising levels of uncertainty, regardless of whether it is wagging or not. While a full tail-tuck under the body, pressed right up against their belly, is a signal they are feeling uncomfortable and scared. Keep in mind these are very basic guidelines and should always be considered with other context clues. Generally speaking, you should not try to diagnose your dog’s emotional and physical state based on one body language cue. Tail position and movement are just some of a long list of cues to look for and things to pay attention to. This includes but is not limited to: Overall body position Their hair/coat Wideness of eyes Ear position Mouth position Vocalizations of any kind Behavioral history The environmental context Only looking at one, or even just a few, of these factors can lead to a misread of the dog’s state. You could see a fast tail wag, think “Oh they’re happy!” and assume your dog wants to meet the stranger approaching. Completely missing the hair standing up at the back of their neck and the stiffness of their stance that indicate rising levels of fear. In this scenario the dog’s fear will go unheard and they might go to extreme levels to make sure they are safe by lashing out violently, which is not ideal for anyone involved. So, while a dog’s tail is communicating with you, make sure you are listening to the combination of cues your dog is sending you. Otherwise you will be missing their full message. Learning to communicate with someone is the first step to developing a relationship with them. It’s how we ask for help, tell each other we care, and begin to develop trust with each other. The same goes for building relationships between humans and their pets. We must learn how our pets communicate with us in order to best take care of them, which means remembering they are complicated creatures with an intricate entangled language of body signals. AKA, the best way to know what a tail wag means for your dog is to pay attention to everything else too. It’s complicated but necessary work. If you need help understanding how your dog is communicating with you, don’t hesitate to reach out to Kind Animal Services. We will create a foundation of communication and trust you and your dog will continue to build on in the years to come.

Puppy socialization has become a buzz word in the dog training world. You probably know by now that you should socialize your puppy (maybe even your dog). However, when you look up how to do it you will be bombarded with tons of opinions about socialization. Though there are varying degrees about what and how socialization should be used I'm going to do my best to clean up the muddy water as to what is Socialization. I will start with the definition of socialization: Socialization: 1. the activity of mixing socially with others. "socialization with students has helped her communication skills" 2. the process of learning to behave in a way that is acceptable to society. "preschool starts the process of socialization" (Dictionary) Okay, that seems pretty straightforward. One thing I find interesting is the use in a sentence talks about communication. It is extremely important to keep in mind that our domesticated dogs are very social animals. It is their sociability after all that has made them "man's best friend". We need to recognize that dogs are genetically designed to socialize, but just because they are designed to be social they are not born with the skills to communicate effectively. I like to explain dog socialization as teaching your dog to effectively communicate with other animals (primarily dogs and humans) and have strong conflict resolution skills. A dog that has been well socialized and that has strong conflict resolution skills is generally a dog that will not turn to aggression as a solution to their needs. (Sound familiar?) Not all dogs will be well socialized and generally speaking it is best to socialize when dogs are young (under 3 years old). As they age (just like us) they will be less adventurous in their friend selection, and often prefer to stick to their known social groups. I'm sure this happens because the animal develops experiences they habituate specific dialects, communication patterns, and mannerisms. Simply put it is comfortable and as we age comfort becomes more of a priority. For the same reason socialization is important for human children because they otherwise develop stereotypes and resistance to the unknown, it's important for our dogs too. Let's step away from dogs and consider what has happened in the last couple years to peoples mental health and social-ability (communication & conflict resolution skills) since COVID? Some would say that our communication skills are struggling with all this online contact. I can say with certainty that our conflict resolution skills, as a whole, is lacking. Many don't know how to confront and talk through differences. They resort to ghosting or aggression. Back to dog socialization... Socialization is not something you can take a single class for or read a few books. It's something that needs to be considered every single day when raising a puppy up until around the age of 2. You want to guide your dog through social situations in a way they learn to behave appropriately in both human and dog society. That is the goal after all. I know this might sound like you need obedience and control but I would hate for you to miss the point! -- Socialization is not about your dog minding you but actually about your dog communicating with others. This includes non verbal versions of "may I have ___, please" and "No thank you". Conflict resolution, I can't help but continue to frame socialization as conflict resolution skills. Though it also incorporates general communication; the ability to communicate needs, the skill of making friends, and being non-judgmental of other beings. Let me clarify when I say judgmental in a dog I'm referring to the stress or fear that can be triggered by unknown behavior or situations. Remember during the socialization period of your dogs life they must have positive experiences with novelty. The younger the dog the more novelty they are experiencing constantly. The best way to socialize is to attend puppy classes lead by a trainer who understands dog's social needs. Kind Animal Services offers a puppy preschool that is primarily designed for puppies to explore communication skills through play and interaction with other puppies. Puppy Preschool is for puppies 8wk - 18wk. Again we want these experiences to be positive and progress only at a rate the puppy is comfortable with. The pace of socialization is important. By pacing your socialization to your individual puppy will ensure that you are not flooding or overwhelming your puppy. This is a far too common pitfall of socialization I see puppy parents doing. Do not drag, pick up, push, hold, or otherwise restrain your puppy during times of socialization. I know how tempting it can be to pick up a puppy or say it's okay for a puppy loving friend to pick up your puppy! Doing this removes the puppy's ability to have control over their environment and will have the opposite affect of good socialization. When puppies are young many will not speak up about their concerns or fears so pet parents will miss the early signs of stress entirely. Every puppy socialization process will look different but I try to think of it just like raising a child. You want your puppy to metaphorically learn to say "please" and "thank you", shake hands as a respectful greeting, make eye contact, listen when others are speaking, ask questions, and share their toys. It's a process of parenting. I find the biggest challenge with puppy socialization vs human child socialization is that as a society we are far less forgiving of puppies than we are of children. Kind Animal Services as well as some other dog companies have created welcoming environments that understand that puppies are learning and we need to have patience with them as they explore, experiment, and play as a means of socialization. As much as I want to explain to you all the facets of dogs social life we would be here for years. This is one area of education (dog training) that I really encourage new puppy parents to seek the help of a professional. Socialization is so simple in theory but enormous when you dig into it. One more comment for those with older dogs (maybe a rescue) you too can also do some socialization techniques in the first few weeks of bringing home a new dog. Though your dog is probably already "socialized" there are still some ways to re-socialize in a sense but you must start the moment you bring them home. If you have a young dog reach out to Kind Animal Services today and register for some classes or Dog School. .