Lot's of pet owners understand that separation anxiety (SA) is a very prevalent problem but there is a lot of information out there about how to treat and even prevent it. So let's start there. Myth 1. Separation anxiety is preventable. You may have been advised by a well meaning individual that you shouldn't let your puppy sleep with you. Or maybe that you MUST create train in order to teach your dog how to be alone. It is a common misconception that people think they can prevent SA by raising their puppy in a specific way - through nurture. There is no evidence that we know, that points to any training protocols or puppy rearing tips will ward off SA. More research is being done but what we know at this time is that SA is not exactly preventable. Good news though is it is treatable! Myth 2. Food puzzles elevate anxiety. Food puzzles are wonderful and in many ways can benefit a dogs welfare. However, when it comes to separation anxiety leaving your dog with food puzzles does not help. It simply distracts them for a little bit but makes no difference in elevating they panic when they realize that you are gone. This goes for chews or other games that distract the dog while you are gone. Distraction is not a solution and has pitfalls. Myth 3. Desensitize leaving cues. Another common solution given to pet parents with separation anxiety dogs is to rehearse leaving routines frequently. I admit I was under the impression that if one desensitized the dog to the triggers that told them they would be left alone they would be calmer when you actually left. Myself along with others were miss-guided. However, upon further research there is an element of this process used for treating SA but it's not about faking the dog out. Turns out when you try to fake the dog out and practice leaving routines but don't leave you run the risk of making the anxiety worse, not better. Myth 4. Sneak out and don't make a fuss when you return. This is similar to the food puzzle idea of distraction combined with leaving cues. Sneaking out the door is not going to change how your dog feels when they notice you leave. The thing you need to know about separation anxiety is that it is anxiety. It might be helpful to think of it like a panic attack. Returning and ignoring your dog has no impact on SA but it can trigger other problems. In my experience ignoring your dog when you return after an absence (of any length) can trigger excess jumping and attention seeking behaviors as the dog frantically tries to return to homeostasis. It's usually far easier and avoids excess stress if you were give them attention right away and console their worries. Myth 5. You must use a crate for a dog with separation anxiety. I find this (putting SA suffering dogs in crates) to be the saddest advice out there. Do you know anyone who suffers from anxiety attacks? Maybe you do... When in the middle of an attack would confining them to a small enclosed space without an option to leave calm their attack? Definitely not. It's not uncommon for a SA dog to also be claustrophobic. Crates should be used wisely and only if absolutely necessary. They are defiantly not a necessity and can create more distressed to an already suffering dog. Their place in training should be reserved for dogs who are already crate trained and love their crate. Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Kind Animal Services offers real solutions for families with dogs suffering form this all to common disorder. Reach out if you are interested in learning more about how we can help you and your dog find relaxation when left home alone.

I get asked on occasion and from shocked pet parents about their adult dog attacking their new puppy. Comments like "they love their dog friends" and "they have never acted aggressively before". My first question is how old is this new puppy? If they are under 6 months old then your dog is probably displaying puppy aggression. This is a common behavior we see with adult dogs who encounter very young puppies. Exactly why your dog doesn't like puppies might be a few reasons. They have not met or interacted with puppies prior and are scared. (Most common reason) They have interacted with puppy's and just don't have the patience for this puppy's rude and bazar body language. The dog is not given another means to escape from the puppy and eventually gets fed up. Pray drive. The desire to hunt and attack small animals that look like pray. Small dogs or puppies can easily be subjected to this predatory behavior. In order to keep every one in the home safe and to ensure your puppy doesn't have a traumatic experience upon arriving into their new home. You should set up a puppy room or space. Your puppy will spend their first weeks and sometimes longer in this area always separated from the other dog. Both dogs can see, smell, and hear the other one but there are no negative emotions because they can safely dwell in their own private spaces. As I mentioned puppies can be extremely rude by nature to a mature adult. Their lack of personal space is no exception. A young puppy is not going to understand boundaries and will quickly over step the other dogs limitations if allowed to constantly interact. It is the Pet Parents job to ensure that the puppy respects the adult dog don't just "let them figure it out". When it comes to picking where to set up your puppy area -- I like the kitchen or dining area because they are spaces you are probably in a good portion of the day. This space will offer a wonderful opportunity for training and bonding with your puppy while your dogs are getting acclimated to each other. You cannot expect your dog to be okay with this new family member right away. Their life will be impacted by you getting another dog and they will no longer get all of the food, bones, toys, affection, and time with you ALONE! They have to share now. To ensure that this change goes soothly you want to start establishing consistent routines that both dogs can come to rely on. Feeding at around the same time every day, in the same location or way. Routines for walks that are calm so that your eventually 2 rambunctious dogs don't knock you over in their excitement and race to get out of the door. Determine what will your sleeping arrangement be. It's totally okay to allow one dog on the bed and keep one on the floor but you need to make sure that you train them each what is expected of them. Where are their day sleeping areas? Be sure that each dog is given their own designated beds and dens. Waiting until the puppy is old enough that you can teach them to leave the resident dog alone when they are in their bed/den is really important. Another reason for waiting to put them together full time. The end goal is to help the dogs meet slowly, get used to the new changes, and then to ensure that the dogs respect each other's space and needs. I will say it one more time this is not a process you should rush. Take as long as you need to and it will be quicker than rushing. If you need help with introducing your new dogs KAS can come up with a plan with you to make the process smooth. If you have already ended up with some aggressive or worrisome behavior when trying to introduce your new dog to your resident dog do not wait to get help!

We just started our 4 week skills course on leash walking and it got me thinking about just how important it is for the human set appropriate expectations for dog walking. The expectations many pet parents come into our training classes with is outdated. They imagine having a perfect stroll with their loyal always attentive dog heeling at their side. Their dog never straying from their position during the walk. Calmly and emotionlessly passing by a variety of stimulating things. Today, we know so much more about a dogs physiology and mental needs. So understanding how your dog operates will help you be more forgiving when they lean into the leash to smell something or pull you down the street to the dog park. (You would do it too if you were a dog.) Your dog is learning and behaving in a manner that benefits them. That's it and defiantly not being pack leader. Dogs are not trying to dominate you or control the walk they are just do what was reinforced. (Reinforcement meaning the dogs is getting something they want or need in return for a specific behavior, i.e. pulling.) I want to mention now; Withholding reinforcement is punishment! This is not a good way to solicit the behaviors you want. It's easy to think if they get reinforced for getting to smell that stinky spot on the ground then we should try and make them walk and wait to smell the stinky spot. Yes, that can work but no it's not the most effective method. However, there are exceptions to every rule and in some unique environments I might choose to use this approach, but do so sparingly. Restricting your dog and forcing them to behave in order to gain access to things they want creates frustration. Frustration can quickly lead to aggression. Here lies one of the hypothesis I have for why we are seeing an up tick in leash aggressive dogs. So the secret sauce to creating a calm, attentive, and respectful leash walking dog is (drumroll please) sniffing, and lots of it. I feel like a broken record when I tell people, let them sniff! Here is the thing you need to understand. Dogs are designed to explore and absorb information about their environment through their nose. Where humans rely on eye sight, dogs rely on oder. When you step foot in new territory, you need to give them time to sniff and move about as freely as possible. Sometimes I will call this the permitter check. Sniffing also helps lower a dogs anxiety and brings them to a learning state of mind. Okay, so I let my dog sniff but they still pull me around. Here is my list of expectations and guidelines to follow when you take a dog on a walk. I know that some of these are easier said than done but do your best to keep them in mind when you head out on a walk. Walk your dog with no agenda. -- This walk is a dog walk. If you want to hike to see the view you should probably leave your dog home. Your goal is to make your dog comfortable and that you both enjoy the walk no matter what. Make sure you’re prepared. -- Harness, treats, poop bags, spare leash, toy, squeaker to name a few useful items. Count steps not distance. -- A small patch of grass on the side of a road might be enough space to satisfy. Circle and U-Turn - Instead of walking in straight lines expect that you will need to circle your dog around or pace back and forth using U-Turns. Let them sniff - As long as they are not dragging you to sniff far off places but sniffing around where you stand let them sniff as long as they want. Only moving forward when they are ready to check out the next section of ground. Sniffing can also be used as a reward for nice leash manners. Do not pull your dog - This is critical and sometimes easier said than done. Pulling on your dog makes matters worse. I tell clients to lead by example. If you don't pull your, dog your dog will stop pulling you, kind of and in conjunction with the rest of the training protocol. Respect your dogs emotions - Some dog have no problem and truly are confident but the rest of our dogs have concerns about new environments. The extreme emotional display being aggression but no less important is the dog that pants, or even just flicks their ears. If there is something your dog is worried about respect their emotions and move away from it DO NOT pull them closer. A concerned dog is not a cute/funny dog and no they will not just get over it. Moving to the next point. Team work! - You are sitting in the drivers seat. Be a kind driver and let your co-pilot help navigate. If they need a pit stop take one, they want to go a different direction to avoid traffic, go. Learn to listen to your dog and work together while out on a walk. This walk is for the dog after all, right? Remember these are just guidelines and sometimes you will need to bend the rules to ensure that everyone including your dog is safe. However, if safety is not of concern than I recommend you review these rules frequently and keep them close at mind if you are going to have enjoyable leashed walks with your dog. If you are interested in getting help in teaching your dog to leash walk politely or maybe it's too late and they already have some reactivity - Contact Kind Animal Services today. We offer classes or can work with you privately to help teach both you and your dog how to better communicate and work as a team.

What do I do when my dog blows me off? This question is probably the most asked question I get, but it has an extended, complicated response that I often feel I'm not capable of giving in the usually short amount of time I have to respond to it. Honestly, I could spend an entire class on this topic alone. First off, let's examine the question: What do I do when my dog ignores me? What if they don't listen? What's my response when they blow me off? These questions are getting at the same thing, and the logic behind questions like this is flawed. The wording implies that the dog is doing something you have no control over or are not responsible for. The "it's them, not me" type mentality. Furthermore, it also assumes the dog "knows" what they are doing. Let's start with mindset. By shifting our perspective and taking a little more responsibility within the relationship between the human (you) & the dog, we will discover that our dog is indeed behaving accordingly. Unfortunately, it's a breakdown in understanding and communication that creates problems. "My dog knows what they are supposed to do." If your dog does not perform a requested behavior immediately when asked, my first word of advice is you need more training in that particular environment. Your dog does not "know" what they are supposed to be doing if they are not doing it. Your dog is simply doing what is reinforcing and what history, training, and genetics have primed them to do. Next time your dog blows you off, I want you to take a deep breath and tell yourself it's not personal. Then you can go and recover your dog calmly and with understanding. I promise you, your dog is not ignoring you intentionally, even though it can feel that way. It takes hours of deliberate practice and slowly rising the criteria as they master easy stages to accurately and successfully train a dog. This idea is well known but rarely taken to heart by pet parents who want immediate satisfaction. My best guess is that many doggy moms and dads have been subjected to fluffy ideals and promises of obedient, loyal, and unquestioning well-behaved dogs. I find balanced and traditional dog trainers the bud of this marketing scheme that sells false results at the dog's expense. If your dog ignores you, follow these steps: Make a note about the environment. How far away was the dog when you made your request? Were they distracted, and by what? Were you outside or inside? What other things were going on in the environment? (noises, animals, children playing, etc.) Go back to training at a level your dog is successful at and slowly introduce small pieces of the original failure back into the training. While undergoing training, or if you cannot manage the reinforcer in that environment, use equipment to prevent your dog from rehearsing this "blow-off" behavior. Troubleshooting: Find and use the most potent available reinforcer. This might not be food! In most situations, clients report that their dogs ignore them when stronger reinforcement is available. Getting to continue playing with their dog friends will be more reinforcing than going home with you. So use playing with dog friends as the reinforcement for loading up in the car! If you want your dog to perform the behavior genuinely and willingly, don't use aversive tools or techniques. Tools such as prong collars, slip leads, and e-collars do not teach your dog behavior; they shut down behavior, causing a slue of other problems. In conclusion, if your dog is ignoring you, they haven't been given the tools to respond appropriately in the situation. Take some time to build their education around the cue (command) and reintroduce the situation/environment in stages. If you continue to struggle with a particular problem of your dog blowing off your commands, please get in touch with Kind Animal Services and work with a trainer to figure out an appropriate solution.

Fear is an interesting topic that many dog trainers will tell you lots of different things about how to "fix" it. The thing is, you can't "fix" fear totally, but there are lots of ways you can help your dog reduce and, in some cases, feel more comfortable around things that might have previously been scary. One of the most common advice is to pare the scary thing with a good thing that the dog loves. Yes, in most cases, this is what you want to do. We call this a Positive Association, and the goal is to change the dog's emotion from a fearful response to a neutral or happy response. This infographic is an excellent representation of what you could use to upgrade and pair with fun and rewarding items. No, you can not reinforce fear. I will the details of that for another post someday. But, again, you will not reinforce fear by adding good things or comforting them in their time of distress. This world will present so many things to your dog they could use an "Upgrade to 1st Class" around. Even if your dog is currently okay with the scary/stressful thing, it doesn't hurt to add a little extra cherry on top to ensure they never become fearful of it. It's not uncommon for a dog to develop a fear of noises later on in life. My Belgian Malinios did! She developed a fear of booms (fireworks & gunshots). I was also able to help her with her anxiety through systematic desensitization, and then her hearing reduced as she aged. My point is fear can crop up at any stage of your dog's life. Common fear-inducing or stressful situations where it pays to build positive associations, patterns, and consent routines for your dog: Crating Nail trims Visits to vet, groomer, and kennels Equipment Loud noises (i.e., vacuum, fireworks, kids screaming.) Vehicle rides and street traffic. Alone time Passing other dogs while on leash Children playing When using a positive association or reward, you need to know to give it AFTER the stressful event occurs. An example is the vacuum cleaner: Prepare some tiny bits of your dog's favorite treat and place them in a bowl nearby. Turn on the vacuum for 2-3 seconds. Turn off the vacuum. Take a pinch of little treats, and sprinkle on the floor. Repeat 🔁 turning the vacuum on for longer periods and slowly introducing movement. Yes, it can take a little bit of time upfront, but in the end, you will have a dog that sleeps and hangs out when the vacuum is running. Suppose your dog struggles to overcome a specific fear or has many general fears or anxiety; please reach out to Kind Animal Services. Fear and anxiety can be severe issues to resolve, and if left untended, your dog could develop more serious behavior problems. Email HeyTrainer@kindanimalservices.com with any questions you might have on the process. We would be happy to answer them for free.

Dogs are emotional beings that can't actually endure as much stress and is often perceived . It's important to help your dog decompress regularly and build the skills needed to cope with the daily stress of living with you. (Sorry, for the honesty but yes life with you is stressful.) Frequent behavior complaints can actually be greatly reduced when you give your dog a voice and help them feel secure. Excess jumping on you. Shyness and fear. Reactivity when on a walk directed at people or dogs. Reactivity to outside noises and street traffic when in the home. Pulling on the leash. Barking. Hyper-activity. and more... When we talk about decompression at KAS it usually refers to the activities that fill your dogs emotional cup. I refer to the training and other procedures around setting your dog up for success as stress reducing activities. This poster 'Decompress for Success' illustrates those stress reducing activities and ways you can help your dog feel secure and comfortable. In the end if we reduce the stress in our dog's lives the outcome is a more relaxed, content, and emotionally stable being. There is one important concept to keep in mind! Your dog is not human. I don't say this to separate the two of you, but I say this because behaviors that are natural and make a dog feel good we, humans, can easily get impatient with. Be kind to yourself and your dog and respect each others differences. Okay, here is my list of decompression activities that if you apply them you and your dog will be on the path to a balanced relationship and happy life. Cooperative care and consent! -- This means asking your dog for consent and accepting the answer if they say no. Don't get me wrong there are some occasions where this will not be possible but try to ask 80% of the time. Another thing to mention is that asking can look different in different relationships. Obviously, dogs can't speak like humans so permission must be given through body language and training. Reframe dog training as education and learning to communicate! -- Your dog does not have to be obedient just because they are a dog and you are a human. Think about your training sessions as educating your dog in your human (not native) language. Education should be gradual and the environment relaxed so the dog can focus on their learning. Think about starting new training tasks in doors and in a comfortable setting when the dog has had their primary needs of food, water, security, social, and physical health. It's extremely difficult to learn when you don't feel safe or your body feels sick. Routine & sleep! -- Just like with the most successful humans in the world, the most successful dogs are those that are getting good and plenty sleep. Build sleep into consistent routines that make parts of the day predictable. Predictability provides security as it sets expectations your dog can rely on day in and day out. There is a place for inconsistency as well but it's not as important as routine to your dogs wellbeing. Time to be a dog! -- Provide time and environments where your dog can engage in instinctual behaviors (i.e. chasing, digging, barking, sniffing, and hunting). The easiest and one of the key behaviors I encourage dog parents to capitalize on is sniffing. Dogs explore, learn, and communicate, through their sense of smell. When they are sniffing they are also deep breathing. Think of sniffing time as doggy-meditation! Allow ample time smell the roses on walks or play sent games in the house. Stop Dog-Networking! -- Do you like attending networking events? You are expected to talk small talk with a bunch of people you don't know and everyone has their own agenda. If you're an introvert these events are emotionally taxing. Chances are your dog probably doesn't enjoy it either. Yes, some dogs, just like some people, thrive in that environment however the rest of us don't! This is they type of situation you are putting your dog in when you encourage social interactions with other dogs (or people) on the street, attend dog parks, or enroll your dog in daycare. I find this to be one of the hardest concepts for people to wrap their head around because it can look like the dog is enjoying themselves. Even pulling towards other dogs (or people) when in public. However, the signs of discomfort are subtle. Think back again to that networking event you attended did everyone there know you were uncomfortable? I can tell you with confidence when I attend those events people often suspect I'm an extrovert, when I'm actually freaking out inside. Many dogs mask their anxiety by doubling down on the "friendly" behavior. I could go on but I will save it for another article. In conclusion, in order to build the best possible relationship and livelihood for you and your dog it is important to Decompress for Success. If you want further information about following through with theses 5 suggestions please don't hesitate to reach out. HeyTrainer@kindanimalservices.com Kind Animal Services is here to help you.

Management & Success. Success is by design, not by accident. You want to ensure that life with your puppy is designed for success. This looks like really clear management and expectations. Set up baby gates, play pens, leashes, collars, harnesses, toys, chews, thoughtful interactions, frequent potty breaks, deliberate socialization, customized experiences, and more I probably didn’t think of. The thing is that success might look different in different households. If your puppy does something you don’t appreciate once, change up the environment and situation so that the unwanted behavior can not be rehearsed again. This is more important and more effective than correcting your puppy or saying “no”. Limiting freedoms is one way of accomplishing this. However, this should not be taken to an extreme. Puppies still need to have agency in their environments. There is nothing that says they need to comply with your every wish or that they are your subordinate. In fact you will find your relationship and communication with your puppy much easier if you don’t buy into the dominance theory. Ensuring that they have a plethora of appropriate problem solving challenges and choices every day will help develop confident and well adjusted individuals. These challenges should be different every day! Every moment in your puppy's day is a learning opportunity. You can think of it in some ways like you are training all day long. However, this isn’t about you. This is about ensuring they are learning appropriate behaviors even when you are not around. Lesson 1.2: Reinforcement Cues. The first step to building a relationship with your puppy and beginning to get strong responses from your dog is going to come from the consistency of reinforcement. A reinforcer is determined by the learner (your puppy). As your dog's teacher you need to find out what motivates them. It is worth preference testing what your dog likes and is willing to work for. Different food items, toys, and others will have varying values to your puppy also. Where they might be able to work for kibble inside the house but will care less about it outside the house. Your homework for this first week is to find and label all your puppies reinforcers. I recommend you keep a training journal so that you and your family can be consistent about the cues you are going to use and precisely what that cue means. We are going to start with a few of them in this lesson. “Take” (aka ”treat”, “yours”, or “cookie”) = Take food or a toy from my hand. “Fetch” (aka “get it”, “find”, or “go”) = chase and find food/toy thrown/rolled across the floor. Click / “yep” = bridge between the behavior and the reinforcement signifying that reinforcement is now available. It can sometimes take the place of the reinforcement cue also. “Find It” = 3 or more treats are scattered on the ground. “Lets go” = Jog / speed up / play / be silly with your dog. “Free” (aka “Break”, “release”, or “all done”. Traditionally known as “ok” but we try to avoid this word as a cue because it is such a common spoken word.) = the end of a stationary behavior or task allowing the dog to move up ahead and freely and go about their doggy agenda for a few. Toy play - you can use any of the words interchangeably with a toy if toys are more motivating and naturally reinforcing for your dog. Play is a great way to engage with your pet and build a trusting strong bond. I use words like “fetch” to send my dog out after a ball. It’s up to you if you want the reinforcement cues for food and toys or if it’s valuable to have a separate world. Remember that these are end behaviors… The dog is not expected to continue the task. If you are teaching a formal retrieve then the ‘send to retrieve’ should be a different word. Hopefully, that's not too confusing. “Search” = Food or search sent is hidden. Go out and find it. “Say Hi” (for social dogs that find greeting people extremely fun) = release of restraint and they are allowed to go up to someone. “Ready” (this one might not be applicable now but will become an important attention getting and consent cue for advanced learners.) = the start of a behavior chain or task meaning reinforcement is available after you do something for me. The consent comes from accepting that if the dog says “no, I’m not ready” then you do not push forward until they are ready. All of these reinforcement cues should be linked to primary reinforcers. A primary reinforcer is something that your dog naturally finds reinforcing without any extra work! As we move into what you probably think of more formal training we will start to do something called chaining behaviors. We are going to build less reinforcing behaviors to these highly and naturally reinforced behaviors. Your chain will look like: Cue: Sit > Behavior: dog sits > Capture: Click > Reinforcement cue: Fetch > you toss a treat away from you and your dog jumps up to fetch the treat now rolling across the floor. We can accomplish this transfer of reinforcement by consistently pairing sitting is followed by strong reinforcement like fetch. After a while “sit” can become reinforcing on it’s own. The thing to remember is secondary reinforcers (sit) must be continually charged. Meaning you must for the life of the animal provide a primary reinforcement for the behavior from time to time to make sure the behavior doesn’t fade.

Puppies, just like human babies, are inclined to cry out for help in a variety of usually annoying and sometimes disturbing ways. They are designed to push those around them into action. During this "baby" stage of development, their brains also absorb information at an alarming rate! They are learning as they go. Every experience is new to them, so they must develop responses and skills and catalog every detail of the experience away for future survival. This is why it is vital to ensure that their experiences are positive and involve minimal stress levels. Stress at high levels or for prolonged periods changes the make-up of the puppy brain. This doesn't mean that they are compromised to the extent that someone can't live with them and work with them on becoming a mannered companion. However, they will have to adjust their methods of working with that puppy who endured stress at a young age compared to a cognitive-typical puppy. So you want to teach your puppy not to bite you, not to bark, and not to jump. Those are the biggest complaints we get from puppy parents. The trouble is that these behaviors are natural for puppies. First, we ask, why does your puppy do these often unwanted behaviors? As annoying as the behavior is, it is effective for the puppy! Try asking yourself, why do babies cry? There is a fundamental need the animal is most likely expressing a lack of, and they resort to unwanted behaviors to get that need met. Puppy needs that must be addressed: Social acceptance and guidance Play & creativity (preferably with peers) exploration (positive experiences) Food (the younger the puppy, the more frequently they need to eat) Water Potty time Sleep! (this one is often overlooked) Chewing & independence Some of those could be broken into different categories, and there are indeed smaller subcategories of needs that I didn't mention. Is your puppy getting the appropriate amount of each need? The puppy determines the amount and intensity of how each need is met. I bring up these needs because it is usually a lack of or miss interpretation of a Puppy Need that gets our puppies (and kittens) into trouble. They are using the resources they have available to get the things they need. Biting you leads to your attention, and frustration raises your energy. However, most pet parents who put the puppy's needs first and ensure that they receive all the things I mention often find that their puppy grows up and out of those "troublesome" puppy behaviors. Meeting your dog's needs is the definition of enrichment. When we meet our puppy's needs appropriately, they don't have to ask for as much. When they are not nagging us, they are better behaved, generally speaking. So, in conclusion, it is the needy puppy that most commonly ends up being the naughty puppy. If you are struggling to solve the reason behind your puppy's biting, barking, jumping, or other annoying behaviors, I recommend signing up for our Puppy classes. Consider private consultations if you have an older dog whose behavior is more concerning.

Kind Animal Services took the dive early summer in 2021 to start investing in our continued education and affiliations with organizations in the industry. The first, a membership with Animal Training Academy (ATA). Prior to joining I (Kelsie) have followed and enjoyed the free content from ATA but until recently I had no idea just how amazing and deep this community is! If you are a training and behavior nerd like I am I can't recommend the Animal Training Academy podcast is worth a listen. (By the way these links and discussion is more to share the oasis I have found. I am not gaining anything by sharing this with you.) If I'm being honest I don't think I will be able to part from ATA now that I'm here. The member community is so supportive, responsive, and most of all kind! When Kind Animal Services gets a tough case or needs some input in solving a behavior related dilemma the awesome (and often much higher educated) colleagues within ATA step up to the challenge. They go beyond just solving animal behavior challenges and providing intelligent feedback, they offer the pat on the back and motivation through social belonging to keep my head up when things get difficult. The last year in 2021 Kind Animal Services was rocked! As I wrestled the business to stay on track through the continued COVID issue; my own health deteriorated rapidly. Everything was magnified when I got in a horse accident. Over each hurtle I faced ATA found a way help in ways I didn't know I needed. Shortly after healing form the horse accident, a tumor was found and removed. Hardly healthy again I found myself with 2 wonderful foster dogs. I struggled to pay for their food and care, to provide them with daily enrichment and activity. By the end of 2021 I have been suffering form some of the worst burn out / compassion fatigue. The ATA community of 500+ people is like my tribe now. Beyond my personal experiences with ATA the membership is a tremendous benefit to you as well. ATA provides KAS with new science, procedures, and information about what is happening within the applied behavior analysis environment and animal training. They provide multiple web classes to members covering a variety of topics to their members. Our process currently usually looks like this: I am an active member in the group and participate in as many web classes as I have time for. When I come across applicable information that will directly benefit our training or care processes I then regurgitate the information to the KAS team. Our team practices and plays with the new strategy to refine it for our purposes . As a team we then communicate our findings till we master the new concepts enough share them to you (the pet owner). All this means that you are getting the most up to date and humane information about how to handle and live with your canine. I understand that you want answers and you don't want to go out and spend your time becoming a dog trainer. We are doing the hard research for you. Besides a good animal trainer knows they don't have all the answers. I sure don't, but I have the network behind me and means I can discover answers I don't know. The mark of a quality trainer is one that is constantly learning and then helping you make educated and humane decisions about your animals care and training. Are you experiencing with a behavior problem with your pet? I wish you would reach out. The knowledge and information is available . For no charge at all I enjoy talking about my passion and may be able to help set you on the right path from one conversation. Let me know your questions about anything written here or other animal training questions in the comments. I will try to answer them in future blog posts.

There is this question that has haunted me almost my entire life. It has become slightly more refined as I have grown up and found myself in the profession of animal training. I soak up all the information I can find about learning, experiences, development, behavior, and patterns. This career has fit me well and the skills that I am good at. However, a question still remains… How do we change people's understanding and the hummm of culture around animal training? The field is growing and scientists are discovering more and more. Practitioners are trying new ideas and raising the bar of animal welfare. The gap is that the public doesn’t have the same information and current marketing is designed to sell products and services at the animals expense. What would it take to change the story, shift our mindset, and reestablish our training goals with the animal’s wellbeing in mind? Effectiveness is not enough. There are loads of Effective training options that give the animal no agency or control over their environment. Have you ever thought to ask an animal if they would like to participate in training or take a nap? There is a movement that I want to address. It’s the movement towards understanding and building two way communication and healthy relationships with non-human species. (Though we could probably work on the same concepts in our human relationships too.) Look, KAS and myself are not above anyone else. We too get frustrated with our animals when they don’t perform. It can be frustrating and embarrassing when your animal chooses an inopportune time to reduce participation. The thing is we want to honor our animals for who they are, non-human individuals. Don’t beat yourself up because you have used adversives (like a prong collar on your dog) just learn more and do better going forward with the new information that you have. Next time you step into your animal's space ask them if they would like to participate if the answer is no that’s okay try again later. Remember just because they have chosen to not participate with you is no reason to withhold a meal. Give them their reinforcement and walk away. There is one more hard pill to swallow. That is not all animals want the same job. If you are a needy human and you have a pet, say a cat that chooses not to participate in training or interactions with you or anyone, that might be their personality. You are not going to make training or interactions with humans any more enjoyable when you withhold food or water to force them to come out and be social. Respect the animals individuality. I know that this post will probably get some hate and might not get very many views but it’s my first attempt at changing the paradigm. Here is my summary. There is a welfare problem going on right now for our pets and no amount of money you can spend is going to fix your relationship with your animal. Like any relationship you need to put in the time, respect the other being, and try to understand what life might be like for them. I know you envision that sweet, happy go lucky, obedient dog but that is a vision that marketing has sold to you and doesn’t exist in reality. (Well unless you pay a lot of money for a service dog who is often bred and then assessed for job fit. Dogs that have the right genetics and temperament who are put through rigorous job training.) Your shelter dog, many pure breeds, and mixes will never live up to the expectation of a “perfect dog”. Love the animal in front of you and help them become the best animal they can be. Kind Animal Services can help if you are struggling with understanding what your dogs needs are and training. However, I challenge you to ditch the term dog training and talk about education for you and your dog. Or maybe you need dog-human relationship counseling or coaching. We can help you identify an enrichment program that works for your dog and then help you educate your dog where needed. More about enrichment in another post.

If you are familiar with most training programs, they talk about the importance of teaching your dog to go to a place. Some basic classes will focus on teaching the dog to stay in a position such as sit or down. Kind Animal Services teaches both of these beneficial skills to classroom students and dogs attending our Dog School. However, I think it is worth teaching both behaviors, I want to discuss the difference between the two and the situations where each has it's time to shine. What is the down behavior? Down is when you ask the dog to lay down in their current location no matter if they were previously sitting, running, or standing. Some alternative vocal cues people use for down are: "lay down", "manners", "settle", "drop", "ground". What is the "place" behavior? Place is when you ask your dog to go to a specific and definable (to the dog) location. The dog is then required to stay on the said place until they are released. Some alternative verbal cues people use for place are: "settle", "mat", "bed", "go to __", "board", "on your mark", "station". The difference might be visible to you with a brief description of each. Yet, I find human students struggle with when to use the correct cue. To start, both behaviors are taught as stationary or stay behaviors. This means that the dog is not allowed to leave or get up voluntarily. They MUST be invited to resume their normal doggy behavior and move from the position or location. Next, it's important to point out that the place action does not and should not require the dog to be in any position (sit, down, or stand). It is okay to use your requested location to maintain the dog's focus and stack additional cues on top of it during training exercises. Though on its own the place command should allow the dog freedom of comfortable movement. When the dog is allowed freedom of movement while staying in it's set location makes it the preferred option when the duration of the behavior is important. Personally, I have also found it easier to teach and maintain the place behavior in high distraction as well. This is probably because the dog is allowed to move and look at the distractions versus having to look away when they don't have the self-control to do that. The place does require the aid of a definable object, preferably one with clear boundaries. Some examples: A truck bed (or car), picnic table, or park bench can make natural place locations when out and about. In the home: a bench, mat, or lifted dog bed and dog crate (with the door open) can be used as places. Personally, I prefer my lightweight travel training platform. The point is as long as your dog can define the edges of their place, then you're in business. One more note about the objects you use as a place; be aware of the dog creeping or dozing off. If you use a dog bed, mat, or crate, you might find you and your dog getting frustrated due to creeping. If your dog is sneaking, then the edges are not defined enough, and possibly the bed or rug is not big enough. Another thing you might think about is how confusing it can be to the dog when they wake up after dozing off. How will they know if they are or aren't allowed to leave the location? For this reason, I avoid using rugs or dog beds that the dog has constant access too. In the case of a crate, you will want to keep the crate door closed when not requiring the dog to stay there. In contrast, the down command asks the dog to lay on the ground in whatever location they are currently in. This behavior is much harder to teach in a variety of locations, as many dogs are picky about where they lay down and might come to find the act of laying down a punishment because of discomfort. In this way, you will start to get more resistance to the cue. To avoid a breakdown in your dog's down behavior, it would be wise, to consider if the situation calls for a down or a place. I use down for temporary or inclusive conditions. What do I mean by inclusive? Situations where a child asks to pet your dog (assuming your dog want's to be pet) or at a time when I am sitting on the ground, and I would like my dog to lie down at my side. I use down for more extended occasions on clean or comfortable surfaces. Lastly, down might be used for safety, such as halting the dog in mid-run to avoid getting hit by a car. When it comes to down, you should be selective about asking your dog to lie down. By all means, pull out their dog bed and ask them to down on that and stay until they fall asleep. Alternately, if you need your dog to stay out of the kitchen for an hour while you cook dinner, it would be best to set up a defined location and ask them to remain in that location. By now, I would think that you are starting to see the difference between the two behaviors. At Kind Animal Services training programs, we use place in most situations and only teach down as a backup and for manners when inside buildings or greeting small people. If you want more information about integrating these two behaviors into your daily life, check out the video (coming soon). Comment below and tell us: have you taught one or both of these cues? When do you find each of these cues most helpful?

Shock collars should not be an option for dog training! There I said it. This morning I went to Kickstand to get my coffee and watched a few dogs come in. I enjoy dog-parent watching when I'm out and about. Today I was saddened when I watched a beautiful dog walked in and immediately I wondered if the dog was trained on a shock collar. The first thing I noticed was the low slightly hunched posture and its ears were pulled back and forehead looked worried. As I watched them longer it was obvious that the dog was panting from stress. The temperature was very mild and no other dogs in the area were panting. All clear signs of stress and anxiety. From my seat I could not see a shock collar but the longer I observed the dog I did see it was indeed wearing a shock collar covered by and matching it's long black coat. This confirmed my hunch based off of its body language. Continuing to observe the dogs behavior made me want to pull out my phone and record it. Every sign was crystal clear: the lowered head, the darting eye contact, lip licking, ears back, panting, and worried whale eyes. Nothing in this dogs behavior was calm or confident. The poor dog had obviously been suppressed and had no option other than to comply or get shocked. This is no way for any dog to live. Why do we do this to them completely ignorant of their distress? Please I beg you don't put your dog through this psychological pain in the name of training. If you need help communicating and training your dog contact us.