What We Do
I use positive dog training methods because they work better and allow dogs to learn faster than traditional, coercive styles of training. Positive reinforcement builds strong, trustworthy relationships and bonds between dogs and their owners. Trust is a necessary foundation in every dog-human relationship out there, building that trust is what positive reinforcement is all about.
Several different positive reinforcement techniques will be used to train and mold your dog into the ideal life companion.
Clicker training is the way we break the language barrier between dogs and humans. The clicker allows us to convey the simple meaning of “that’s exactly what I wanted you to do” in one simple “click” sound. This is so very important. Once a dog learns and generalizes the “click” noise as the meaning of “that’s exactly what I wanted you to do” you can teach a dog pretty much anything under the sun with just a few clicks. This may sound like a piece of cake but trust me it’s a lot harder than it sounds! Timing is key, reinforcement is key, technique is key. These are all things that will be taught and learned when applicable to a particular situation or case.
Shaping dogs is so much fun! When you shape a dog, they’re doing most of the work. They’re figuring things out for themselves. They’re the ones having to think about what to do, and what will earn them a reward. When you shape a dog, you’re not asking them to do anything. All you do is mark a particular behavior you want with a clicker, or another bridge like the word “yes”. If a dog already knows what the click means, it doesn’t take long to shape them into the ideal best friend! Shaping is incredibly mentally stimulating for dogs, which builds their confidence, focus and control.
What about punishment? There are two different kinds of punishment, positive and negative. Positive punishment is the bad one that won’t ever be used on your dogs when under my care. Positive punishment means we are adding (positive) something in as a punishment like a leash jerk, spray bottle, or shock. Negative punishment is still punishment, but it absolutely more ideal. Instead of adding something to the scenario, we will take something away (negative). Taking away stimulus, rewards, attention, privileges, space, etc is how we punish dogs who are rude and pushy. We cannot successfully train dogs if we say yes all the time, we have to convey to them “no” by taking the things they want away.
Your dog(s) will always be treated with the upmost respect and dignity while training with us!
One-on-One Training
Currently we offer private, in-home training or behavioral sessions for dogs. These sessions are for owners that need help with their dogs for a variety of reasons, some of which include:
Private sessions come with full phone and email support as well as detailed session notes to ensure success!
Please call (509) 720-8608 or contact us here to set up a private session. I’m happy to talk to you in advance about your problems, challenges or issues and plan possible remedies or solutions.
Classes and Programs
Socializing our puppies is very important for many reasons. Well mannered puppies who are polite, patient and who communicate well turn into the best life long companions. Starting out confident and comfortable in every situation is key in keeping a dog calm, well behaved, and can keep a dog from developing behavioral problems later in life.
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