Training Methods and Philosophy
Priorities of my approach:
Empower you to understand your dog’s behavior
Help you to set your dog up for success
Start with finding the root cause of behavior problems and examine your dog’s behavioral health as a whole
Teach training as a means of communication between dog and human
Integrate training into everyday life
Center the humane hierarchy for behavior change procedures
Achieve lasting behavior change while building a strong bond between you and your dog
Focus on the physical and emotional well-being of all family members
Teach dogs the necessary skills to be happy and well-adjusted companions
Find creative ways to address behavioral concerns
I am a certified dog trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. To maintain certification, I am required to demonstrate up-to-date education every three years, and stay informed about new developments and best practices in the field of dog behavior and training. I regularly attend seminars, webinars, and conferences, read books and articles, and receive one-on-one coaching to learn from the best experts in the industry. It is important to me that I am continually expanding my knowledge and skills.
The unfortunate reality of dog training is this: none of this is legally required of me in order to call myself a professional and certified dog trainer. Dog training is an unregulated industry, which means that absolutely anyone can call themselves a trainer or behaviorist or certified behavior consultant, etc., without being held to any professional or ethical standards. That doesn’t mean that these standards don’t exist, but it does mean that the burden is on you, the dog owner, to wade through everything that’s out there to find those who have legitimate, current education and who follow ethical guidelines.
Modern, humane dog training is informed by behavior science, which is a real, evidence-based field of study. The unanimous assertion from experts in this field is that positive reinforcement based training methods are not only most humane, but they are also more effective and efficient than old-school coercive methods for both teaching basic skills and behavior modification. Positive reinforcement training is far more complex and nuanced than just “using treats,” contrary to popular belief, and is highly effective for all dogs, regardless of age, size, breed, or temperament.
I do not use aversive tools/techniques, such as prong collars, shock collars, verbal or physical “corrections,” or “alpha rolls.” It has been known for decades (and supported by heaps of evidence) that these approaches only appear to be effective, but in reality the effect is temporary, and they furthermore cause new problems, including (but not limited to) aggression and fear of the owner. The myth of “alphas,” “pack leaders,” and “dominance” has also been thoroughly debunked for at least 40 years, though it remains a common narrative used to justify the use of harsh or outdated methods. Admittedly, I was fooled by some of this rhetoric early in my learning journey. This is to say that I come from a place of complete understanding if you may need to make some changes to your approach in order to achieve your goals when working with me.
You don’t need to just take my word for it!
AMERICAN VETERINARY SOCIETY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (AVSAB) POSITION STATEMENTS:
POSITION STATEMENT ON HUMANE DOG TRAINING
“Evidence supports the use of reward based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification.”POSITION STATEMENT ON THE USE OF DOMINANCE THEORY IN BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION OF ANIMALS
“AVSAB is concerned with the recent re-emergence of dominance theory and forcing dogs and other animals into submission as a means of preventing and correcting behavior problems. For decades, some traditional animal training has relied on dominance theory and has assumed that animals misbehave primarily because they are striving for higher rank. This idea often leads trainers to believe that force or coercion must be used to modify these undesirable behaviors.”