Off on the Right Paw

When we returned to Canada in 2003 he hooked me onto agility sport. I thought I was just giving my energetic adolescent lab physical exercise, an outlet, and some enrichment. Little did I know that step would be the first of many towards a career as a trainer. We met so many people passionate about dogs and training. Trials and fun matches and charity demos were so welcoming and we had a blast. However, things were quite different then. Not much Clicker Training was around. Lure-Reward Training was used to “get behavior”, typically in combination with Punishment-Based Methods to “suppress behavior”. Dominance Theory, due to the popularity of certain TV shows, was most of what dog owners and handlers heard from veterinarians and trainers. I was fortunate that River was a tolerant and a fairly resilient dog. Still though, in retrospect, I now know where his “quirks” came from.

River was (mostly) mannerly, dog-social, loved all people, trusting, and aimed to please. He was oddly scared of stairs that went down into the ground (basements were the devil) despite never having an accident with steps. I had to make sure if he was willing to climb up steps on a hike or in a building, that he would also be willing to climb down. A few times I found myself carrying a screaming lab more than half my own weight in my arms down stairs he refused. He did experience stairs as a puppy, but not stairs without risers and we never needed to enter a basement. I chalk up his stairs quirk to inadequate socialization during his critical developmental period as a pup. He also had a few rather intense issues. One was resource guarding high value items (bones) - I received a Level 2 bite once when I followed what a veterinarian suggested and put him in “dominance down” on his side (aka the “alpha roll”) to forcibly remove the bone that was tightly grasped in his snarling and growling mouth. Thereafter, I got around the resource guarding of high values with care and exchanges or trades, not at the advice of a professional, but at the advice of a brilliant person, my Mom (she had much experience and common sense with settling disputes between children that do not want to share). Another was pulling on a leash. However, I was strong and healthy, and managed with certain “tools” or restrictive collars. A third was the physical force needed to bathe him - I had to catch him, lift him in the tub and play full contact hockey goalie the entire time. Bribes or lures did nothing to help ease the fiasco known as “bath-time”. It wasn’t until after years of working in animal husbandry that I realized that kind of management for River’s routine care and life wasn’t going to suffice anymore. I had chronic repetitive strain in both arms/hands and in my back from work. I could no longer use the “tools” or methods I was taught, and I was in intense pain every day, all day.

It was here that entered my introduction to force-free training (clicker training specifically) via a short online introductory course. That short course corrected many of the things I used to think about dogs, dog behavior, and dog training. Moreover, I was finally able to teach my 8 year old, 65 lb lab to walk on loose leash, to cooperate and actually enjoy a bath, and to retrieve and give any item, yes, even meaty bones, with enthusiasm and trust. At 8 years old, I finally gave River the life, understanding, and education he so deserved for giving me his boundless love and countless snuggles. That was the moment, my personal “A-HA”, that I needed to learn more and tell everyone else too. Thus, I started my professional journey with KPA with my beloved River at my side, my partner in the powers of Clicker Training.

My certification started off glorious with River and I really coming together as a working Team and looking forward to our first skills testing workshop together. Unfortunately, just before his 11th Birthday and this first workshop, River passed. I was utterly devastated by his sudden loss. I still am, to be honest. I always will be. For many reasons up to now, I’ve left River out of my story and/or avoided writing one for a while, but HE is the reason I have a story in dog behavior in the first place. He was my first and most important teacher - my teacher about forgiveness and empathy. Losing him and feeling like I hadn’t made up for all the poor choices I made, I wanted to shutdown. And then...kismet happened.

River’s very good friend and neighbor Mattie (Mini Aussie Shepherd) had long days alone at home and her parents were thinking of asking if I could watch her during the day. Although Mattie only knew to sit, stay and retrieve balls, my KPA mentor encouraged me to continue and not quit if I could manage to work with Mattie and do what we could do together to prepare for the first workshop. Bless this little powerhouse of a dog!!! She took over as my KPA workshop dog, saw me through many bouts of daily tears over the loss of River, kept me moving forward, and taught me about her!!! She completed in 10 days what took River and I months to learn and practice together. Astonishing!!! Mattie was also my up close and personal introduction to fearfulness and reactivity. This was a surprise, but you only know a dog when you live with a dog and see their responses to triggers in daily life. We did a significant amount of extra reading and research to get through life and workshops and Mattie was a superstar. Mattie was my second teacher - my teacher of perseverance, pluck, and patience.

SKIPPING AHEAD WITH PUPPY CAIRO

When I completed my certification, I had a few months yet to wait, for my new addition. River loved blonde dogs and puppies. My new puppy to come was partially selected in a way to be a tribute to him as I had meant to get him a yellow field lab sister. In late 2013, puppy Cairo arrived and this time puppy raising was prepared to capitalize on her socialization period, with a commitment to force-free training from the get-go.

Cairo is brave, bold and full of gusto. She is not concerned or worried about sharing food and toys with others (humans or doggies), cooperates fully in her routine care, and knows her basics well. She comes from a field trial line with greater “drive” than River’s (this is a mild understatement - bless my Noodle!!!), which has been excellent for sports and endurance, but at times challenging for life as a pet, more so when the environment is exciting. She is both persistent and resilient so teaching an off-switch has been surmount (think working Border Collie in a sleek lab body). She is always game to learn something new, is a brilliant and creative free-shaper, and always gives 110%. She’s dog-social, enjoys being around puppies and teens (always a bonus for a reliable play-mate for socialization), and she possesses good dog-to-dog communication skills. She loves to perform, demo, be an extra classmate or distraction, and enjoys working with other people.

If Cai could talk she would likely say the only thing she feels she could do without is when “it’s not her turn”!!! Cai is my current, most important teacher - my teacher of carpe diem, smiles, comedy, and no regrets. It has taken me 4 years to truly learn and appreciate these special gifts she has given me.

ALL IN ALL

After my post-doc, my hands-on animal experience includes 15 years in the management of breeding kennels, assisting breeders and handlers in the show ring, animal husbandry in both clinic and institutional settings, as well as work in animal health, ethics, and welfare oversight. Aside from my own personal experiences, it was also my passion for the welfare and the humane treatment of all animals that contributed to my choice to use and teach only force-free training methods that are in alignment with the AVSAB and AAHA standards and guidelines for companion animal health, management and behavior modification. Since my certification, I’ve accumulated over 800 teaching hours with clients or other pet industry professionals present. I participate in public group forums that advocate for low-stress handling and force-free training and I’m a co-admin on a local group here in Calgary, YYC Dogs, that works hard to connect pet parents with humane and science-based educational resources as well as local professionals in the pet industry (trainers, groomers, pet sitters, day cares/boarding, and rescues) that are committed to the same. Through Off on the Right Paw, I offer a variety of dog training services, on-site and in-home, from Puppy Start Right Privates, Small Group Classes and Privates for Clicker Foundations & Manners for Adolescents/Adults, Trick-Training, Nose Work Games, Agility Foundations, and Privates for Problem Solving including fearfulness and mild to moderate reactivity. Exclusively for clients or upon trainer referral, I also offer Potty & Play Breaks which are personal home training visits. Occasionally, satellite training at other locations is also offered. Most importantly, however, I share my passion for connection, continued learning, nose work, musical free-style (doggie dancing), tricks, Rally-O, and agility with my loving and enthusiastic partner in crime, Cairo.

Teach, Play, Love, Connect