RowanTree Dog Training

RowanTree Dog Training Dog training and enrichment walks in Toronto, ON

Happy pride from Dexter! πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆπŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈπŸŒˆ
06/29/2025

Happy pride from Dexter! πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆπŸ³οΈβ€βš§οΈπŸŒˆ

The water feature is a hit with Koro the corgi!
06/23/2025

The water feature is a hit with Koro the corgi!

I have exciting news! Dexter (previously Ted) has joined my family. So far he has been an incredibly sweet, curious, aff...
06/22/2025

I have exciting news! Dexter (previously Ted) has joined my family. So far he has been an incredibly sweet, curious, affectionate, playful, and loving pup. He enjoys coming with me on group walks and playing with his friends there. Looking forward to all the adventures we will have together!

Do you have a small dog? 🐢🐩Keeping our small dogs safe while providing opportunities for enrichment can be a challenge, ...
06/09/2025

Do you have a small dog? 🐢🐩

Keeping our small dogs safe while providing opportunities for enrichment can be a challenge, which why I offer small dog group outings! Each day is a new adventure, including neighbourhood walks, exploring nearby parks and ravines, and off-leash socializing at my private fenced backyard.

Groups are kept small at 4 to 6 dogs, and as a certified professional trainer, I can accommodate dogs who need a little extra behavioural help to succeed. To learn more, visit my website at the link in my bio!

When you have so much fun at adventure camp that every photo is a blur πŸŒͺ️
06/09/2025

When you have so much fun at adventure camp that every photo is a blur πŸŒͺ️

AN ISSUE OF TERMINOLOGYNo, you shouldn't go to a "positive reinforcement trainer" for your reactive or aggressive dog.Ye...
05/26/2025

AN ISSUE OF TERMINOLOGY

No, you shouldn't go to a "positive reinforcement trainer" for your reactive or aggressive dog.

Yes, you read that right.

No, I am not advocating for aversive tools or punishment for reactive or aggressive dogs. These dogs especially need to feel safe and understood in order to recover, not to be intimidated into submission.

However, the term "positive reinforcement" has a very specific definition in animal training. It refers to one of the four quadrants of operant conditioning, where a reinforcer is added to increase the likelihood of a behaviour.

The problem with positive reinforcement (and operant conditioning in general), is that it focuses on the BEHAVIOUR that the dog is displaying. However, for dogs that struggle with fearfulness, reactivity, or aggression, we really need to focus on the EMOTION that is driving the behaviour.

Can positive reinforcement be a piece of the puzzle in a good reactivity or aggression behaviour modification plan? Yes, absolutely! But approaches that focus on positive reinforcement alone are doomed to fail in the cases of dogs with intense, complex emotional challenges.

Your behaviour professional's toolbox should also include:
- Classical conditioning
- Desensitization
- Management protocols
- Fulfilling species-specific needs
- Creating opportunities for agency
- Reducing exposure to stress
- Improving human-dog communication
- Teaching emotional coping skills
- Building trust
- And more...

In the online dog community, the term "positive reinforcement" is often applied more loosely to a training philosophy that avoids the use of aversive tools. However, it is important that we use terminology correctly. Positive reinforcement has a very specific definition, and it is not just a synonym for "force-free".

When we tell people to find a positive reinforcement trainer for their dog's reactivity or aggression, we risk them choosing a trainer who will only use operant conditioning to approach the issue. While rewards-based operant conditioning is wonderful for teaching obedience and tricks, it alone is not enough to tackle serious emotional challenges.

If you have a reactive or aggressive dog, what you really need is a behaviour consultant or other behaviour professional who understands the multi-pronged approach that is needed to resolve these issues. You need someone with the appropriate certifications, education, and experience to understand what your dog needs.

When people choose the wrong behaviour professional who uses ineffective training strategies with their dog, it unfortunately perpetuates the myth that force-free trainers cannot help dogs with serious behaviour challenges. This couldn't be further from the truth! But the general public needs more clarity and guidance on how to choose the right professional for their dog.

05/02/2025

π™‚π™žπ™«π™š π™©π™π™šπ™’ 𝙖 π™’π™žπ™£π™ͺπ™©π™š (𝙀𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙀). Do you give your dog time to think about things? To assess? To weigh up their options? Or do you move them on...busy, busy, busy?

Giving your dog just a little bit of time to observe and assess can make an enormous difference to their reactions to things. It can slow everything down and take them from a place of instant, knee jerk reactions to calmer, more thoughtful responses.

Newly adopted Torrin can feel a bit frustrated under certain conditions and that expresses itself as lunging and barking. But by allowing him time to observe we're starting to get different, calmer responses. He watches, he thinks about it, he disengages (most of the time!).

Give it a go. Slow down & give them a minute if they need it. Because if you can't give your dog a little time then what can you give them?

✨New Program!✨As the weather gets warmer, I am excited to offer Adventure Day Camp, a program designed to help your dog ...
03/25/2025

✨New Program!✨

As the weather gets warmer, I am excited to offer Adventure Day Camp, a program designed to help your dog enjoy all the best parts of being a dog! Daily activities include off-leash play and exploration at a private, fully fenced 1-acre space, mental enrichment tailored to your dog as an individual, training and skills-building exercises, pack walks on nearby hiking trails, and more!

✨Pick-up and drop-off services to your door: pick-up is between 8:30 and 9:30 every morning, and drop-off is between 1 and 2, meaning your dog will enjoy 3-4 hours of outdoor fun (plus travel time).
✨With groups led by a certified trainer, you can be confident that your dog will be learning healthy habits and positive social skills.
✨Because groups are kept small, I am able to accommodate slow introductions for dogs who may not thrive in a typical daycare or dog park setting. Inquire for more details!

The program currently runs on Mondays and Wednesdays, with potential to expand to other days of the week depending on demand. For a limited time, new clients can enjoy 20% the first month of Adventure Day Camp!

Recent candids for a few of my solo (or duo!) walking clients ❀️Lemon, Abby & Rigby, Wrigley, Kelly, Winnie & Mattie, Ne...
03/16/2025

Recent candids for a few of my solo (or duo!) walking clients ❀️

Lemon, Abby & Rigby, Wrigley, Kelly, Winnie & Mattie, Newman.

01/05/2025

Fight, flight, freeze, faint or fidget are the 5 main responses to fear.
We only have to look at our own behaviour to know different personalities have different reactions and so do our dogs.
So when it comes to observing behaviour, we need to keep our individuals in mind and stay curious as we do so.

For more body language videos and handouts, check out the body language bundle. (Link in stories and bio)

How does your dog show fear?

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Rowan!πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸΌπŸŽŠβ„οΈπŸ¦Œ
12/25/2024

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Rowan!
πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸΌπŸŽŠβ„οΈπŸ¦Œ

My favourite duo! Winnie and Callie enjoyed some playtime and enrichment during a drop-in visit this week.
12/21/2024

My favourite duo! Winnie and Callie enjoyed some playtime and enrichment during a drop-in visit this week.

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