Niki Perry - Integrative Canine Behaviour Counselling

19/07/2023

I developed C.A.N.I.N.E. Centred Therapy, a multilayered, integrative approach to raising dogs to their fullest potential.

The following acronym summarizes the critical factors considered in the canine-centred therapy approach:

Constitution (personality)
Ancestry (genetics)
Needs (fulfilment and purpose)
Individual (age/development/health status)
Nurture (parenting style/environment)
Experience (Learning history)

Canine-Centred Therapy recognizes that all dogs are unique individuals born into this world fully equipped biologically to navigate life without human intervention. Our most important job is to help them realize this truth.

Canine-centred therapists and coaches believe every dog strives for and can fulfil their potential under the right conditions.

The main goal of therapy is to help guardians understand the uniqueness of their dogs, facilitate their development, meet their individual needs and expand their life skills and coping abilities so they can start to thrive.

In Canine-Centred Therapy, we follow a five-stage process to heal trauma or nervous system dysregulation and build resilience in our dogs.

The five stages are acknowledgement, identification, preparation, action and maintenance. 

1. Acknowledge the trauma or dysregulation and the struggles your dog is having as an internal problem.
2. Identify the triggers, antecedents, emotions, root cause and control factors. 
3. Prepare and plan the needed skills and how you will learn and practice. 
4. Action is a process of doing something. The action stage is defined by applying the skills learned in the preparation stage to improve your dog’s self-efficacy.  
5. Maintain those responses by committing to a connected lifestyle and consistently using the tools utilized in the action stage. 

I created The Trigger Tree - Canine Edition to help guardians understand their dog’s behaviour from a biopsychosocial perspective and get to the root of their dysregulation.

If your ready to dive into learning more about Canine-Centered Therapy and the five stages, join me for a two-part online workshop July 20 & 27!

DM or click the link in my bio to learn more or register ♥️

01/12/2022

To help dogs learn how to make better/healthier decisions and develop new coping strategies, we must let them practice making better decisions.

That means we must prioritize the environment we put dogs in and the intended and unintended lessons they may learn from those experiences.

I certainly see the value of teaching dogs specific skills that improve their well-being and increase their safety, but obedience training does not aid in developing new strategies.

Trained dogs learn how to respond to human cues, and often these operant behaviour patterns fall apart when a dog is under pressure.

Building resilience allows a dog to better withstand the pressure in the environment and recover from stress quicker and easier.

However, dogs will not develop resilience when put in conditions where their nervous system is overwhelmed and coping isn’t possible.

This is true for both the fight/flight responses of the sympathetic nervous system and the freeze/faint response of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Dogs learn new strategies when they can successfully navigate the environment and realize that they can change their situation by choosing to make a different decision in those situations.

Making that decision must come from the dog’s cognitive processes, not from someone telling him what to do. The role of the guardian or caregiver is to create learning opportunities, not to make decisions for the dog.

When humans continuously put their dogs in the same situations that cause overwhelm, neuroplasticity will be impaired, meaning new memory formation and learning likely won’t occur.

If you like to learn more about building resilience, I'm currently running an eight-week-long online course that focuses on this topic.

Click on the link in my bio to join us and discover how you can help your dog thrive through resilience.

25/11/2022

The one factor that changed everything for Ava in her life was resilience.

Over time with patience and practice, Ava discovered that she could adapt to her environment, and as a result, her stress response improved.

Resilience is not what a dog has or doesn’t have. It is built through learning, growth and discovery when internal and external conditions support it.

Resilience is a neuroplastic process, not a character or personality trait.

By meeting a dog’s needs for inner
harmony, physical well-being, mental and emotional wellness, social support and positive environmental experiences, cognitive flexibility and learning, we can facilitate the development of resilience.

Resilience is not built through trauma, intense fear or stress, or chronically elevated stress levels because these conditions impair the neurogenic and neuroplastic processes required for learning and memory.

Life will be stressful at times. We can’t always avoid it.

Building resilience helps dogs have both stable and flexible responses to stress and recover back to baseline.

Want to learn more about the seven fundamental needs for resilience?

Click the link in the comments to enroll in Resilient Dog University today.

21/11/2022

Well, that’s a wrap on another continuing education course on psychology.

This course has got me thinking more in-depth about what it means to be an integrative canine behaviour professional.

Integrative canine counselling is a holistic and individualized approach to supporting canine mental health and behaviour.

This style of canine mental health support combines philosophy and techniques from different theories intending to end suffering, improve welfare and transform maladaptive behaviour.

By fusing concepts of different psychological theories, an integrative canine behaviour professional can offer a more specialized and flexible approach than those who practice a singular form of training & behaviour support.

Integrative canine professionals aim to match their conceptualization and evidence-based treatment plan to each client’s presenting concern and provide welfare & wellness support on multiple layers for the dog.

We view the interwoven aspects of personality, genetics, breed purpose, age and health, environment and learning as the complete tapestry of a dog’s well-being.

The Canine-Centred Approach I’ve developed doesn’t just focus on the here-and-now factors in a dog’s behaviour output.

The dog’s Constitution, Ancestry, Need fulfillment, Individuality, Nurturing and Education (C.A.N.I.N.E) are also analyzed when formulating a plan.

Each layer of a dog is essential in whom they become in life, and with an understanding of where they’ve been, we can alter the current lifestyle to support healing and adapting new coping styles for the future.

The complexities of dogs are not only fascinating, but also it means that they aren’t a blank slate just waiting to be programmed by a human.

They come into this world fully equipped to navigate life, and our role as caregivers must be to nurture their development and celebrate their autonomy, not to demand obedience.

If you’re ready to learn more about a Canine-Centered Approach, click on the link in my bio to get in touch today!!

16/11/2022

Dogs don't have “behaviour problems.” They develop solutions based on experiences.

The real problem was that their life experiences didn’t provide lessons that led to successfully navigating excitation or stress, and their strategies have become unhealthy, harmful or maladaptive.

Those strategies might not be convenient for you and might not be healthy for your dog.

Regardless, the vital thing to remember is that their life experiences have shaped how they respond to different stimuli in different situations and life lessons are what will provide new, healthier strategies.

Experience-dependent plasticity refers to how different situations and circumstances in life influence changes, development and growth of other brain areas.

Structural neuroplasticity is the continued process of creating new neuronal connections and pathways due to learning from life experiences.

In other words, to hardwire new responses into a dog’s brain, new structural connections need to be formed.

Dogs need to have experiences that allow them to respond successfully to environmental stimuli, and this will will lay down neurons in the brain.

Then they need more opportunities to practice those successful responses to strengthen them.

If you want to help your dog learn to respond flexibly and adaptively, create opportunities for them to cope with change using a healthier strategy.

For example, dogs relying on reactive strategies could learn to walk away rather than engage.

One of my favourite ways to support this is by going to a location with a dog off in the distance and creating an opportunity for the dog to feel happy and fulfilled while simultaneously knowing that another dog is there.

They are able to stay grounded in feeling safe and happy while also choosing to disengage from the visual stimuli at any time without becoming overwhelmed.

I promise you that natural satisfaction from practicing innate behaviour is far more potent than utilizing obedience or operantly controlled behaviour. Use natural enrichment to your advantage as much as you can.

Ensure the locations you choose for positive environmental experiences have fewer unintended stimuli, such as off-leash dogs, loud children or scary noises, and more of the intended stimuli required for installing new neural connections.

Intended stimuli could include dogs or people off in the distance, new fun smells to satisfy innate foraging behaviour, and a plan for supporting the dog to navigate that environment without inducing excitation or fear.

Structural plasticity requires practice and time, so don’t rush the process and have fun with your dog as you bond through positive experiences.

Create the feeling you want for your dog while they know a dog or another trigger is off in the distance.

If you can’t control the environmental variables and that situation could turn into a negative experience, it’s not worth the risk!

08/11/2022

Thinking of your dog as “behaving badly” can dispose you to believe that punishment is the best solution.

But behaviour research and neuroscience don’t support punishment as an ethical way to teach or raise a dog.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the negative impact of punishment on the well-being of both humans and animals.

If you shift the way you see your dog’s behaviour away from “good or bad” labels and toward understanding behaviour as a sign of internal dysregulation, you will see that the most reactive behaviour is a desperate cry for help.

We must seek to support those experiencing difficulties in certain situations, and we can do this by listening to them when they are trying to communicate with us.

Thinking of your dog struggling to cope in a difficult situation will encourage the compassion, support and love that will help it through its distress.

I know it’s stressful and embarrassing when your dog reacts to a particular situation this way, but it’s the only way they can show you that help is desperately needed because they are in a position they can’t handle.

Behaviour is communication. Reactive behaviour expresses fear, anxiety, confusion, frustration or overwhelm.

In these situations, your dog is not coping, and the ONLY thing you can do is get back to a place where they feel safe.

Once you’re back to where your dog feels safe, decompression and stress release is a critical component of completing the cycle of emotional regulation.

You can help your dog lower their stress level through naturally low arousal activities such as sniffing, exploring, rolling in the grass or foraging.

Resilience is not built in the moment of stress but in the calm & connected moments where learning can take place.

Focus on becoming your dog’s safe haven, which will help them overcome anything.

Want to learn about building your dog’s resilience? I’ve got an online course starting Nov 21 😉

02/11/2022

Tolerance is not the same as resilience; we must not confuse these two terms or use them interchangeably.

Resilience is the successful adaptation to adverse life experiences that result in mental, emotional and behavioural flexibility and the positive adjustment to presenting demands.

A resilient dog may face an internal or external demand, but they don’t experience adverse effects.

Tolerance is when a dog still feels the adverse effects of a stressor, but their behaviour will express tolerance. In other words, they don’t “react,” but they still experience distress.

Tolerance may produce immobility or suppress the reaction, but it doesn’t enhance the dog’s resilience to stress or provide the dog with the ability to learn new coping strategies.

Remember that learned helplessness occurs when someone forces a dog into a situation they cannot cope with or doesn’t allow them to use any strategies they’ve used in the past.

The result of these forced experiences and suppressed emotions is that the dog gives up trying and then shifts into an immobile state.

This can’t be what we want for our dogs. Don’t we want our dogs to learn?

Stress impairs neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the brain. In other words, stress reduces new neurons forming and can affect learning and behavioural outcomes.

Not all stress is bad, but higher peaks of distress or elevated levels of chronic stress don’t allow for a downshift back into baseline and break down resilience rather than build it up.

The goal must be resilience if you want to enhance the well-being and mental health of your dog, not tolerance.

Want to know more about how to help your dog build resilience?

The Raising Resilient Dogs Online Course starts November 21!

https://www.nikiperry.ca/raising-resilient-dogs

28/10/2022

Guess what? Not all dogs are as social as people think.

Yes, there are some very social dogs out there who want to interact with other dogs, but most of them like their solo walks with their human and have a select few close buddies.

Some dogs are happy without other dog friends, which is also ok.

Your dog does not need to play with other dogs to be happy and social. Sometimes it’s better to keep your distance and let your dog calmly watch another dog go by.

Studies show that interactions with strange dogs often create a stress response that sometimes can only be detected in their saliva cortisol levels.

Adult dogs play much less than puppies, and often their greetings or interactions are pretty short if they happen at all.

So putting your dog in a situation
# where they have to greet a dog longer than necessary or greet when they really would rather walk by is simply just creating an opportunity for problems.

I mean, I don’t stop and talk to everyone I see on the street. I may smile and say hi, then go on about my business.

If I were forced to stay in a greeting longer than that, I’d likely feel very awkward and anxious 🤷🏻‍♀️

In general, greetings when on the leash is just a terrible idea. Even off-leash greetings are probably best to avoid with strange dogs.

If your dog is very social, you have to understand that this is very rare.

The majority of dogs out there are NOT, and so if you let your amiable dog run up to another dog without consent, you are setting your dog and the other up to fail.

On behalf of all of the guardians out there trying to raise their dogs to be calm, comfortable and confident in all situations, please don’t let your off-leash dog run up to a dog that is on a leash.

And please don’t let any greetings happen without consent in general. 

Some dogs are fearful, nervous, reactive or uninterested in that greeting, so don’t assume it’s ok.

Be responsible and considerate of other guardians trying to do their best.

Remember that meeting a dog’s social needs is a commitment to positive experiences, not just exposing them to things.

27/10/2022

Looking for support with prey drive? Embrace it, don’t try to erase it.

Prey drive in dogs is a REAL challenge for families. Let's be real for a moment. You can’t “train out” prey drive or stop the instincts associated with it in an ethical way. Your dog is wired as a predator, even if they don’t need to hunt anymore at all. Some breeds have been put under selec...

25/10/2022

New Course Announcement 🙌🙌

Raising Your Resilient Dog starts Nov 21!

8 weeks of discovery into the many layers that make up your dog.

Enroll here: https://www.nikiperry.ca/raising-resilient-dogs

19/10/2022

How are you showing up for your dog?

Are you harmoniously regulated and responsive? Or defensive and reactive?

Are you expressing love and safety? Or expecting compliance no matter the conditions?

Is your attitude positive, understanding and caring? Or are you frustrated and disconnected?

Are you being responsible for yourself and giving your dog autonomy? Or are you blaming and controlling?

Is your presence tender and gentle? Or are you demanding compliance without considering if what you want serves your dog?

There’s a shift happening.

Many people are stepping away from the concept of training their dogs and discovering how to raise them.

Training is valuable for sports preparation, but do not lump learning and dog training into the same box.

Your dog is learning through life daily, not just in those six weeks of classes.

As social learners, dogs are watching our moves and trying to figure out how to navigate life with us.

You've got to show up consistently, every day, in every interaction and be clear to your dog about where the boundaries are.

This doesn’t require treats at all. Life is our greatest teacher.

Start by discovering who your dog is underneath their behaviour.

Then learn what their purpose is and what might be fulfilling for them.

Then create a space for them to become who they are meant to be and watch them bloom as they discover the joys of life.

You can’t change who your dog is, and their behaviour doesn’t need to be fixed.

Your dog needs your acceptance, love and safety. They need to be heard, and they need to belong.

Your dog needs you to show up with HEART.

16/10/2022

How did having a dog turn into us trying to dominate them and fit them into a box of our expectations and desires for obedience?

Raising a dog and sharing your life with them is so much more than trying to shape them into the dog we want them to be. And the same concept applies to raising children.

It’s about figuring out who they are, so you can guide them to develop into the best version of themselves.

The last century is but a blink in an evolutionary perspective, yet so much has changed in our lifestyle in such a short time.

The world around us is changing rapidly, and dogs and kids struggle to keep up.

We need to stop this obsession with behaviour change.

Changing behaviour isn’t as important as why the dog is performing it and what it is telling you about your dog’s welfare.

Just because we want our dogs to behave one way doesn’t mean that behaviour serves the dog or is fair to them.

Some dogs are kept indoors for over 22 hours a day, others locked in a box for a good portion of the day.

Yet we find their excitement to see us annoying and want them to sit obediently and not express themselves freely. How is this fair?

Dogs are born into this world, ready to thrive.

They’ve existed for thousands of years without humans telling them what to do, and they’re still able to think for themselves today.

Yet humans micromanage every aspect of their lives, from where and when they p*e to what they eat and do for fun.

Try to understand why the behaviour is happening not just from a functional standpoint but also from a phylogenic and ontogenic perspective.

And never forget the very personal experience your dog is having. Your dog is a unique individual with a personality, likes, dislikes and feelings.

Before asking how to change a behaviour your dog is performing, ask why they are doing it and whether or not your expectations are appropriate for them.

Dogs are more than what humans train them or attempt to train them to do.

Go deeper than training and learn who your dog is so you can create a life that will help them thrive.

If you’re curious to learn more, click the link in my bio and join my community today.

14/10/2022

“Before you get a dog, you can’t quite imagine what living with one might be like; afterward you can’t imagine living any other way.”

- Caroline Knapp

03/10/2022

Let's step away from the perspective that dogs need to be well-behaved to be accepted by their family.

Being well-behaved doesn't meet a single fundamental development need for a dog.

Yes, you want your dog to be able to coexist with you; I get it. You don’t want them to bark unnecessarily, jump on people, or hurt anyone.

But just focusing on modifying their behaviour without meeting their needs could lead to more significant mental health challenges down the road.

It's not really about being well-behaved, but more about developing the mental capacities to handle life.

So let’s think about this phrase, “I want my dog to be well-behaved.”

Remove “to be well-behaved” and insert something that’s important for your dog to develop to evolve into the best version of themselves.

I want my dog…

- to feel safe & connected
- to have fun & feel joy
- to be resilient
- to express themselves freely
- to know they can self-regulate
- to be curious
- to develop self-agency

What do you want for your dog that has nothing to do with being well-behaved?

Help me add to the list by commenting below.

30/09/2022

I felt her presence last night. For a moment, a thought in my mind told me she was standing at the top of the stairs.

Of course, when I looked, Rosa wasn’t there. Just the emptiness she once stood to look out the window and bark at passers-by.

They’ve all been here for me this week. Rosa, Gunnar, Drago. I’ve felt them all around me.

Sometimes I feel like they’re just gone, and they left me here to figure out how to do this on my own without them, but it’s so hard. Life can be so hard.

I feel angry sometimes, sad other times, and sometimes I don’t feel anything because it hurts too much to process.

I need you now. Why did you have to go? How do I do this? How do I go on without you?

But we do go on. We find a new way to travel through our days and bring new joy, and we remember the love our dear ones brought us.

But what I wouldn’t give for just one more moment like this.

27/09/2022

Training dogs can be complicated, but raising dogs doesn’t have to be.

Raising resilient family dogs is really about need fulfillment, teaching life skills such as emotional regulation, creating excellent habits that will install really good neural traits and prioritizing positive experiences.

Once a solid foundation of resilience has been established, guardians could dive into the world of training dogs to build more skills and participate in sports.

Obedience is a sport, it’s not a requirement for raising dogs, and it’s not the solution to mental health challenges such as anxiety or reactivity.

The professional dog industry is diverse in approaches, skillsets, ideologies and programs, but those committed to an ethical model can all complement each other.

I like to work with families on improving their dog’s mental health because when we take care of their needs, their behaviour often takes care of itself.

That’s a bit simplistic statement, and much effort is needed to accomplish successful therapy, but with patience and practice, beautiful things can happen.

Once that foundation of health and wellness is there, and the guardian understands their dog's needs, training and skill-building might be something they wish to pursue with an experienced coach.

However, for families just wanting to enjoy the reciprocal benefits of the human-dog connection, training for sports like obedience isn’t always necessary.

Sports might be FUN for some dogs, but they aren’t necessary for all dogs. Some dogs wish to spend time with their caregivers, sniff, chew, p*e and roll, and live a relaxed life.

An operant recall is not nessicarily a connected one, and it might not transfer to all environments. But cultivating a conscious connection with your family lasts, and it travels with you always.

Connection is the breath of life. It is what we are wired to do with each other, and through the process of domestication and our mutual evolution, it's also how we are wired to co-exist with our dogs.

If you are curious about this, join the Conscious Connections Community by clicking the link in my bio. I’d love to see you there and answer your questions.

24/09/2022

HUGE NEWS from team Cooper today!!

Today team cooper is celebrating TWO HOURS of relaxed home alone time. 🥳🙌

If you’ve been following along, we started with a baseline assessment of 5 seconds about four months ago.

Cooper and mama have come so far, but it hasn’t been easy.

Healing separation distress is quite a massive commitment, but it’s worth it.

Remember that separation distress will not go away on its own.

Separation distress won’t be eased with kongs, lick mats, chews or other distractions.

Getting another dog won’t help it, either.

Crate training may or may not help, but I don’t recommend getting an “anxiety-proof” crate to support home-alone practice.

If your dog struggles with departures, it’s not your fault, even though many will point the finger at you.

Canine separation distress isn’t the result of “spoiling” attention or sleeping in your bed.

Separation distress is a panic disorder that requires careful and compassionate treatment by a trained canine mental health and behaviour professional.

It’s not a hopeless situation, you just need to find someone to guide you along the way.

Way to go Team Cooper! I’m so darn proud of you!!!

23/09/2022

Is anyone else tired of seeing animals being harmed on social media for human entertainment?

That dog screaming when he’s getting his nails trimmed is experiencing damaging levels of distress. It’s not funny.

Oh, and that dog with the baby climbing on it? He’s not happy, and it’s not cute.

The head turns, yawns, tongue flicks, whale eye, and flat ears tell me he’s uncomfortable.

Don’t say your dog bit out of nowhere when he’s been trying to communicate all along.

The Rottweiler I just saw walking in a perfect heel, let’s talk about him.

The dog is terrified of making a mistake for fear of punishment. How can I tell? I can see the worry and tension in his facial muscles.

Is this what we’ve reduced our best friend to? An obedient dog who doesn’t express themselves freely but just complies?

It’s not funny to see dogs being harmed.

It’s not cute seeing dogs being forced into a situation that makes them uncomfortable.

It’s not impressive to see a dog bullied into compliance.

I’m not saying ALL people who train in dog obedience are bullies to their dogs. But, the welfare and well-being of the dog must be prioritized over everything else.

I smile when I see a dog being a dog and when a caregiver is interested in their dog’s interests.

Bringing a dog into my life is not about what my dog does for me; it’s about the life I’m committed to giving to my dog.

Seeking out connection rather than compliance inspires a dance of reciprocity between humans and dogs, where both individuals’ needs are met.

When meeting our dog’s needs, we don’t risk traumatization, we set them up for happiness and success, and we focus on cooperation, not compliance.

Dogs are indeed so amazing.

They’ve evolved alongside humans over thousands of years. They’ve benefited, and we’ve benefited from our partnerships.

But I’ll argue that humans have benefitted more. It’s the dog’s turn.

They’ve protected us. Herded our sheep. Killed off rodents and fetched out prey. They’ve even kept our laps warm in the cold months.

Surely we can keep them out of harm's way to honour their service to humans.

Please stop and think before sharing a post on social media.

20/09/2022

I know many of you can feel this in your heart as well.

I’ve had loads of memories pop up on social media lately of those we’ve lost along the way.

Somedays, I smile; some days, it feels like losing them all over again.

Tell me about someone you lost in the comments below.