The Calm Companion

08/23/2024

You never knew who you will meet or why, but today a very nice gentleman approached me at the Albany Marathon when he saw my company van with a dog on the side, to give me this… ❤️🥰. This is about his beloved Chloe who he has recently lost, there are angels among us👼

08/19/2024

Thank you Reba and Laurie for the yummy, Monday treats!!!! Humans and dogs appreciate your kindness😊😍🥰

08/13/2024

Congratulations Basic Obedience class on a job well done!!! 🥳🎊🎉

08/12/2024

From an outstanding trainer!!!

"I had a colleague ask me to create a post about positive reinforcement. She was curious about my response to prospective clients who specified or questioned whether I used positive reinforcement in my training. My colleague added that occasionally, she would get an inquiry that demanded only positive reinforcement training be used on their dog.

When she asks these folks what they mean, most people respond with the usual tropes about not wanting their dogs abused or injured. This is fair. I am concerned about the recent proliferation of ‘trainers’ being caught on camera physically abusing dogs. As trainers, we have a fundamental duty to prioritize the welfare of the dogs we work with. It’s crucial not to confuse some individuals’ misuse of training methods or tools with the appropriate applications of those things.

These are the landmines we face as a trade because our language has been hijacked. We argue over the semantics, even when the definitions are quite clear. Not that we wouldn’t use positive reinforcement, but as I stated in a previous post, it’s the intimation that we are using methods and/or tools that harm more than help.

The world wide web is a magical place. It enables folks to discover things they don’t know, but it requires some divination to transcend the first page of a Google search. There is always more information that reveals flaws in logic. It is human nature to be curious, but the internet has made us less so. And we cling to our confirmation bias.

In the information age, it can be challenging to sift through all the misinformation, as sensationalism often overshadows the details of any topic. Just look at how divisive politics and religion have become, and how difficult it is to hear news that isn’t tainted with opinions instead of facts."

The FB algorithms don't like links that take you off their property, so you can read the rest of the article at the link in the comments. If you are seeing this from a shared post, click on the image to take you to the original.

08/02/2024

Happy birthday beautiful Sophia! And as always thank you Meredith for your kindness and for always spoiling us with sweet treats!

07/18/2024

07/16/2024

Thank you Myrdith and Sofia for the much appreciated treats and drink!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

07/12/2024

WE ARE HIRING!!! Are you ready for a great job experience and fast paced work environment?
We are looking for individuals who are experienced with dogs and are eager to provide the best care and experience for client dogs! MUST HAVE DOG HANDLING/TRAINING EXPERIENCE! Candidates must be willing to work with dogs that have a wide variety of behavioral issues and be comfortable with all breeds of dogs.

The right candidate will possess the following:

- Professional experience working with dogs -ex: taking care of them, cleaning up after them, working with them on a regular basis (farm hands, groomer/boarding assistants, etc.)

- Hard Working- STRONG WORK ETHIC

- Ability to take direction well

- Patient in any and all situations

- Must be willing to do a lot of physical labor and the cleaning that comes with working with dogs. There is a great deal of walking involved.

- Personable and able to handle difficult situations with maturity and professionalism

- Willing and eager to learn

- Flexible schedule (Weekends, Evenings, Holidays are REQUIRED!). Willing to work and alternate between morning and evening shifts. Flexibility in scheduling a must.

There is potential for advancement in this position.

Must have reliable transportation.

Pay based on experience.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: From $12.00 per hour

Expected hours: 20 – 40 per week

Benefits:

Employee discount
Professional development assistance

Holidays. evenings
Weekends as needed

Day shift
Night shift

In-person
Application Question(s):

How is your previous experience relevant to this role?

Shift availability:

Day Shift (Required)
Night Shift (Required)
Work Location: In person

07/12/2024

So very well said!!!

Folks have a tendency to conflate ideologies and equipment. I frequently get inquiries from people who have never trained a dog and want to know what 'methods' I use.

I use methods that work. Are they 'humane'? Certainly. Are they 'positive'? I'd like to think so.

The goal, I think, should be to get the issue resolved, in an efficient manner, yielding reproducible results, in a way that is mutually beneficial to the dog and to the end-user.

Trainers usually don't start out with combative training. If they do, they aren't what I'd consider to be very good trainers. That's not a tool issue or even a method issue. That's just a common sense issue.

The only tool I rely on is the grey mush between my ears since every dog is different, and each one requires a nuance of application that can only be achieved through knowledge and experience.

One size does not fit all.

I use a thorough outline that renders results on many different personalities, ages, breeds, and behaviors. I follow this formula because I handle many dogs, and I have found that having a plan reaps far more predictable results than approaching things haphazardly.

The tools I use may vary, depending on the dog at my feet, the goals for training, and who that dog will be going home to.

The tools someone in another discipline would use, are being used for the same reasons I would not, with a pet dog. Performance dog trainers want to increase a specific response to stimuli that the companion animal trainer wants to suppress.

Allowing a dog the latitude to pull into defense and prey are two primary things pet owners are trying to stop, not exploit. Demonstrating how it develops is easy. Explaining to a pet dog owner how and why it's happening in ways that can translate into a resolution is where the talent lies.

It's no great revelation that the methodology used within any discipline has more similarities than differences to another. It's the *goal* that matters. None of this was created out of whole cloth, nor was it 'discovered' recently. It has been a facet of how dogs learn for many many years.

There really is nothing new under the sun, only new to folks that are seeing something for the first time.

It all starts with selection, but that is a conversation I have initiated more than once, here. If a person acquires a dog of a certain breed, there can be a reasonable expectation that some of those behaviors are genetic, and are specific to the breed.

Livestock guarding dogs guard. That is their purpose. The best you can expect from one as a companion is indifference, and a high probability of defensive behavior behind barriers, within homes, on properties, etc., because it is by design.

I don't care how far removed from a performance breeding program that individual is, or lack of suitability for work on a 6 thousand acre spread in Montana, there is still vestigial behavior, and it will manifest in that suburban home, on those suburban streets, behind those suburban picket fences.

Same with any of the guardian breeds.

Herding breeds herd. There are associated behaviors that accompany those genetics. Same with retrievers. Terriers dig. Nordic breeds howl and do other stuff that are diametrically opposed to peaceful existence as a companion animal.

So before you asks "what methodology do you use", maybe consider the type of dog you own, and what the problems you are experiencing are.

The first choice an owner must 'own', is whether the dog they chose to be their companion is suitable as such?

07/08/2024

Dog days of summer pawty 🌞🐶

06/27/2024

Thank you Ryan, Andrew, Piper and Cosmo for the very generous gift of The Disney dogs picture🥰 we love it and are proudly displaying it in the office.

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day to all of you wonderful dog dads❤️🥰🥳

06/07/2024

Happy Gotcha Day to handsome Bruno😍 thanks for the yummy cookies and the dogs say thanks for the treats🥳

05/30/2024

Happy Belated Birthday to Mystic and Rosanne! What would we do without our Gemini girls??

05/24/2024

Miss Carmen is off for the summer, but looking forward to seeing her in the fall! Enjoy your days off!!

05/23/2024

Happy Birthday Max!!!! Have a great day, so glad you are spending it with us🥳🎉🎊

05/23/2024

Handsome Bo is off to summer adventures… have a great time and look forward to seeing you back this fall 🥰

05/17/2024

Blue
⁃ Found on N Lancaster
⁃ Owner Linda Monroe # 7405419158
⁃ Fidoalert.com ID 338-18-5674
⁃ Address 2600 Perry Ridge Rd Nelsonville OH 45764

Helping Every Lost Dog Find its Way Home

05/12/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful dog moms!😍🌼🌺🥰❤️

05/09/2024

Who doesn’t love the flowers?! 💐 🌹🌸🌻🌺💐

05/09/2024

Beautiful day to pose by the rhododendrons😎🥰🦋🐝🌺🌸🌼🌻

05/07/2024

Oh Blue… we will miss you and your handsome self😞 we wish you both the best of luck on your next adventure!!!

05/07/2024

Stray hold

Brister road, coolville.

Male chihuahua

05/07/2024

05/02/2024

Congratulations to the Basic Obedience class participants!!! Job well done🥳🥳🥳🥳

04/26/2024

Last days are hard for us, when we know we probably won’t see a favorite daycare dog again.😞 We will miss you lovely Leia, and we wish you all the best on your future adventures!! 🥰

04/26/2024

Congratulations to our recent Basic Obedience graduates🎊🙌🤩!!!

04/22/2024

Congratulations to our newest Leash and Lifestyle graduates!!! Job well done🥳🥳🥳

04/22/2024

It's a Doodle kinda day😍