Positive Partnership Training, LLC

06/18/2024

Sweet, energetic Levi-the Husky/Pittie mix-is incredibly photogenic-as he rests after a very productive training session!🐶😎❤️

06/18/2024

Otis, the handsome goofball adolescent Great Dane, shows off his Settle cue in our training session:)🐶❤️🤩

06/09/2024

Sweet Ralphie, the English Cream Golden Retriever, is all done in-after using all of his brain cells in our training session!🐶❤️😝

04/30/2024

I agree with this 100%!

YOU CANNOT TRAIN A NEED OUT OF A DOG

I am a fan of training in general – which shouldn’t surprise anyone, because after all I am a “dog trainer”. In fact, I begin some sort of training with my dogs from the time they come home as little pups and I continue right into old age.

But perhaps that is because I view training as a way of building connection and providing enrichment, rather than a way of achieving control and “obedience”. Training is an activity that my dogs love and it is an opportunity to connect and do fun things together. Stopping training as they age, would be taking away an enrichment activity that they thrive on, so we keep going, simply adjusting to what they can cope with and what they particularly enjoy.

However, I am also a behaviour practitioner. I have been educated to view animals, not just as operant machines, but as creatures with rich emotional lives. I recognise the fact that behaviour is the expression of a need and the outpouring of an emotion. I believe that having this perspective and deeper knowledge of what drives behaviour makes me a better trainer, because I am aware that there is so much more than just observable behaviour to consider when working with any animal.

Unfortunately, people often use training as a way of making things look better, without actually making them any better on a deeper level – kind of like painting over the cracks in a house when its foundations are crumbling. It might look better for a while, but the entire structure is still unstable and at some point, it is bound to collapse.

Except it is far worse than a crumbling house, because dogs are sentient beings that deserve better than having their underlying emotions ignored. Trying to cover up signs of anxiety, frustration or deprivation by teaching polite behaviours is incredibly cruel and selfish.

Too often I see posts in positive reinforcement-based training groups where people are seeking advice to address a “problem” behaviour and, despite the very obvious signs that the dog in the post is struggling because a fundamental need is not being met, the advice given always focuses purely on training away the behaviour, rather than addressing the underlying need.

I find it incredibly sad and actually quite distressing, that so many dogs are desperately trying to communicate what they need and all supposedly knowledgeable people can focus on is how to stop them expressing that need – even if it is in a “nice” way.

Let me be clear, no amount of “training” is going to stop a dog from showing some signs of extreme boredom or distress, if you leave them alone daily for 8 – 10 hours. Dogs are social animals and you cannot train this out of them. A dog getting overexcited when they interact with you, if they spend hours separated from you outdoors or stuck in a crate, is NOT a training issue – it is a welfare issue. Long periods of confinement and isolation are detrimental to dogs – they were not built for this and trying to train them to accept it is fundamentally unfair. You also cannot expect a dog that never has any freedom of movement when out and about to walk “to heel” all the time. Dogs need to move, to run and to explore and expecting them to spend every walk on a 1 metre leash at your side with no tension on that lead as a means of exercise is completely absurd.

Dogs have fundamental needs for companionship, security, freedom of movement and exploration, among other things. You cannot train these needs out of them and trying to do so is incredibly unfair. Meeting your dogs’ emotional needs is how you go about building a strong foundation for their emotional and behavioural wellbeing, as well as your relationship with them. Training should be a means of enhancing and making that well-built foundation shine – not a way of covering up its cracks.

03/07/2024

The handsome Collie, Kashmir, giving me a great photo op-while he rocks his Sit/Stay!🐶❤️

02/15/2024

This is so spot on! Please take the time to find out if the dog you are interested in purchasing or adopting will fit in with your lifestyle & physical abilities. This will make for happier and safer dogs & humans!🐶❤️

I’m a dog trainer.
I teach people how to teach their dogs.
But I also - just as much or maybe even more - am a “dog manager”.
Teaching people how to manage their dogs.
Management is faster, and for many owners more accessible and realistic than training.
Sometimes this management is short-term, and sometimes it is a long-term solution.
The balance between training and management is individual to each family.
You know what makes management really hard?
Dogs that are stronger than their owners.
I am starting to see this more and more, and it worries me.
Dog owners are reaching out because they are small-framed (I am, too!) and their 80 lbs adolescent Doberman is pulling them over on every walk.
They tell me their dog got in a fight because he got loose when they couldn’t hang on to the leash.
When they try to wrestle their dog away from the opening front door, the dog easily wins and darts out and gets in trouble …
This is not good.
If owners acquire powerful working breeds, they need to be able to keep them under control (through training and/or management) or this quickly gets out of hand.
I want to be clear that I am not making this about body types.
There are a lot of amazing dog trainers out there who have a small frame, who are not physically strong or who have a medical condition or disability and their large dogs are *fantastically* trained.
It's a joy to watch. I highly respect them.
I am by no means a strong person either.
BUT let’s be realistic: If you get a dog that is stronger than you, your training game needs to be on point.
Because if a dog’s behavior is neither regulated by management nor training we have a problem.
In my in-person training I have seen many situations in which the training ability & physical strength of the dog owner was grossly mismatched with the dog’s level of drive and power.
There is so much frustration on both the human and canine sides of these teams.
Those cases are really difficult for a trainer to resolve - and they quickly become sketchy for others around, too (such as the dogs that are charged when the strong dog gets loose).
If you love training fast, driven & strong dogs - fantastic. I love that, too.
If you are looking for a companion and don’t have a huge interest in training - choose a dog that does not overpower you. You and your dog will be MUCH happier with this arrangement.

01/17/2024

Sweet, smart Macy-an mini Aussie Shepherd/Poodle mix-is super focused on the treat she is about to receive in our training session!😜😋🐶❤️

10/26/2023

Yes!👏🥳

10/17/2023

Just say “No” to Dog Daddy-& the aversive techniques & tools he espouses!

Dog trainers that use aversive training methods, including Augusto DeOliveira, also known as "The Dog Daddy," have caught the attention of concerned animal welfare groups, trainers, veterinary behaviorists, and pet owners. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) recently issued a stat...

10/13/2023

What a moving, insightful post.🥲🐶❤️

From the archives... the original post was shared over 1000 times and resonated with so many people. I was on the Digging into Dogs podacast talking about this topic and this post went on to win an award.

None of us went looking for fearful, aggressive, reactive, separation anxious, or medical dogs. Most of us wanted hiking partners, brew pup patio buddies, dogs who could go anywhere. We thought it would just naturally happen because of that old saying "it's all in how you raise them." They would be raised right, so it would work out fine.

Maybe early on there were red flags. Maybe you didn't notice until they became an adult. I wish it was as easy as placing a puppy or rescue dog in the right home and adding love to "fix" things. So many people struggle with how things could have gone, should have gone, what they might have done wrong. There's a lot of baggage we carry into training from the past.

Many people want to negotiate out of the problems with their dogs. "What if we don't follow the plan? What if I can't manage it? What if I just wait for them to 'grow out of it'?" It can be hard to reconcile the dog you wanted with the dog that you have. I understand. I didn't know Zelda would be epileptic and how devastating that would be.

Mourning the dog that you thought you were going to have can help you move forward with the one you have. Forgive yourself for mistakes and commit to changing patterns moving forward. Thank your dog for doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt. Forgive them for hating the strangers at the brew pup. Forgive them for lunging on walks. Understand why they don't want to meet your friends who come over for dinner.

We often hear "train the dog in front of you." I suggest we love the dog in front of us. That doesn't mean we aren't going to be frustrated, sad, angry. That doesn't mean we aren't going to wish we had a dog who could go anywhere and do anything. But it might help us appreciate what they can do and who they are. We wish it were different, and so do they. Mourn the dog you thought you'd have and fall back in love with the dog in front of you. See less

05/14/2023

Shandy, the sweet little Beagle/Doxie mix, gives her full attention during our recent training session.☺️❤️🐶

05/14/2023

Ziggy, the adorable Frenchie, rocks his Mat cue-with distractions!👏👏🐶❤️

02/26/2023

Jax the Double Doodle, working on his Chill cue:) He’s doing so well, Mom can finally sit a read a book without him pestering her!👍👏🐶❤️

02/26/2023

River, the Great Dane/GSD mix, rocks the Come cue out in the park:)👏👏🥳🐾💕

02/26/2023

Handsome Louie, the French Bulldog, takes a break during our training session.😄🐶❤️

02/26/2023

Precocious Banjo, the Airedale Terrier puppy, pays close attention during our training session!☺️🐶❤️

01/28/2023

This article is spot on! How can we help our pups be happy, loving in our human world?🐶❤️

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fca%2Fblog%2Ffellow-creatures%2F202004%2Fwhy-dogs-happiness-not-obedience-is-what-counts%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0oeLMYviC7TgBmgJSOTHPyuToSbdsRtef2ZoUxaiKnHcZS27NG1PuSbmw&h=AT0GrVL5-8mGqsNEI2XtNtLNxKFfOtPlfrnlnUarssQtQGpCIAfJDe8LH1sxCTvEDRNYuKAHC9CRBwki3SRuVq2B7oiK_9gNAreckGaIAyZytWmUu7r_GORBAD2YSFuPLAAcaO3QsXMRjDg&s=1

When we focus on making dogs happy, it’s better for them and us.

11/19/2022

Check out precocious Cleo, nailing her “Couch” cue!👍👏🐶❤️

11/12/2022

Sigmund the Yellow Lab puppy takes a break from training fun, for an adorable photo-op!🐶❤️

10/30/2022

The adorable Havanese puppy, Javi, after mastering his fear of the Great Pumpkin!🎃😆🐶❤️

10/11/2022

The adorable & talented Shiba Inu pup, Aya, entertains us during a break in her training session!🐶❤️👏

09/03/2022

Lottie, the Labradoodle puppy, rocks her Bed cue!🐶❤️👏

08/16/2022

Solomon, the English Mastiff, rocks politely going through the gate-& then focusing back on his human.❤️🐶👏👏 Beautiful!🥳

08/03/2022

That face!🐶❤️ Solomon, the English Mastiff practicing his Settle cue during our training session.👍☺️

07/08/2022

And here is ZuZu, the training prodigy, taking a break from acing her “Go Lay Down” cue-on her island-sized doggie bed!😝👏🐾🐶❤️

07/08/2022

ZuZu, Bert, & Ernie are focused Aussies, during our recent training session!🦴🐾🐶❤️

07/08/2022

Handsome Henry eagerly awaits his next opportunity for a goodie, during our training session.🐶❤️😄

05/02/2022

This is very true-as many dogs are head-shy. And a dog’s response to an unfamiliar hand coming at their head is often not so funny as the illustration below!😲 Even dogs who know you well often prefer a chin scratch or neck pet to a head pat. So let the dog choose how they want to be greeted:)🐶❤️

Most dogs don’t like to be pet on their head by strangers. Instead, if you want to say hello and you’ve asked their guardian, say hello verbally and allow the dog to choose if they want to be pet. If they come closer for a sniff, leave your hand at your side. Allow them to sniff and initiate a pet, then pet their side behind their shoulders and stop. If they want more, they’ll let you know. Consent is important for dogs, too.

04/23/2022

The smart & handsome GSD, Keegan, mugs for the camera during our training session yesterday:)🐶❤️

04/19/2022

Finn-the mini Australian Labradoodle- takes a break from working on his “Go To Your Spot” cue, for a fun outtake!😜 BTW-he did rock the GTYS cue, too (I just didn’t get any good footage.🙁)!🐶❤️