DOG TECH U

04/09/2025

Future Canine Good Citizens in the making.

04/06/2025

**UPDATE** WE FOUND ONE - THANK YOU! Dog Tech U is looking for a donated Walker to help with service dog training. Will pick up.

04/05/2025

We had a visitor! Wheeler the heeler came to check out Dog Tech U and he approves 🥰🐾

04/01/2025

New groups have started and I can’t wait to see how this little girl grows!

03/31/2025

03/25/2025

On her way to Dog Tech U

03/21/2025

AVERSIVES CAN WORK, BUT...

Harshly aversive methods can work. You can yank, choke, prong, shock, whack, kick, scruff, spray, etc and stop a dog doing the thing you don't like them doing. It's possible that you will not get any long-lasting, noticeable, detrimental side effects. After all, humans have been treating dogs badly for a very long time, and in many cases the dog simply tolerates it. You should always consider the safety risks as dogs can become very dangerous, but on the whole, the fact they seemingly tolerate mistreatment has actually led to further mistreatment. There are many other dogs who do suffer long-lasting trauma from being harshly treated, but those who are content to mistreat the animal are not always best placed to notice or understand the signs of trauma.

I absolutely get it; the allure of the quick fix is compelling, and it's pretty easy. This is why there are so many trainers out there with very little knowledge of in-depth behaviour modification, yet they’re successful. Dogs are smart; you can stop them from doing something pretty quickly by making them fear doing it. It doesn’t need intelligence, just brute force and the ability to disregard the animal’s experience.

If you truly believe these methods are completely harmless, try them on a cat. If you used a shock collar on a cat, I’m pretty sure they’d run a mile or rip you to shreds trying to escape. Domestic cats are not as susceptible to trauma bonding as dogs are. Dogs stick around and take the abuse. But then, what choice do they have?

Just because dogs are so easily mistreated, is not a justification for doing so. Are these self-proclaimed experts really telling us there is no other way of helping the animal? We know that is simply not true.

If you can change behaviour without evoking fear or physically assaulting the animal, why would you not do that?

They’re so proud of their achievements, but these achievements are little more than those of a schoolyard bully: Control via intimidation and aggression. There’s a market for this type of training, but it doesn’t exist to serve dogs; it exists only to serve our selfish human needs.
~Shay Kelly

03/21/2025

River starts his day with yoga and kettlebells 🐾🤣 it’s important for a service dog to stay in shape.

03/10/2025

Larkin passed his public access and now onto task 🥇🐾

03/08/2025

Spike came in for a tune up today.

03/03/2025

What a smart girl! Nova has all of her basic command down! She will be servicing her person very soon!

03/03/2025

Zara is really picking up on her tasks!

03/03/2025

Our newest future service dog passed her public access test and is well on her way!