PAWS for Love Dog Training, LLC

02/26/2023

😤😤😤💜💜💜

Today's PSA is brought to you on behalf of trainers everywhere who want you to know our choice to avoid the use of punishment isn't based on some rainbow & sunshine outlook on the world. It's based on our commitment to studying what science has learned - and continues to learn - about this incredible species we bring into our world rather than sticking to folklore & the "way it's always been done". When you know better, you do better.

02/25/2023

There's still time! Come join me Tuesday nights for an hour of work from 7-8pm and then Q&A from 8 - 8:30. We've got a great "Handling & Communication" course aimed to improve your dog's problem-solving skills and set appropriate foundational behaviors. We'll work on basic obedience skills like name recognition, eye contact, "sit", and set foundations for "stay," but we'll go beyond that in a big way, too.

Are you looking to improve communication with your dog? Searching for a better understanding of your dogs behavior? You’re in luck! We have 2 more spots left for our class with Logan next week Tuesday, 2/28 at 7:00 p.m.

01/20/2023

😉😉😉😉🥳🥳🥳🥳

Classes are coming to Longs Peak! If you’re interested in more information on these new services, please send an email to [email protected]

10/01/2022

Anticipate, but don't overreact. Be precise. Set rules that make sense. Follow them to the letter. Harden your resolve. Stick to your guns. Think in terms of motivation and empathize. Problem solve. Try stuff, fail, try other stuff. Do what works, not what you think should be working. Build on foundational success with more success. Set realistic expectations. Always have a plan, but be flexible. Most importantly, RELAX. BREATHE, and get started. You got this.

06/22/2022

Hello P4Ls!

We hope you and your pups are all doing absolutely wonderful!

Just a quick “business-type” announcement:

Due to continued inflation, another year of professional experience, and more charm than you’d dare shake a stick at, PAWS For Love Dog Training will be raising the rates of our services beginning July 30th, 2022. Please find the details of those price adjustments below:

Private lessons: Previously $50/hr - > $65/hr

Travel fee: Previously .50/mile outside 20 miles - > .65/mile outside 20 miles (from Firestone, CO)

I’d be happy to discuss package deals at the lower price, let me know if you’d like to work something out.

Thank you for being loyal P4Ls! We hope to see you soon!

Logan.

-PS: Don’t forget to tell your dog I said hi!

05/03/2022

Tis the season for rattlesnake avoidance!

What do you do when you come across a snake on the hiking trail?

More importantly, what does your dog do?

04/02/2022

The more little things you do right, the fewer big things you've got to overcome.

12/07/2021

Progress is "progressional."
(It's a word if I say it's a word, you know what I mean 😋)

Keep up the hard work, it pays off little bits as you go, and then sometimes, suddenly, it will pay off big-time.

12/07/2021

That goes for dogs too. And cats. And guinea pigs even, probably 🤷‍♂️

11/12/2021

This is what I'm talking about when I say talk to the dog from the needs up. If you don't provide structural support, all endeavors to build anything will crumble.

Behaviors are built on the foundation of habits.

Dogs form behavioral habits as reliable means of meeting need(s).

If we interfere with the dog's process of meeting those needs, we either inhibit that ability, too often with authoritarian hands, or we help it with empathy and problem solving skills.

The problem isn't always what the problem is, but where the problem came from. The deeper you dig, the more sturdy your foundation.

EMOTIONS MATTER!
Dog’s emotions really do matter, far more than we may think. Emotions matter because an emotional state drives behaviour. When a dog’s emotional needs are not being met, behaviour problems often result.
Dogs experience emotions like anxiety, fear, stress, depression, frustration, anger, helplessness, pleasure, happiness, relief. Although there will always be debate on whether a dog’s experience of emotion is similar to ours, science is continually providing a better understanding of how a dog’s brain works.
The way that emotions are processed in the brain is probably where the emotional experience of our species differ. Because the cortex of the human brain is five times bigger than a dogs, we experience emotions on a far more advanced level. To put it simply, when a dog feels an emotion, it’s a simpler, purer emotion, not complicated by a complex mixture of human thought process.
So many dogs live a life where their needs are not met, but have owners that insist on a quick fix to change an unwanted behaviour. Behaviour shouldn’t be looked at independently or singled out as a particular problem that needs to be fixed without first looking at whether the needs of a dog are being met. When needs are met, a dog’s emotional state will change, which will in turn bring about positive changes in behaviour.

07/01/2021

Lack of impulse control = jumping when excited.

How do you affect positive change without negative consequences to behavior?

Set a stronger foundation of basic obedience, and hammer down on the behavior you WANT to see.

Then test under the likely outcome that your dog succeeds, and reward. Increase difficulty and increase reward until the behavior is reliable and then decrease (variably) the reward until only maintenance is required.

06/20/2021

A wonderful example of why there's no need to panic. Let them talk, but *be ready* to interupt. -Logan

04/10/2021

How much do you know about how your dog is feeling?
Most owners know less about their own dog than they think they do.
If you know what you're looking at, you know how to adjust to it.

03/07/2021

Well, we finally got the results back on my work partner! I've got to say, BC is the only one that didn't surprise me! ❤☺

03/06/2021

RANT!

If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't work. They're DESIGNED to hurt. That's the whole point of them.

If your dog is reactive on leash and you're using a prong or pinch collar, consider this:

You and your dog may be working together to make the behavior worse.

Scenario: a dog-reactive dog wearing a prong collar sees another dog and lunges toward it, tightening the leash and collar. Since these collars are designed to be painful when the leash is tight, the dog gets a neck-full of sharp edges WHILE (this is the important part) it's attention is on the other dog.

Psychology time. Dogs learn by association. If thing A constantly happens at the same time thing B happens, to the dog, Thing A and Thing B are associated together, or, one causes the other.

*Your dog doesn't understand that their own behavior is what's causing their discomfort, they just know when that dog across the street shows up, they get punished for it.*

We love dogs, but they aren't all that smart (compared to us). That's why we have to train them to understand.

Dogs react. That's why we use the term "reactive."

Teach your dog to react differently. This is more difficult if the dog is punished for reacting. Punishment always comes with consequences. Reactivity is a common consequence of pinch & prong collars.

Facts. 🤷‍♂️

Rant over, thank you for your time and consideration. ☺😋

02/11/2021

Two questions you should ask yourself when your dog does something you'd prefer they didn't:

Why? and How?

First, answer how, and then prevent it. If your dogs are on the counter, block them from the kitchen, or make sure there's nothing for them to reward themselves with.

Second, what motivated the dog to act or react the way they did? This is the more difficult question, and its the one that is likely to lead to bad choices on the humans part.

Understanding motivation is the key to making lasting behavior changes.

Seek to understand your dog's behavior.

02/06/2021

Well-said.