Brenin Behavior

03/24/2025

I had the wonderful opportunity to take Susan Friedman's Living and Learning with Animals course this spring. It was a terrific overview of the power of positive reinforcement training for all beings.

03/22/2025

This little cutie is Goldie, who transformed from being scared and unsure to a confident little girl just by playing fun games every day with her mom!

Thanks Aleksy for the 5⭐️ review on Google!

"My rescue dog, Goldie, and I have absolutely loved working with Sarah! She has taught us many new strategies and ways to think about our interactions, which has really helped my dog and I form a stronger bond. She is very knowledgeable, and has passed along many different skills to work on, always in a fun and positive way. I notice a difference in my dog's confidence, and the way we are able to communicate to one another. She's been great! I highly recommend her for anyone thinking that training may benefit both your dog and yourself."

03/21/2025

Come join me on Saturday March 29th to learn how to teach your dog to come to you when they detect snakes. You will also learn about snakes in Colorado, and what to do should you have an encounter.

Learn more about the workshops here: https://breninbehavior.com/unchase-snakes

The snakes are not active yet, which means you still have time to prepare.

The next edition of our Snake Avoidance Workshop, UnChase! Snakes, is next weekend, March 29th.

Each workshop is a 3 hour, Saturday afternoon and teaches the baseline skills for avoiding snakes. You and your dog will learn a Snake-Specific Recall and a Snake-Specific Alert, all with positive-reinforcement methods.

The workshop is repeated each month-ish. Choose the one that best fits your schedule and needs.
• Mar 29
• Apr 26
• May 31
• June/July TBA
• Aug 23
• Sep 27

Once you’ve completed the Workshop, there are subsequent Coaching Sessions with fresh snake odor to help your dog to generalize their new skills.

Reserve your space at CanineLearningCenter.com. There are a few spots available.

No snakes or dogs are harmed during our training.

03/11/2025

Dogs chase for many reasons!

Did you know? 🤔 Not all chasing behaviour is driven by predation!

Dogs chase for many reasons including play, fear, frustration, curiosity, excitement and arousal.

If your dog chases things they shouldn’t understanding why is key to changing it.

03/07/2025

It has been a thrill watching Barbara and Chester progress through their nose work journey!

Please join us in congratulating Chester and Barbara...

In their first-ever scent work trial last weekend, they achieved a 1st place!!

Chester and Barbara are currently taking our Odor 401 - Preparing for Competition class.

They are a fun team to watch.

02/19/2025

We have one space available in our next Odor 401: Preparing for Competition class.

This is a great class for learning how to improve your Nose/Scent competition skills and teamwork.

Containers, Interiors, Exteriors, Vehicles, and Buried will be practiced.

Reserve your spot at CanineLearningCenter.com

Class begins on Tuesday, Feb 18th at 6pm.

02/19/2025

Although rattlesnakes are still in hibernation now is the perfect time to start training your dog what to do if they encounter one!

On Saturday (Feb 22) we will be having the first of our monthly workshops that teach your dog an emergency recall and a new alert behavior that we then put together. You will also learn all about snakes in Colorado and what to do if you encounter one. We then teach the dog to come to you and give the alert to the cue of snake smell or movement in further private sessions.

Find out more and sign up here: https://breninbehavior.com/unchase-snakes

Note that this training is all done with positive reinforcement - there is no harm to dogs or snakes.

If you can't make the workshop this month, we will be repeating it at 2-5pm on:
March 29
April 26
May 31
June/ July TBC
August 23
September 27

01/27/2025

I am proud to be a KPA CTP and believe in these values. Kindness to all is key!

01/24/2025

Sweet Riggins has the most soulful eyes!

Day Training was perfect for Riggins - while the owners were at work and the kids were at school I used gentle and kind methods to help him find confidence, so he no longer needed to pull on the leash towards everything that worried him.

01/18/2025

It may be cold out, but I do love how snow gives us a window to our dog’s world!

A fun visual representation of what your dog sees (smells) every day. Look at how noisy it is and how many tracks there are intertwining. The different animals, people, and dogs movement in just one area. The snow lets us humans see the history of this area and what animals and people have passed through. A dog will smell this every day and know who and what animals have passed through. Smellavision!!!!

Dogs are incredible.

Imagine tracking and detection dogs needing to filter out all this noise and track a single scent down. Amazing!

(Note this is a fun representation, not accurate)

01/17/2025

When this dog came to her new home the owner was worried how she would get along with her two cats. Following UnChase training they are all living calmly and happily together!

Need help to get your furry family peacefully living together? Or is your dog committed to chasing every rabbit and squirrel in your neighborhood? Check out my UnChase packages on my website to find out how I can help you: https://breninbehavior.com/un-chase

01/10/2025

This adorable pug is Peanut. She is such fun and so enthusiastic about the training games!

01/05/2025

“Karen’s work proved that kindness, clarity, and consistency foster trust and understanding across species. She taught us that even the smallest moments of communication—a click, a treat, a shared understanding—can lead to profound connections. She reminded us to celebrate every step of progress, no matter how incremental, and to approach each interaction with empathy and curiosity.”

With profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work revolutionized how we communicate with animals—and each other—leaving an indelible mark on science, education, and the lives of countless species around the world.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4214rRG

01/04/2025

01/03/2025

As we head into colder temperatures in the Front Range over the weekend here are some useful tips for keeping your hands warm when outside with your dogs.

Obviously always make sure that the weather is safe for your dog before going outside. If it’s too nasty then just play games inside instead!

As a Canadian dog trainer, I spent a LOT of time working with dogs outdoors in freezing temperatures. I want to share 4 of my favourite ways to reward dogs o...

01/02/2025

Do you wish your dog walked nicely next to you? This dog was a strong puller but after just two weeks of Day Training she is offering check ins and walking nicely alongside. The owner was amazed how much she changed so quickly! This was achieved by teaching the dog some fun games and using only kind, force-free methods.

To my knowledge I am the only trainer in Fort Collins offering day training. This is like board and train, but in your own home! I teach dogs how to learn, so they choose to offer you the behavior you want to see, instead of you having to ask for it every time.

Day training is great if you:
✅ Need help with issues like leash pulling, jumping on guests, or puppy socialization.
✅ Want a professionally trained dog but don’t have time for daily training practice or group classes.
✅ Are looking for convenient, easy, fast, and effective training that is done using fun and kind methods.

It’s as simple as:
1️⃣ Book an initial consult where we discuss your goals.
2️⃣ Sit back while I train your dog, showing you how to maintain the good behavior at transfer sessions.
3️⃣ Show off your well behaved dog to friends and neighbors!

Want to know more? Visit my website https://breninbehavior.com/day-training and schedule a FREE Zoom Q&A session!

12/28/2024

If you have cats this is important to know.

Since the U.S. outbreak of avian influenza A (H5N1) in dairy cattle began in March 2024, dozens of cats are known to have contracted the virus, including barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild (e.g., mountain lions, tigers, leopards, and bobcats). Cats were already known to be susceptible to the H5N1 virus, with several feline cases linked to poultry or wild bird exposure before the cattle outbreak began.

Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to severe illness, often resulting in death. The good news is that infection can be prevented with a few simple practices. Please see the info below and reach out right away if you're concerned your cat may have been exposed.

12/17/2024

Thank you neighbors! Brenin Behavior is honored to be voted a 2024 Neighborhood Fave. This award means so much for my business and helps me continue to grow in our community!