Brenin Behavior

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!

12/16/2024

I just had a lovely review from a Day Training client:

"Sarah worked with my high energy adolescent lab for 2 weeks and I was amazed at the progress she made in such a short amount of time. We had worked on leash walking for months beforehand but were still struggling with pulling - within 1 or 2 visits Sarah had my dog politely sitting at the door before going out and eagerly staying by my side while walking. Sarah clearly enjoys what she does and uses fun, engaging games with the dogs, which seem much more effective than some of the strategies I had learned from previous trainers. I highly recommend her!"

Day Training is so powerful as not only do I train your dog while you are at work (or out playing), but you can see big and quick advances when a professional trainer focuses on your dog for 3 hours a week!

11/27/2024

I am honored to announce that I have been appointed to serve on the Bureau of Land Management National Wild Horse and B***o Advisory Board!

I am looking forward to working with others on the committee to advise BLM on management and protection of wild horses and burros on public lands.

The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service have appointed three members to the National Wild Horse and B***o Advisory Board. The next meeting is Jan. 7-9, 2025 at The Officer’s Club in Sacramento, California.

11/16/2024

Meet Kessler. He just finished my Behavior Transformation Package to help with his separation anxiety. He learned to really love his crate and even to choose to be there!

10/12/2024

Lovely article about how a woman successfully used positive reinforcement training on her husband to save her marriage. 😆

It works on everything!

Amy Sutherland Modern Love column on using exotic animal training techniques to modify her husband's behavior; says after two years of training she finds her marraige smoother and her husband easier to love; says her husband got to employ technique against her when she got braces; drawing (M)

10/07/2024

At the end of September I went to a fabulous workshop by Draaisma where she went into detail about recognizing tension in a horse and how to alleviate it (calming signals) and taught us in-depth about doing scent work with horses.

I am fascinated by how animals use the world of odor, and love working with them to explore this. I am really excited to add this as a service for horses as well as dogs!

10/02/2024

Welcome Dean and Sam, brothers from Lawrence, Kansas. They’ve only been with me since Sunday and already brought much joy.

Thanks to their terrific foster for a wonderful foundation!

09/29/2024

I am excited to be co-organizing this conference and seeing all the wonderful talks next year!

🇺🇸 The 20th International Society for Equitation Science Conference is back in the U.S. for the first time since 2013! 🇺🇸

Join inspiring researchers, practitioners, students, veterinary professionals, equine organizations, equine enthusiasts, and industry leaders from across the globe under the theme “Improving Connection with Horses through Science” at Colorado State University in Colorado, USA, July 23rd - July 26th, 2025.

Any updates will be announced via email and our social media, and soon, our website!

09/27/2024

Join me for these fun classes either teaching your dog about finding odor or refining your skills.

Drop ins are moving to 5:15pm next week!

Our complete Odor Detection Curriculum is available for registration.

• Odor Next Steps (Odor 201) introduces the Competition Odors and works on basic Handling Skills.
• Preparing for Competition (Odor 401) is focused on the skills of competing in a trial… blind, timed, and videoed with analysis.

Both classes both begin on Tuesday, October 8th at 6:30pm and 7:45pm

• We also have “Drop-ins” on Tuesday evenings… moving to 5:15pm on October 1st

Join us in these fun classes. You might be surprised by how much your dog loves Odor Detection.

CanineLearningCenter.com

09/23/2024

This is a great blog about the importance of reading subtle cues in our dog's body language.

Our dogs are studying us all the time - we can learn so much if we return the favor!

You've heard of trigger-stacking—how about happy-stacking! This post describes how I support my young dog on walks.

09/08/2024

Join us next Saturday for the last UnChase! Snakes workshop of this year at the Canine Learning Center! Just imagine not having to worry about rattlesnakes because you know your dog would come to you and let you know if they detect one!

These workshops are fun and interactive - you learn a new target behavior with your dog and also come away with a rock solid emergency recall. You also benefit from more knowledge about our local snakes, and what to do if you encounter one (as well as if the worst happens).

Now is the perfect time to take this workshop! In this warm weather snakes are still very active, and taking the workshop now gives you time to practice your skills over the winter so that you have a perfectly trained dog next summer!

No dogs or snakes are harmed in this training - it uses reward-based methods only. Find out more at

Rattlesnake avoidance training in Fort Collins, northern Colorado. Positive, force free, snake bite prevention