Trevor’s Dog Training

08/14/2024

Meet Oreo 🐾
Oreo is an adorable whose new mom reached out with some questions such as what to do when he chases the cat. Oreo also jumps and will even mount his owners and guests coming over.

So what are some reasons why a dog might hump? Some might assume dogs hump to assert dominance…but this really isn’t the case. Others might assume the behavior is sexual in nature, but unless you have an unaltered male in the presence of a female that’s in season, this is also not likely the case. So what causes hu***ng and mounting behavior? Well, it’s often a displacement gesture. In some dog, such as herding breeds like Oreo, it can even be about controlling movement.

So what is a displacement gesture? Displacement gestures are normal behaviors performed out of their usual context. These can be due to over arousal (non sexual), excitement, stress, anxiety, etc. Other displacement gestures besides hu***ng can include scratch an itch out of nowhere, sniffing a random spot, or shaking off.

Playing impluse control games like and doing enrichment activities (including calming enrichment) can help reduce this behavior. You can try redirecting the dog onto another activity. In addition, removing the dog from the situation until they calm down can also help. You might even consider removing yourself from the situation and walking away behind a baby gate or other barrier.

Monitor your dog for signs your dog is becoming overly aroused. If you see the dog getting too exited, simply end the interaction or redirect onto something else.

08/06/2024

What are "Happy Visits" and why might they be useful for your canine or feline companion?

Happy visits are oftentimes recommended if your pet has any sort of fear or anxiety surrounding going to the vet or groomer. During these visits, it's important to take baby steps, repeatedly, without actually having a procedure or groom done! This could look like:
▪walking up to the door, or walking into the lobby for a couple of minutes before leaving
▪walking through the back of the clinic, near or onto a scale, exam room, etc
▪finding treats or being given/tossed treats by different staff members who never try to approach you or your pet

Happy Visits are only one piece of the puzzle when we are working towards long-term behavior change and a pet's comfort at the vet and groomer. Cooperative Care and practice preparing them for procedures and grooms, once we get to that point, will also prove beneficial. This can be a great preventative practice for puppies and kittens without behavioral concerns, too!

If you think this may benefit your pet, please talk to your vet/groomer about your pet's needs and see if this is something they can help coordinate and accommodate, maybe while the doctors are on lunch and no patients are in the building!

08/03/2024

Meet Nala 🐾
Nala’s family reached out to discuss how they could teach her loose leash walking and not to jump at the door.

Nala initially had some big feelings when I first entered the home. Rather than attempt to lure her closer with food, I tossed treats away from myself instead. This gave Nala the opportunity to have a positive interaction with me, rather than me creating internal conflict for Nala.

How does luring create conflict? Well, if the dog seems hesitant to come say hello, they’re likely feeling apprehension and anxiety about approaching you. Luring with a tasty treat might seem like a good idea, but you’re likely to cause the dog to decide to approach you despite their hesitancy to do so, and once the treat is gone, they may panic and even potentially nip if you attempt to pet them.

I toss treats away from myself so she gets some positive interaction with me, while also relieving the pressure to engage. So whenever meeting a new dog, try toss treats away from yourself. If they seem ready to approach, put your hand down at your side and wiggle fingers as a friendly invitation rather than reaching your hand toward them or over their head. Reaching hands can feel like an invasion of personal space!

Does your dog seem apprehensive toward new people coming over? Feel free to send me a text at 260-553-5082!

08/03/2024

I’m delighted to share that I’ve completed the Fear Free Animal Trainer Certification course through Fear Free Pets. In this course I learned the importance of reducing fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in companion animals. I also learned what methods to employ to reduce the mental and emotional distress that can occur when pets need care.

FAS is often a barrier for pets to get treatment. When pet guardians know a trip to the vet is stressful or scary for their pet, they’re less likely to take them for routine exams.

Did you know we can teach dogs 🐶 and cats 🐈‍⬛ how to willingly accept procedures like vaccinations, taking pills, getting weighed at the vet, ear drops, nail trimmings, even blood draws, and more!

From cooperative care in the home to veterinary visits, finding ways to incorporate positive reinforcement training techniques can greatly reduce the amount of FAS experienced by our pets.

Feel free to reach out! Text 260-553-5082 to schedule a consultation!

07/31/2024

Meet Toby 🐾
Toby is an . Before being adopted into his current family, Toby’s previous owner had passed away, leaving Toby with some big feelings when people hug or approach his new owner. Toby will also guard the bed, or couch, if he and his owner are both in bed together.

Toby is a very good boy, but needs some help coping with his big feelings. As a trainer, it’s always important to take Toby’s emotional well-being into consideration. Therefore, we’ve been working on how to change Toby’s emotional response to triggers, as well as working on muzzle training!

07/28/2024

Sniffaris are great for enrichment. So what is enrichment and why is it important?

Enrichment is where you improve the quality of life for your pet by giving them the opportunity to perform natural behaviors, and interact with their environment, in an appropriate way.

Many times the source of problem behaviors can be solved with enrichment! When dogs become bored with their environment, they’ll often find ways to entertain themselves, some of which us humans may not find appropriate. Some examples include barking at passersby, digging in trash, counter surfing, chewing on shoes or furniture.

Besides sniffaris, other examples of enrichment include food puzzles, snuffle mats, learning a new trick, or even scatter feeding in the backyard!

By providing our pet with appropriate enrichment activities, we can limit many of the problem behaviors we’d like to solve, because we’ve met their needs in a different, more appropriate way.

What is a "Sniffari"?🐶

Sniffaris are dog-led walks! They're a fantastic enrichment activity that can be done in just about any low-traffic area. Not only will this help burn energy, but allowing our dogs to make decisions and think independently can help them build confidence in different situations. It also gives us a chance to stop and take a breath along with them AND allows our pups to do a natural, essential behavior for their mental and physical well-being.💙

07/27/2024

Meet Betty 🐾
Betty is an and is sweet as can be! She loves meeting other dogs and people and was also a rockstar at playing !

07/25/2024

Meet Cooper! 🐶🐾
Cooper is a 10 week old Golden Retriever puppy. His mom reached out to go over puppy basics like how to deal with mouthing and jumping, as well as how to teach basic cues.

Mouthing during play is a very normal puppy behavior. It’s how they explore their environment! However, sharp puppy teeth don’t feel good on skin!! So how might we teach puppy not to mouth? Find out in the comments below!

07/21/2024

Buddy wasn’t ready for me to leave! 🐶

Buddy was recently adopted from Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control and is adjusting well in his new home. Buddy’s new family contacted me in regards to how they could better understand and communicate with their new pet. Some topics we covered included crate training games and recall cue.

Buddy’s owners really appreciated the positive reinforcement training techniques and so did Buddy!

07/17/2024

Meet Penny! 🐾
Penny’s mom reached out for some help with loose leash walking and potty training. Penny is super sweet and was eager to learn about !

07/16/2024

Meet Skittles! 🐾

Skittles was found abandoned out in the country. Unfortunately due to this trauma, she’s developed separation anxiety. Working together with her foster mom, we’ve come up with a plan to help Skittles address her big feelings at being left alone.

Did you know Skittles is up for adoption through Wags & Wiggles Rescue? If you’re interested in opening up your heart and home this girl would love a place to call her own!

07/11/2024

Meet Oscar! 🐾
In today’s session Oscar and I are working on cooperative care. He’s been such a good student!

07/10/2024

Playing with cats!

07/06/2024

I’m pleased to announce I’ve completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course!

Throughout this course I’ve learned about how to properly and safely manage aggressive behavior in our pet dogs, as well as how to implement the proper protocol for how to address the underlying emotional state the dog is in which prompted the aggressive response in the first place.

Aggression can damage the relationship you have with your dog, so the last thing you’d want to do is add fuel to the fire with an aggressive response of your own. Learning how to respond in a positive, reward based way is vital to improving the relationship you share with your dog.

06/19/2024

Did you know I teach cooperative care? Having the ability to clip your dog’s nails or give them their medications cooperatively makes life much easier for both dog and owner!

Pilling your dog by using force can cause your dog to build up a negative association with taking medicine. Depending on the situation, it can also risk a bite! 😬

Want to learn more? Feel free to reach out and send me a message!

06/17/2024

The use of aversives in dog training always risks fallout. So what is fallout you might ask? Fallout in dog training is the unintended consequences (bad side effects) of using aversive tools or techniques as part of a training plan. So what might a real world example look like?

In theory these “tools” are meant to teach your dog something like pulling causes discomfort, therefore they should learn to stop pulling, right? But what if, as you’re walking along, your dog sees another dog or a person? They may want to go up to say hello. In their attempt to greet, they pull on the leash toward the other dog. The prong collar or choke chain now tightens around them causing pain. Say this happens a few more times, now a pattern has begun to develop. The sight of the other dog now predicts an unpleasant sensation or feeling is now about to happen. This is a great way to set your dog up for reactivity on walks! 😬 This can happen whether or not the equipment is used “correctly.”

Fallout is not limited to reactivity. Another example of fallout can include damage to the human-animal bond. When you rely on pain to accomplish training goals, you’re teaching your dog that you are a source of discomfort. Overtime this can damage your relationship, especially from the dog’s point of view!

There is no way to prevent fallout unless you don’t use aversive equipment, because the equipment wouldn’t work if it didn’t cause pain!

For more information I’ve included links to various studies on the use of aversive tools in training.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7743949/

https://banshockcollars.ca/pdf/The-effects-of-using-aversive-training-methods-in-dogsdA_review.pdf

https://vth.upei.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Behaviour-Tips_Shock-collar_final.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3474565/

06/16/2024

With temperatures climbing here in the Northern Hemisphere, it's crucial to know the signs of heat stroke in our dogs.🔥🐶⁠
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Prevention is key! 🌊 Make sure your dog has access to shade, plenty of fresh water, and avoid excessive exercise on overly hot days.⁠
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If you suspect heat stroke, act quickly! Move your dog to a cool area, offer water, and seek immediate veterinary care.⁠
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Let's keep our dogs safe and ensure we all have have a cool and enjoyable summer! ☀️🐾

06/15/2024

06/12/2024

Did you know polite greetings are important for small dogs too?

Small dogs can become a trip hazard when people arrive, especially for elderly guests! Teaching your dog to go to a certain spot or a mat can be a great alternative to jumping.

If your dog jumps on guests when they arrive, try putting your dog in another room or behind a baby gate as a management technique. You can do this while, in the meantime, the new behavior (staying in place) is being taught. This way your dog doesn’t practice the behavior you don’t want them doing.

Remember, practice makes permanent! So we want to prevent any rehearsal of the problem behavior. We also want to practice the new alternative behavior as much as possible (10-15 minutes a day is sufficient) during a time with low distractions so your dog will know exactly what to do when the time comes!

05/31/2024

Did you know scientists actually refer to the leaders of a wolf pack as the breeding pair, and no longer use terms like alpha or beta?

Unfortunately pop culture has yet to catch up to our modern understanding of the social behavior of canines. Dominance is not a personality trait, nor is dominant it a helpful label to put on our pet dogs, whose own behavior can often be quite different from their lupine ancestors.

In reality there is no need to be “dominant” or “alpha” over your dog. On the contrary, establishing a dominance-submission type of relationship with your dog may end up causing damage the human animal bond, especially from the dog’s point of view.

What we want to do instead is establish a cooperative partnership with our pet dogs. One where we guide our dogs into making good choices, while also providing them with the skill set they need to meet their wants and needs appropriately in our domestic environments.

Did you know that the senior research scientist David Mech, whose book into hierarchy in wolf packs created the 'alpha theory' idea, then went on to disprove his own work with a later more naturalistic study? 😮

Although wolves and domestic dogs are worlds apart nowadays, David Mech's original book on captive wolves is still used regularly as evidence for alpha-based and dominance training styles. Touting you need to act like a wolf and an alpha and put your dog in their place so they respect you. However, even if domestic dogs and wolves were closer in how they acted than they are, David Mech went on to do further research and instead found that rather than one domineering 'alpha' wolves actually work as a family group with the parents leading the pack. That doesn't sound that far off our human families really does it? In fact, despite what 'alpha theory' states in regards to an 'alpha' wolf always eating first, in reality wolf parents often feed their youngest, most vulnerable offspring first.

The issue with the first study the book used is it was based on captive wolves and not wild wolves and how they behaved in their natural habitat, once David Mech realised his mistakes he did more research, and with new understanding and data he has since gone on to try and repair the damage his original study has done in how we view wolves, and by extension dogs. This is what scientific study is about, updating with the times and the most up to date information. I give huge props to David Mech for instead of trying to save his ego and stick to what he said in his original work, he has followed the science and admitted the flaws of his original study, bringing new knowledge and research forward.

It is a shame that the original idea is still so prevalent in our cultural knowledge and understanding of wolves, whereas the later study is less well known to the masses. I can only hope that will also change over time by us bringing the more up to date information to the forefront. 🐺

You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1343&context=usgsnpwrc

05/23/2024

Meet Ranger! 🐶🐾
Ranger’s mom reached out for help with Ranger’s big feelings when he sees other dogs on walks. We’re also working on or . So what is Reward Zone? Reward Zone is where we reward our dog from our side rather than out infront of ourselves.

For more information on “Reinforcement Zone” check out this video by Susan Garrett!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OaUAScgaFAg

05/22/2024

Sunny did a great job with and playing during his training session today. Did you know hand targeting can be quite useful for recall? When calling your dog you, do they ever stop short, just out of reach? Asking for a hand touch can be a great way to get them to voluntarily come into your reach. Hand targeting can also be useful for move your dog around a room, or even as an alternative behavior to barking when walking past another dog on a walk!
Can you believe Sunny is available for adoption!? Check him out at Wags & Wiggles Rescue

05/17/2024

Meet Rudy! 🐾
Rudy’s mom reached out with a few questions, one of which on how to deal with barking for attention. Does your dog vocalize to inform you of their wants and needs? Here are some helpful tips:

Reward for quiet behavior. You don’t want to wait until your dog is already barking to try to teach them to be quiet! Work on rewarding for quiet behavior at a time your dog is likely to already be quiet. This way you set you and your dog up for success!

Replace the barking/vocalizing with another behavior. Teach your dog to use buttons to communicate their needs so they have an alternative way of communicating with you!

Don’t ignore the barking unless you’ve taught your dog a replacement behavior. Doing so risks an extinction burst. So what is an extinction burst? An extinction burst occurs when a behavior (ex: barking) that previously worked (i.e. dog gets what they want) stops working. The dog will likely amplify the behavior (bark louder/longer) in an attempt to get the previously successful results.

Once you’ve taught your dog an acceptable replacement behavior, you can then safely ignore the old behavior, because now your dog has a new way to ask for their wants and needs!

05/14/2024

Meet Annie and Rex! 🐾
Annie needs some help with coming when called while Rex needs some help coping with his big feelings when he sees new people come over to visit. Did you know it’s not unusual for some dogs struggle to cope when visitors they aren’t familiar with stop by? It’s important we teach our dogs that visitors coming over means good things are about to happen rather than being a scary time.

05/09/2024

Please be patient with your pup! Many times we’re just misunderstanding what they are trying to communicate with us, and it’s our job to listen!

The Ten Myths of Canine Behavior
Myth #4: My dog is angry at me and just being spiteful.
Dogs do not possess the same level of critical thinking skills as humans. Dogs think in the moment, not about long-term consequence. Behaviors that we might interpret as anger or spite are often motivated by anxiety, frustration, and fear instead.