Best Friends Dog Academy

03/26/2025

🔥 You Can’t Reinforce Emotion—Here’s Why! 🔥

It’s a common myth in dog training: "If you comfort a scared dog, you’re reinforcing their fear." But that’s not how learning works!

🧠 Emotions Are NOT Operant Behaviors

Reinforcement strengthens voluntary behaviors in operant conditioning (e.g., sitting, coming when called).
But emotions are involuntary and shaped by classical conditioning—which means they can’t be reinforced like behaviors can.

💡 Example: If a dog is scared of thunder and you offer them comfort, you’re NOT reinforcing fear. Their emotional response to the thunder is an emotional response, not a voluntary behavior.

✅ In fact, research shows that social support - like letting your dog cuddle with you when scared - can decrease cortisol (the stress hormone) and improve an animal's ability to cope with stress.

03/20/2025

I think this will resonate with many pet parents!

WHEN TRAINING WON’T WORK

There is a common misconception that reactivity, anxiety or fear related behaviour can be “fixed” through training alone.

Barking, lunging, reactivity, aggression, constant hypervigilance - as though danger is waiting behind every corner, hiding or cowering away at the slightest trigger or sometimes shutting down completely are all signs of a nervous system that’s in overdrive and is unregulated.

This behaviour is not a training issue - it’s not bad behaviour, disobedience, stubbornness or some other type of negative label, - it’s a nervous system issue.

Although dogs and people have remarkably similar social and emotional brains, this doesn’t mean that dogs are able to think like we do, or have the words or means to process what is causing their stress or trauma.

When stress is not released, it remains stuck, keeping the nervous system in overdrive or in survival mode.

When a dog or a person is stuck in this state, the brain isn’t able to learn new things or learn to behave in a different way.

This is why trying to “train away” anxiety, fear or reactive type behaviour does not work. We first have to work on the nervous system.

Here are some links related to this subject that provide more information on how to help dogs that are struggling -

How to identify and remove triggers that keep a dog stuck in a cycle of stress and anxiety - Annie Phenix
https://phenix-dogs-canine-behavior-experts-llc.kit.com/7-steps

Creating a healing environment - podcast by Dr Laura Donaldson
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-laura-donaldson-compliance-is-not-cooperation/id1708279785?i=1000693042973

Trauma Informed Dog Training – Book by Sally Gutteridge
https://www.amazon.com/Trauma-Informed-Dog-Training-Professionals/dp/B0DS4T1W8M

What does it mean to be Trauma Informed - Dr Laura Donaldson
https://www.icbdogs.com/product-page/laura-donaldson-what-does-it-mean-to-be-trauma-informed

Ace Free Work – helps the nervous system relax, reset and rebalance
https://www.allpetseducationandtraining.com.au/ace-free-work.html

02/27/2025

Mushroom hunting season is coming soon! Here’s one virtual class designed to get you ready!

https://www.positivegundogsmn.com/morel-dog-training.html

02/25/2025

THE FOOLISHNESS OF FLOODING

Using flooding as a behaviour modification technique involves exposing a dog to an intense amount of something they fear with the goal of eliminating that fear / anxiety / emotional response.

This approach is often recommended as a quick fix that achieves fast results.

Some examples of how flooding is used –
A dog fearful of water might be forced into a pool and prevented from escaping.

A reactive dog may be forced into a “sit” near other dogs or people and be punished for any signs of reactivity.

A dog afraid of loud noises might be forced to stay in a room while loud sounds play, with no way of escape.

In flooding theory, once a dog stops reacting, the fear has been cured, but at what cost?

Flooding is traumatic and may cause extreme stress, anxiety and even more long-term fear related problems, increasing negative associations.

Flooding often causes learned helplessness - an emotional coping mechanism that may look like a dog is completely “cured”, but in reality, they have shut down, given up, disengaged, become emotionally numb and detached. There is no other choice because no matter how hard they try there is no longer any point in trying to escape or react.

Flooding can destroy the trust our dogs should have in us. Dogs depend on us to advocate for them, protect them and keep them feeling safe from whatever they’re afraid of.

Flooding prioritises achieving quick fixes over emotional wellbeing and a safe and supportive environment.

Using modern, scientific, effective, ethical and humane modification methods like positive reinforcement, counterconditioning or desensitisation is the answer to achieving positive learning experiences, to build trust, relationship, safety and in turn, long lasting behaviour change.

The harm and negative consequences that flooding causes is certainly not worth it.

“In the soil of the quick fix is the seed to a new problem” …. Wayne Muller

02/23/2025

Client dog Rex. Love seeing his happy face! ❤️🐾

02/19/2025

I love it when clients send me success photos. This is Pooka, settling on a bed in the kitchen. This is a big accomplishment for little Pooka who has struggled with anxiety and restlessness. His pet parents have learned how to support him and meet his individual needs. ❤️❤️🐾💯

02/13/2025

Why Love Alone Isn’t Enough in Dog Care
We love our dogs endlessly—there’s no doubt about that. ❤️ But love alone isn’t enough to meet their needs.

A dog’s well-being isn’t just about affection; it’s about understanding and fulfilling their innate needs as biological, cognitive, and emotional beings. We can love them all we want, but if we don’t give them what they truly require to thrive, they can still struggle with stress, frustration, and behavioral challenges.

✅ Love is more than cuddles—it’s giving them purpose.
Dogs were bred for specific jobs—herding, guarding, retrieving. When we fail to provide appropriate outlets for these instincts, they may exhibit behaviors we see as “problems,” like barking, chewing, or reactivity. Meeting their needs means channeling their instincts in healthy ways.

✅ Love is respecting who they are—not forcing them to fit a mold.
Not every dog is outgoing, playful, or social. Some are cautious, some are independent, some are high-energy. The L.E.G.S.® framework (Learning, Environment, Genetics, Self) teaches us to honor each dog as an individual, rather than expecting them to conform to a one-size-fits-all training method or lifestyle.

✅ Love is setting them up for success.
A predictable, enriched environment. Mental stimulation. Physical exercise that matches their breed and personality. These are the things that make dogs truly happy.

💡 Love is not just about what makes us feel good—it’s about what makes our dogs feel fulfilled.
When we shift our perspective from "how do I get my dog to behave?" to "how can I help my dog thrive?", everything changes.

What’s one way you go beyond love to meet your dog’s needs? Share below!

02/09/2025

New client, Milo, adopted from the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center.
One of the cool things that the Iowa City shelter has been doing for decades is supporting adopters with a training voucher program.

Donations to Friends of the Animal Center Foundation support this program!

Let’s be honest, adopting a rescue dog often comes with behavioral challenges. The Iowa City shelter’s program provides assistance with either a 4 week basic training class at our friends at SPOT & CO or a private one-on-one session with BFDA.
All around good partnerships ❤️🐾❤️ and the adopters and shelter dogs benefit.

Milo is adorable, clever, energetic, and a pretty lucky little guy!

01/30/2025

This is a FANTASTIC class that helps you learn how to help your dog get comfortable with nail trimming:

Online dog training classes for obedience, rally, agility, tracking, nosework, dog behavior, freestyle, and foundation skills.

01/29/2025

One of the reasons why it can take more time, a lot of patience, and sometimes professional help when your dog is struggling.

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01/29/2025

Pretty cool webinar on the current science behind the “gut-brain” connection or how gut biome correlates to behavior.
🤓🐾

Webinar: Getting to the guts of it all how digestive health influences dog behaviour  Getting to the guts of it all: how digestive health influences dog behaviour An insightful webinar with Dr. Amber Batson   Join us for an exclusive webinar that delves into the latest science on the connection ...

01/28/2025

Excellent article on adolescent dog behavior!

If you’ve noticed your adolescent dog acting out in ways you never expected, you’re not alone. Many dog owners experience a shift in behavior during their pet’s adolescent stage, which can range from increased energy to sudden bursts of hyperactivity or even new behavior problems. This period,...

01/19/2025

Misha started with BFDA as a very overwhelmed and scared puppy. During our time together her pet parents learned how to meet her needs and support her in all the right ways. She’s blossomed into a curious and resilient young dog! ❤️🐾

01/18/2025

Thank you to Pet Health Center of Tiffin for providing opportunities for “happy visits”!
Huge round of applause 👏👏👏 for this client and dog who have really put in the work when it comes to cultivating safety (for the dog, the client, and the professional caretakers) and comfort with handling for veterinary care and husbandry. ❤️❤️❤️

Photos: This dog has learned a mat on the floor= safety and comfort. She’s been taught to rest her chin on a bench/towel and hold. She’s learned to accept touch on her body (hands and stethoscope). All at home and is now learning to generalize those skills to the clinic environment. Because all of these things have been taught with positive reinforcement, trust and confidence have come along for the ride. 🙌❤️🐾

01/14/2025

I took the Family Dog Mediation course back when it first came out. I’m now licensed in both the Training Division and the Shelter Division.
Check it out. It’s a fantastic framework for choosing the right kind of dog for your lifestyle, learning how to meet your dog’s needs, and addressing behavior issues when they arise.
It’s really about creating a good life for both you and your dog! 🐾❤️☺️