K9 Connections LLC

03/24/2025

We made the approved trainer list for 2025 from 4 All MuttKind! Thank you! ♥️🐶✨

02/11/2025

02/10/2025

Exciting News!

I’m thrilled to share that I am now a certified Predation Substitute Training (PST) Instructor! This certification allows me to help dogs and their humans navigate challenges related to predatory behavior in a force-free and ethical way.

What makes this even more special? I’m part of only the second group of instructors in the entire United States to earn this certification!

Predatory behavior is a natural part of who our dogs are, but that doesn’t mean we have to struggle with it. With Predation Substitute Training, we work on safe and effective alternatives, helping dogs express their instincts in ways that work for both them and their people.

I can’t wait to integrate this knowledge into my training programs and help more teams build stronger, more cooperative relationships!

01/26/2025

⚠️❗️🛑 ✋❗️✋ 🛑 ❗️⚠️

Before a dog bites, there are plenty of potential warning signs telling you to STOP.

Don’t ignore them.



Edit: these are just examples of how things can escalate, each dog is individual.

It’s also important to note these escalations can happen very quickly. Especially if warning signs have been previously missed and the dog has had to escalate their behaviour, for example when a growl hasn’t worked previously so the dog skips the growl and goes straight for the biting.

01/15/2025

Dogs are complex, emotional beings with their own motivations, preferences, and instincts. When they seem uncooperative, it’s not because they’re being “bad”—it’s because we haven’t yet shown them why the behavior is worthwhile.

In training, it’s our job to communicate clearly and make the behavior rewarding enough for them to choose it. This doesn’t mean bribing or forcing—it means understanding what motivates them, whether it’s food, toys, play, or even just praise and affection.

When we focus on collaboration rather than control, we stop asking, “Why won’t my dog do this?” and start asking, “How can I make this worth it for my dog?” That’s when real growth happens. 💙

01/14/2025

✨ “Violence starts where knowledge ends.” ✨

When it comes to training dogs, misunderstandings often pave the way for frustration—and, unfortunately, frustration can lead to force. Many people misinterpret a dog’s behavior as stubbornness, defiance, or dominance, but the reality is much deeper and far more compassionate:

🐾 A dog might not comply because the behavior hasn’t been made rewarding enough.

🐾 A dog might not understand what’s being asked due to unclear communication.

🐾 A dog might be distracted or focused on something more valuable to them in that moment.

🐾 A dog might be scared, anxious, or uncomfortable in their environment.

When we assume the worst about our dogs, we’re more likely to react with frustration, harsh methods, or even punishment. But when we take the time to learn—to understand their motivations, body language, and needs—we create opportunities for collaboration instead of conflict.

Violence in training isn’t the answer—it’s a sign that we’ve stopped looking for one. Let’s shift our perspective from control to understanding, and from frustration to compassion. Because dogs aren’t giving us a hard time—they’re having a hard time. 💙

What’s one way you’ve worked to better understand your dog? Share in the comments!

01/14/2025

Given the statements that we see so often from those using aversive or 'balanced' training methods, those of us who use a force free approach need to clear up some of the issues with what is said.

As well as the red flags so often seen of 'positive only' or 'purely positive', these statements will usually trot out the old misunderstanding that all we do is toss cheese at a dog when they do something right and ignore everything else. This is absolutely untrue and does not reflect the force free approach at all.

Successful force free training involves SO much more than that.

• It needs a deep understanding of learning theory.
• What the dog's welfare needs are and how to make sure they are met.
• The potential impact of health on behaviour.
• The emotional states that underly behaviours.
• How to manage situations so that the dogs don't carry out the undesired behaviours and perhaps get an internal reward for doing them.
• How to train other behaviours the dog can do in that situation that will be rewarded so that the undesirable behaviour is no longer the best choice for them in that situation.
• When training isn’t the right answer at all.

The factors involved in getting the force free approach and training right are far too many for me to list in this post or on this image, but these are the things that a good force free trainer or behaviour professional is doing every time they are working with a dog and their humans.

It's so much more than just lobbing food at a dog.

01/14/2025

Emotional shutdown can look like calmness if you can't read the dog.

Actually it's a survival state and creates multiple problems for the dog's health and welfare.

01/14/2025

Electric collars rely on pain or fear to suppress unwanted behaviours. They deliver an electric stimulus that is intentionally unpleasant to deter the dog from repeating the behaviour. For the dog to associate the discomfort with their actions, the sensation must be sufficiently aversive to create a negative emotional response, such as fear, anxiety, or pain. Without this emotional impact, the dog is unlikely to alter their behaviour, as there would be no motivation to avoid the stimulus.

01/12/2025

Aversives are any unpleasant or painful stimuli used to stop or reduce behavior. While many associate aversives with tools like prong collars, shock collars, or choke chains, they can also include yelling, physical punishment, or intimidating body language.

At their core, aversives work by suppressing a behavior through fear or discomfort. For example, if a dog pulls on the leash and is met with a sharp jerk, they may learn to avoid pulling to escape discomfort. However, this approach has significant drawbacks.

What Does It Teach the Dog?

• Avoidance, Not Understanding: Aversives teach dogs what not to do, but don’t teach them what to do. The dog may stop pulling but doesn’t learn polite leash walking.

• Association with Fear: Dogs don’t always associate the aversive with their behavior. Instead, they may associate punishment with the person, environment, or other animals, leading to fear, anxiety, and reactivity.

• Suppressed Behavior, Not Solved Issues: Suppressing behavior doesn’t address the root cause. For example, a dog barking out of fear may stop barking when punished, but the fear remains—leading to more serious behaviors.

The Emotional Toll on Dogs
Aversives can cause long-term emotional harm, leading to anxiety, shutdown, or aggression due to fear or frustration.

Why Avoid Aversives
• Strained Relationships: Aversives can damage trust between you and your dog. Trust is built through understanding, not fear.

• Unintended Consequences: Aversives can backfire—punishing a dog for growling may stop the growling, but they may still feel uncomfortable. This could lead to biting instead.

The Better Approach
Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding desired behaviors, teaching your dog what to do, and building their confidence, strengthening your bond.

Our dogs look to us for guidance and trust. Let’s communicate in a way that builds them up instead of breaking them down.

01/10/2025

Dogs, like us, need control over their bodies and should have the choice to accept touch. Imagine the discomfort of being touched unexpectedly—it’s unsettling. For dogs, unwanted touch can cause stress or fear. By respecting their signals and not mindlessly touching our dogs we create a safe, trusting space for them and build our bond.

01/06/2025

Most dogs learn better in 5-minute training sessions than in hour-long marathons!

Why Are Short Training Sessions More Effective?

Training your dog doesn’t have to take hours out of your day. In fact, short, focused sessions can produce better results and build a stronger bond with your dog. Think of it this way:

Would you rather sit through a long, boring lecture or take a quick, engaging pop quiz? Dogs are the same! Short sessions are like pop quizzes—they’re quick, fun, and leave a lasting impression.

Here’s why this approach works:
1. Dogs Have Short Attention Spans:

• Just like us, dogs can only focus for so long before they get distracted. Keeping sessions short prevents frustration for both you and your dog.

2. Prevents Overwhelm:

• Long training sessions can exhaust your dog mentally, leading to mistakes or stress. Short sessions leave them eager to learn more next time.

3. Encourages Consistency:

• Training for 5 minutes a few times a day is easier to fit into a busy schedule and keeps learning fresh in your dog’s mind.

4. Ends on a Positive Note:

• Short sessions help ensure you finish before your dog gets tired, leaving them excited and motivated for the next session.

Quick Tip:

Break training into mini-sessions throughout the day—practice “sit” before meals, “stay” during TV commercials, or “come” during playtime. Small efforts add up to big results!

Short sessions keep training fun and stress-free for both of you. Remember: It’s not about how long you train, but how often and how positively you practice.

What’s your go-to training session length? Let us know in the comments!

01/04/2025

Punishment may stop unwanted behavior in the moment, but it doesn’t teach dogs what to do instead. It can create confusion, fear, and damage trust, leaving dogs unsure of how to succeed. Without clear guidance, they may repeat the same behaviors or develop new ones rooted in stress or anxiety. Teaching desired behaviors through positive reinforcement builds understanding, fosters confidence, and strengthens the connection between dogs and their people. Focusing on guiding dogs toward success creates lasting change and a better relationship.

01/03/2025

Dogs have a vomeronasal organ, or Jacobson’s organ, that helps them process scents in ways humans can’t imagine. This specialized structure allows dogs to detect pheromones and chemical signals from other animals. When they smack their lips, curl their lip (a behavior called the Flehmen response), or even sniff intensely, they’re helping those scents travel to their vomeronasal organ.

From there, the scents are sent directly to their brain, giving them detailed information about the environment, other animals, or even your emotions! It’s like they’re reading a secret world invisible to us. Next time you see this behavior, you’re witnessing your dog’s scent superpower in action!

01/02/2025

When it comes to changing a dog’s behavior, not all methods are equal. Flooding and counter-conditioning are two approaches, but they couldn’t be more different. Let’s break it down:

Flooding:

➡️ What it is: Exposing a dog to the feared stimulus (like a loud noise or another dog) at full intensity until they are overwhelmed.
➡️ The goal: The dog eventually “learns” to tolerate it because they can’t escape it.
➡️ Why it’s harmful: It causes extreme stress, fear, and even trauma. It’s not about helping the dog feel safe—it’s about pushing them into distress.

Example:

Imagine you’re terrified of spiders, and someone locks you in a room full of them. The goal is for you to eventually stop being afraid, but all you’re left with is more fear and trauma. That’s flooding in a nutshell.

Counter-Conditioning:

➡️ What it is: Changing a dog’s emotional response to a trigger by pairing it with something they love (like treats or play) in a controlled, positive way.
➡️ The goal: Gradually change their reaction from fear or anxiety to something positive.
➡️ Why it works: It’s a stress-free, trust-building approach that helps the dog learn to feel safe and happy around the trigger.

Example:

Now imagine the same spider fear, but this time, each time you see a spider, you’re given something you love, like your favorite food. Gradually, your brain begins to associate spiders with positive feelings, and your fear decreases over time. That’s counter-conditioning in action!

Which one is better?

Counter-conditioning is the only method that should be used. Flooding causes fear and damage, while counter-conditioning builds trust, safety, and long-term change.

⚠️ Never force your dog into overwhelming situations. There’s always a better way to help them overcome fears in a healthy, positive way.

Have you ever used counter-conditioning with your dog? Drop a comment with your experience or any questions you have about the process!

12/30/2024

When strangers touch our dogs without consent, it can be unsettling for them—much like an unexpected touch feels to us. Dogs deserve respect and agency over their bodies. Politely guiding others to wait for the dog’s signals, like approaching willingly or leaning in, helps ensure interactions are safe and comfortable.