Confident Canines LLC

03/19/2025

Yay!!!!!! Well done, IAABC! The Five Domains model and these sorts of interventions are the same stuff that we learn about in graduate level university applied animal behavior studies for use in zoo animals and other captive creatures for assessing welfare and undertaking positive, cooperative interventions (no fear, coercion, aversive practices). There is nothing special about dogs/cats/horses versus an African lion that requires harsh treatment and suspension of ethical practices that ensure optimal welfare. Good welfare should be for ALL.

03/19/2025

If you must tell your dog an activity is their "job",
Don't be surprised when they DON'T love it.
YOU must cultivate that joy for love to develop.

03/15/2025

Having CHOICE and AUTONOMY are crucial to psychological well-being of all animals. Pets aren't something to be put away in the closet when their humans don't want to interact with them. While considered "property" under US law, they are sentient beings and not objects. Many other Westernized industrialized countries recognize the sentience of animals and have strict laws that forbid them being left alone more than 4-5 hours, and have both limitations on times in enclosures and a minimum size for those enclosures, which are MUCH larger than a standard crate. The United States is decades behind most other countries in this regard whose laws reflect current science and understanding of the needs of animals under human control. Closed crates should be used sparingly, not every day all morning/afternoon. If you need to confine a dog for a long period of time, consider creating a larger enclosed space through gating and proof the area for anything you do not want your dog to access. Put down lots of safe and interesting chew items, toys and other enrichment for them so they have appealing choices to enrich the mind.

03/14/2025

It costs almost nothing to help a small business. Share a post, or leave a quick review on Google.

If you have taken a class or received behavior help from me, please consider sharing your feedback in a review of me (Eileen Koval)/Confident Canines LLC on Google.
Real stories from real individuals can help others learn how my behavior and training skills may benefit them and their pets.

Here is a link to my business listing on Google: https://g.co/kgs/sj2ekw

I appreciate you entrusting me with your pet's training and behavioral well-being!

03/11/2025

Always behave in a way towards your dog that makes you someone they can always trust and rely upon. Alternating between Jekyll and Hyde can be problematic since they don't know if you are going to be a rewarder or punisher when around you. Be a predictable and safe person.

Did you know that the methods you choose to train your dog might affect your relationship with them? We get dogs because we love them and want to have a good relationship but when people use aversive methods, such as shock and prong collars and leash "corrections", there can be detrimental changes in the relationship between dog and owner. One study, which you can read about in this piece, found that when dogs are trained with aversive methods they are less likely to show a secure attachment to their owner.

This was shown by something called the secure base effect, which means the dog's guardian is a secure base for the dog to go to in a stressful situation. The secure base effect was more likely when dogs had been trained with reward-based methods only. In other words, the dogs were more playful in the presence of their owner (compared to a stranger) and explored the room more in the presence of their owner (compared to a stranger). They also showed more greeting behaviours when their owner came back into the room, compared to dogs who had been trained with aversives.

Learn more here in this piece from the archives: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2020/02/dog-training-methods-affect-attachment.html (or via the link in bio)

03/08/2025

Don't abuse the crate. These are ok for SHORT periods of time for safety or management, but are often overused by Americans. It may be more akin to prison life if dogs live their lives shuttled between brief free time loose outdoors and going back to a cage where they spend half the day (or more). Also, RUN FAST if anyone tells you that your dog needs more "crate time" and a stronger crate to deal with separation anxiety. Separation issues are usually the result of panic and require desensitization and (sometimes, if severe) psychopharmalogical intervention since this can be abnormal pathological anxiety. Separation issues are also highly correlated with confinement phobia, so crates can exacerbate the issue even further.

Dogs should not be micromanaged for our amusement or convenience

I am honestly tired of reading posts where people ask for help with dogs who are crated for many hours at a time and never have free access to the home or garden. Dogs whose entire lives consist of being rotated between a cage and structured training or play times or supervised periods (often on lead) in the garden or house. Dogs who never get to just roam around the home and settle where they like. Dogs who never have any free time, where nothing is expected of them, unless they are confined to a cage that they can do nothing more than turn around in. Dogs who are expected to accept their incarceration without a murmur and are deemed problematic if they show any signs of distress.

Yes, I understand that many people find crate training useful for things like house training and generally managing puppies for SHORT periods of time, when they are not able to keep a close eye on them. I also understand that there are some dogs who have been introduced carefully to crates who seem to view them as a safe place to retreat to VOLUNTARILY when they want to rest or have something to chew and don’t want to be interfered with by others. This post is not about these reasonable uses of SHORT TERM confinement.

This post is about those who believe it is okay for dogs to essentially live in a cage, except for those times when we want to actively do something with them. It is this sadly too common attitude that we need to talk about and I have no idea how we have reached a place where it is remotely thought to be acceptable. Zoo animals are treated better than this. I find the number of posts on supposedly positive reinforcement-based training groups, where people ask advice about how to stop their dogs objecting to being confined to a crate, truly distressing. One would hope that at least there might be some desperate reason for the dog’s confinement (such as recovery from injury or risk of severe conflict with another dog in the home), but when this question is asked, the answers I have seen recently have been as follows:

• I crate and rotate all my dogs, because it is convenient for me to live with them like that
• Other people in my home don’t like dogs, so they cannot be freely in the home and must be confined to one room anyway
• I like my dogs to have individual time with me, so only want one out at a time, so that their focus is on me and nothing else
• My dog “works” better if he doesn’t have any free time on his own
• My old dog doesn’t like other dogs, so when I got a puppy, I knew I would have to crate and rotate them permanently
• My dog is destructive when left alone at home, so needs to be confined to a crate so they can’t do any damage to anything in the home

I am sorry, but living in a cage and only coming out for short periods of time, because it is convenient, because the dog performs better in some training task, because you want your dog’s entire world to be you, because your dog has separation distress or is bored out of his mind being left alone for 8-10 hours a day, because you added a dog to your home KNOWING that your other dog would never accept them or because the dog isn’t even welcome by your family in the home in the first place, is not a decent life for a dog.

I understand and empathise with people who end up in a situation where their dogs, who started off fine together, end up becoming incompatible for some reason and have to live separately. I understand that in such incredibly difficult situations “crate and rotate” may be the only option other than re-homing or euthanasia. I truly get that and know that in such cases this may be the only and best option to save both dogs. But what I don’t accept, is people who know that one of their dogs is intolerant of other dogs, yet they still go out an get another dog, PLANNING to use crate and rotate as a way to have more dogs – often because they want another dog for some sport or other and totally disregarding how unfair it is to deliberately get a dog, knowing that their life will be so extremely restricted.

And no, living in a cage and coming out for a few hours a day to engage in some high intensity activity which the dog seems to be excited about, is not a good life. Welfare depends largely on choice and freedom. Emotional wellbeing hinges on having opportunities to meet fundamental needs: the need for social contact, the need for freedom of movement, the need to explore, the need to find comfortable places to rest, the need to play and the need to respond to stimuli in the environment, by being able to move around and investigate what is going on.

Of course, our dogs cannot have 100% access to all these things all the time, but they should at the very least have the freedom to explore their own living environment and make themselves comfortable in it for most of the day. They should be able to seek out social contact and reassurance from others in the home and should be able to entertain themselves with play, when they feel like it.

Unless you are forced to, because of a life and death situation, why would you ever want to take this away from them? Why would you want to cage them and restrict their lives so much, if you supposedly love them and want them to be content and happy? Are our dogs valued family members, whose needs we respect? Or are they nothing more than an extension of our own needs, desires and ego?

Unless your dog is going to be a valued family member and their basic and fundamental needs will be more important than your convenience or ego, rather don't take a dog into your home.

03/08/2025

***FULL*****Upcoming Class: Build a Reliable Recall (Come!) and Focus in Public Places while having fun with your dog!

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All About Recalls! (Obedience) and Focus with Distractions

Sunday, Mar 30th (at a private outdoor facility in Northwest Las Vegas)

9:00 - 11:00 AM -- $95

If it is a challenge to get your dog to focus in public with distractions and to come when called. This can be even harder when faced with powerful distractions, then this workshop is for you! Coming when called is a safety issue, so we need them to respond quickly when called and to do so consistently. Learn how to build focus with distractions and create a reliable recall with distractions through fun methods that address frustration and strengthen your bond with your dog.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/88762aff/?appointmentTypeIds[]=75263494

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Group classes are outdoors at a private facility in Northwest Las Vegas.

Dogs must be friendly and non-reactive with both dogs and people to attend our group classes and workshops.


We offer private training for dogs who may not yet be ready for a group class environment, as well as help with serious behavior issues.

03/06/2025

The Gilly Halter is now shipping to locations throughout the European Union, Canada, and the United States!

The Gilly Halter (patent pending) is a comfortable solution that assists many owners with dogs who pull or lunge on leash. It was created by a dog behavior specialist to help owners by reducing the force with which dogs can pull on leash. when there are significant size and strength differences between them and their dog while preserving the dog's ability to move freely, sniff, and engage in normal canine behaviors, This equipment is not the end solution in itself. Reward-based training is still essential to properly address why a dog is pulling or lunging and to teach desirable behavior on leash (see our infographic and video on the Gilly Halter page showing reward-based training instructions ). But the Gilly Halter can help make this training possible for many dogs and owners.

https://www.confidentcaninesdogtraining.com/gilly-halter

03/04/2025

"I am a good dog owner and a confident person so why does my dog have behavior problems?" -- asks a concerned owner

A confident owner will convey to dogs that they can trust in their human to keep them safe, so they do not need to be reactive while walking on leash.

A more confident owner will show dogs they do not need to have anxiety during separation.

An owner's confidence in the ring and personal relationship with their dog will magically transform a dog's ring-stress into success in dog sports.

These are COMMON MYTHS that circulate in the training world and dog sports world that often leave owners feeling more frustration and less understanding of their dog's situation.

Owner's emotional states absolutely influence the emotional states of their dogs -- and everyone else living with them, too! Indeed, their stress can also influence our stress levels. However, these over-simplifications are some of the biggest fallacies making their rounds in the dog training world. The underlying message is that your dog's behavior problems are a reflection of YOU as a person -- that your dog's character or behavioral flaws are your own. Similarly, this message asserts that your dog is not a sentient being. They are merely a mirror of their human's emotional state, lacking independent thoughts, feelings, perceptions, or emotions of their own. Simplistic messages can feel catchy and empowering, but usually do not yield the results people want. They miss the mark with addressing whatever the issue is at hand (e.g. fear of dogs, environmental sensitivities, lack of positive social experiences, difficulties handling frustration, needing additional training of particular skills, etc).

Certainly, if owners do not choose to put in the work then there is some level of ownership for problematic dog behavior. However, dogs' emotional states are NOT simply a mirror image of our own. Whether human or canine, we also each bring our unique experiences, learning, traumas, perceptions, and likes/dislikes into situations. Your dog is not an empty vessel waiting for a human to tell them how to feel. Dogs experience a very different world than we do with their unique perceptions informed by their genetics, selective breeding for particular perceptions, behaviors, and past experiences (or lack thereof) as well. Merely exuding confidence while entering environments around other dogs will not make your dog non-reactive in social settings. Being confident leaving the home will not cure separation anxiety. On the flip side, simply sharing a trusting relationship with another person does not make someone feel comfortable to repeatedly enter a situation that feels terrifying to one's personal safety day after day.

Behavior modification will help address emotional issues by building positive emotions, practiced behavior patterns, and controlled arousal. This can include controlling environmental arrangements, creating predictable routines, desensitization and/or counter-conditioning, coping skills for emotional regulation). The type of confidence that WILL help is if you know what to do in a scenario and can offer clear communication to your dog about what behaviors you will like to see. The good news is that once owners get started, behavior modification can yield transformative results for their pet's behavior as well as their relationship with their pet.

Dogs are incredibly perceptive of our emotional state. If we are stressed, they may worry about us, or alternatively, think that there is something to worry about in the environment. That does not mean they lack self-awareness. They absolutely are filled with their own rich emotions. Does worrying about a friend or spouse who appears stressed mean that we do not have emotions of our own? It is time to stop thinking so simplistically about the complex lives and emotions of our canine companions. Appreciate and respect them for all that they truly are.

"I am a good dog owner and a confident person so why does my dog have behavior problems?"

03/04/2025

It is rattlesnake season! Take steps to help protect your pet. This reward-based program is designed for training autonomous snake avoidance for an independent dog Teach them to detect rattlesnakes and make good choices to avoid them, whether you are present nearby or not. Dogs will usually know a snake is present before humans know it is there, which can be catastrophic. Other popular courses require the owner to be present or require the dogs to be on their home property to run into a crate. Not our course!!!! Sign up for our low cost webinar that gives you all the information and step-by-step how-to videos here:

Confident Canines LLC in Las Vegas, NV. Positive dog trainer and certified canine behavior consultant Eileen Koval, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA. Rattlesnake avoidance training without a shock collar or e-collar. Positive, humane training.

03/04/2025

Canine distemper can be transmitted in the air through sneezing or barking, and from shared water bowls if you have outdoor water bowls frequented by wildlife, or other bodily fluids. There is no cure for canine distemper and it is often fatal.Keep up to date on your dog's vaccines as recommended by your veterinarian. Also, keep them away from wildlife in the desert who may carry disease.

The Animal Foundation confirmed a dog in their care had to be "humanely euthanized" due to its declining condition and to prevent further suffering after it tested positive for canine distemper.

03/03/2025

Gilgamesh took 1st place and earned his AKC Excellent Standard agility title this weekend in southern California! Now we are in Master's level in both Jumpers and Standard 🎉 We qualified in 75% of our total runs this weekend, so we are becoming more consistent as a team in our ex*****on 🎉

The weekend started off pretty rough where two dogs jumped at him from behind and surprised us as we were about to walk into the ring for our first event. Nic had to jump in the middle to get the big doodle away. Unsurprisingly, we did not qualify on that run after being thrown off balance by that. However, the weekend improved from there with the rest of our runs qualifying. Our speed has slowed slightly, so my next step is to start incorporating some different handling styles to build speed while hopefully keeping equally clear and consistent in my communication to him about stride collection and directionals. So far, my focus has been lowering his arousal to an optimal level to gain consistency, and that is beginning to emerge. The adventure continues!

02/27/2025

While humans can make mistakes that provoke dogs, this does not excuse severe bites or sustained attacks.. some dogs respond completely disproportionately. The dog is showing signs he is uncomfortable, but then goes into a full attack by biting at the man's leg, face and goes in pursuit after the man moves away. The warning signs were short-lived and the escalation extremely quick. This dog does not belong around anyone without a muzzle and restraint, and this behavior is not suitable as a pet dog. This could easily be a person bending down to pet the dog.

02/16/2025

I do not feed raw, and I do not advocate one way or another -- your pet's veterinarian should be the person you go to for recommendations on appropriate diets. This is information from an immunologist and microbiologist about some new findings with cats who were fed raw, given the recent risks with zoonotic transmission of bird flu.. please discuss with your veterinarian if you feed raw to see if this is a concern for your pet and/or you (since bird flu can transmit to humans, too).

There is ZERO reason pets should be fed raw diets. Stop endangering pets because of wellness influencer disinformation.