AnimalKind Training

01/22/2024

We've been taking a little break from having dogs since losing our Old Dog Haven foster Wade a few months ago. Clearly the dog gods had other plans. Meet Jax, a Target parking lot special, who came to us on January 3rd. I sincerely apologize to all my puppy clients who may have thought I wasn't taking their challenges with their puppy seriously enough! I am feeling your pain (literally sometimes)! The land shark phase fortunately is a short one, but then comes adolescence. Whew boy! We are doing DNA on him, he appears to have Anatolian Shepherd in him, and he's going to be ginormous if the size of his feet are any indication. We are working on all the things he needs to know to be a good citizen, made a little more difficult because he left his litter a couple weeks too early. So far he loves every person he meets and has interacted with several dogs in a good way. Paws crossed that this continues. I have big goals for him, I hope he'll be my hiking buddy, and my photography model if he likes those activities.

12/02/2023

All of this. But especially, "The most dangerous horse is the stressed horse."

Something I find particularly interesting is the response from some people on my post about harsh training being more encouraged and accepted than gentle and soft training.

A few commenters took my non-specific reference of gentle and soft training as synonymous with poorly behaved horses and not teaching boundaries.

I find this interesting because I think it further illuminates the real issue,: people view softness as weakness. As not setting boundaries, as letting horses get away with things…

They cannot comprehend how to teach horses how to behave safely without using what may be viewed to be as some form of harshness.

When physical punishment is the only tool available for fixing unwanted behaviours for so many horse people, there is a problem.

Physical punishment is a behavioural suppressant. It doesn’t actually deal with the underlying reason behind the unwanted behaviour and leaves horses at high risk of developing new, potentially equally as unwanted and dangerous, behaviours to replace the purpose of the old one.

This isn’t just my words, it’s researched fact. In virtually every species studied, physical punishment increased reactivity, unpredictable behaviours, general frustration and risk of fallout behaviours.

Behavioural scientists almost unanimously recommend avoiding physical punishment because of the risk factors.

And yet the horse world is so far behind that they think the only alternative to physically punishing unwanted behaviours is having a poorly behaved horse…

There is such a disconnect that many people don’t realize that some of the most dangerous horses they’ll deal with are ones who are routinely physically punished.

The most dangerous horse is the stressed horse.

Flight behaviours are what create unpredictability and injure people.

Chronic stress (or pain) is what creates aggression that can hurt people.

Want to know what stresses a flight animal significantly? Being hit.

Pain.

A lack of predictability and clarity.

Punishment never tells the animal what the “right” answer is. It just says “don’t do that” and then the correct answer is left to ambiguity, which is frustrating to the animal

On top of this, if unwanted behaviour stems from pain or neglected needs, suppressing it is essentially just shaking a bottle of champagne with the cork on… when that cork comes off, it is going to explode.

If you find yourself thinking the only alternative to harsh physical corrections is a poorly behaved horse, this is an invitation to learn more about the science of behaviour and behaviour modification so you can develop your toolbox.

It is very archaic and misguided to hold such views and we are in a time where there is enough research on these topics to unequivocally say that it is straight up untrue to insist the only means of correcting unwanted behaviour is physical punishment.

It is time for the horse world to start to be more accepting of science rather than just relying on biased personal beliefs and anecdotes as it harms both horses and people.

08/06/2023

Hi all, this is Wade, our Old Dog Haven permanent foster dog. Today, we had to say goodbye to the bestest beagle boi there ever was. He was always a gentleman, unless he was doing his happy dance, and then he was a goofball. He had really taken to his role as model for my pet photography class, because he got lots of treats. We should all have our priorities so straight. Old Dog Haven does an incredible job with the vet care they provide for senior dogs. Because of them we got to spend two years with this little guy. Feels like he's been here forever, and yet not long enough.

02/23/2023

The way that we need our dogs to walk on a lead is so totally unnatural to them!

We owe it to them to train lead walking skills with kindness and patience!

*No application of negative stimuli - no jerking, no yanking, no choke, no prong, no shock!

*Plenty of rewards, plenty of praise, plenty of positive reinforcement at the frequency needed!
❤️🐾

01/09/2023

12/04/2022

11/11/2022

If we can't teach using kindness, empathy, education and understanding while avoiding intimidation and threats - we shouldn't be teaching at all.

11/10/2022

11/05/2022

😹😹When not in use, be careful to store your cats in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children 😻

10/10/2022

09/29/2022

A sweet older ginger that needs a home to live out his golden years...

09/14/2022

If you are so inclined, Skagit Humane could use some help. I donated through Pals4Paws to help get the match.

Law enforcement seized 115 puppies Friday from two properties in the 4100 block of Cape Horn Drive west of Concrete.

09/14/2022

I couldn't have said this better...lighten up a bit folks, for your dog's sake!

In the last few years, I’ve watched “dog culture” explode into a phenomenon I’d never seen as an early dog trainer. When I first started training dogs, people didn’t come to me with requests for their dogs to be able to handle things and expectations we put on them so heavily today. Nowadays, it’s amazing what we ask of our dogs because of this culture that emerged. And then we wonder why dogs are going downhill behaviorally so quickly.

1. Dog “groups” where people get together with dogs on leash and do activities and social events. Including birthday parties, Halloween parties, etc etc

2. Dog daycares where dogs are kept in large groups to play

3. Dog parks where humans AND dogs interact in groups

4. Behaviors like perfect heel on leash, sit stays on beds, ignoring environmental enticement in the name of “training”

Then there’s dog sports, dog classes, therapy dog work, service dog work, dog shows, trail walks, public outings, restaurants, breweries, and farmers markets and parades and town days and family over (with their dog) for every holiday and apartment complexes and car rides and pet stores and all these places we’ve been made to believe dogs SHOULD go and should WANT to go to and if they don’t then you need to do more and more work with them and help them like it and if you don’t then you aren’t fulfilling them or meeting their needs and your dog isn’t happy and you are failing or they just haven’t been raised right.

Please. Take a breath.

For 20,000 years dogs existed beside us doing none of that. For 9,000 years they were created for purpose and work, not for pets (with the exception of a few toy breeds) We didn’t expect ANY OF THIS during that time unless they were designed and created for it: now it’s what we want all the time. From all dogs. That’s not fair.

Our culture has changed SO much and dogs haven’t had a chance to catch up. We want all this new stuff because it’s part of OUR new culture, but we need to pause and realize it’s not a part of most of theirs. People coming over? Not really what most dogs were created to enjoy. Going new places all the time? Not what most dogs were created to handle. Hanging out in groups and put in costumes and having their pictures taken? Not normal to a dog. Riding calmly in a glass box going past all these distractions at 35mph? Not part of their DNA either.

We would NEVER expect this of any of our other animals either. Why are dogs taking the brunt of this. Because dogs are extremely adaptable and truthfully, they love us so much they will try so so hard to make us happy and do what we ask of them. But, can we for a second stop and think that maybe it’s too much sometimes? Can we please take some accountability for their stress and mental health as part of OUR unrealistic expectations that we’ve been led to believe make for a good dog vs a bad dog? I’m not talking about not working with them and helping them learn to live in todays world. That’s important. I’m talking about taking a step back and having respect for who they are and why they originally ended up with us. I do this all the time before I put any of my dogs in a situation, and that means sometimes I don’t bring them.

If the culture is changing; let’s add human education and understanding of basic canine ethology, body language and respect into it too. It’s only fair to honor the animals who have stood beside us for so so long.

Helen St. Pierre

08/31/2022

08/23/2022

Nature is amazing

07/27/2022

Wonderful organization, if you have the resources to give, please do!

Supurr Urgent Wishlist Wednesday Plea: we now have 72 kittens + 7 mamas in our care & we gave out our last case of Mother & Baby Cat Wet to a kitten foster yesterday & are running low on Dry Food too 🙀 Would you kindly order us a case or bag off our AmazonSmile: tinyurl.com/PPAmazonWL or Chewy tinyurl.com/PPChewyWL Wishlists so we can keep these hungry babies & meowmies fed?

Also, we have some cuties awaiting adoption at Renton PetSmart, including sleepy Copperfield 😴 & her littermates & mama. Click here to view their bios: tinyurl.com/PPRentonCats If you're interested in scheduling an adoption appt, please fill out an adoption application: https://purrfectpals.org/pre-adoption-questionnaire

07/11/2022

Trudy “The Beauty” is practicing her smile for the Pageant Contest at the Old Dog Haven Festival taking place this Saturday, July 16th!

The full schedule of events including the Pageant contest and other spectacularly fun festivities can be found below.

If you aren’t able to attend the festival in person, please consider supporting the senior dogs in our care by making a contribution of any
size to one of our fundraising “home” teams.

https://www.odhfestival.org/fundraisingteams

2022 Old Dog Haven Festival

Saturday, July 16 - 10am to 5pm

Cromwell Park - 18030 Meridian Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133

10:00 -Old Dog Haven Festival is open: Let the celebration of old dogs begin!

11:30 – Pageant contest: Bring your best festival look to the stage! Prizes awarded to Best Group, Best Homemade, and Most Creative costumes! Sign up here or upon arrival at the festival.

12:30 - Door prize drawing: One lucky attendee will receive a fabulous Premier Pet Photography Session and 12x18 print by Julie Austin Photography!

1:00 – 1st auction closes: Bidding closes for the 1st
round of many amazing auction items. Starting bids are as low as 25% of value!

1:30 - Look-a-like contest: Twinning to Winning! If
your friends have trouble telling you and your pooch apart, you just may win a prize! Sign up at the registration booth.

2:15 - 2nd auction closes: Bidding closes for the 2nd round, but don’t worry if you didn’t win yet! There are many spectacular items still available!

2:30 - Recognition of oldest dog in attendance: Bring your happy senior pup for a day at the park and submit their info at registration. We’ll reward their longevity with a special prize!

2:45 - Scoop the p**p: We scheduled this fun game after the lunch hour, but the “p**p” is actually a tasty cookie treat! Finish in first place and take home a prize!

3:30 - 3rd auction closes: Bidding closes for the 3rd
and final auction round, but we still have a spectacular assortment of “Buy-it-Now” items available from your favorite local businesses!

4:00 - 8-legged race: Test how well you and your canine partner work as a team! You will be connected by a leash splitter, down on all fours, and race to the finish line for a prize!

4:45 - Last call for picking up auction items: Final
chance for winning bidders to pick up items at the auction booth.

5:00 – Festival closing: Head home with your auction winnings, wonderful new memories, and the satisfaction of knowing your festive day in the park helped support the almost 300 senior dogs in Old Dog Haven permanent foster homes.

07/10/2022

So so sad. I've been witness to this phenomenon as well, not as a badly as a shelter, but still, I've gotten so many callers who say that I'm their last chance with an animal. The issues have gone on too long, and the people are done, but we go through the exercise so they can say they "tried everything." It's exhausting and heartbreaking. The pressure is immense, and the sadness I feel weighs on me. The educational resources noted in this post are so helpful.

07/09/2022

LET'S RECAP.

07/05/2022

YES!!! I would add that for young squiggly dogs, sit requires a lot of self control, which creates frustration for everyone. If you're showing, then a sit is of course required. I suppose that's where this comes from. I think it's also a way for us to feel in control. But for most dogs, four on the floor is usually quite acceptable and way less stressful physically and mentally. This is hard to convey to students, because out there in the ether, along with numerous other dog owner myths, there's this belief that a sit is a requirement for a dog. Something to ponder.

QUITTING SO MUCH SITTING
Why asking dogs to sit all the time is not such a good idea
We may have been taught and truly believe that teaching our dogs to sit at our every cue is instilling good manners, it looks impressive, it demonstrates good obedience, teaches self-control, is incompatible to jumping up, running around or being reactive or over excited. Dogs are taught from puppies to sit before getting fed, going out a door, before being greeted, crossing the road etc. and this quickly becomes a habitual behaviour, but sometimes what we have been taught or always believed is the right way is not always what’s best for our dogs.
“Sit” is often the very first thing puppies are taught, whether we begin this at home or when going to puppy school. Just one session at puppy school may include up to 20 or even more “sits”. That’s a high intensity workout for a dog at any age, but puppies in their growing stage are particularly at risk due to their developing skeletal system. These sitting repetitions put excessive pressure on their growing muscles and joints which may lead to damage or injury that may only become apparent when they’re older.
Senior dogs may find it really painful to sit down and then get back up. Sitting puts pressure on the lower back, hips and supporting muscles. Certain breeds are just not designed to repeatedly sit.
There is nothing wrong with occasionally asking our dogs to sit and in some situations, it’s needed, but look at teaching alternative behaviours that are just as effective and won’t risk causing possible discomfort or pain. Wait, 4 paws on the floor, look at me or focus on me, hand touches or lie down are all behaviours that can replace repetitive sitting.

06/18/2022

ADOPTED TOGETHER

These two easy going besties have just arrived at the PAWS shelter due to their owner going into assisted living. Monroe (10y years old) is a mixed breed who weighs about 43 pounds. Remmy (8 years old) is a mixed breed who weighs about 43 pounds.

Both dogs are mellow, friendly and easy to love. They are house trained, happy to curl up on the couch or snooze in the sun.
Looking for a drama-free friendship? Look no further!!!!

Monroe and Remmy are posted for the PAWS shelter in Lynnwood, WA. For more information about these best friends, please call 425/787-2500 x801 or x804, or check out their listing at:
https://www.paws.org/animal/?animal_id=50389802

These are not ODH dogs; we urge prospective adopters to do their own evaluation.

06/09/2022

Founded on the belief that every cat matters, Purrfect Pals is a non-profit, no-kill cat sanctuary and adoption center serving the Pacific Northwest.