Kira Schultz Dog Training

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Kira Schultz Dog Training

There's a ton of 'dog trainers' in the area. Most are using outdated information to get a dog to comply. I don't want your dog to 'comply'.
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I want you to build a relationship with your dog that can only come from trust and love and safety.

28/11/2024

Happy Thanksgiving from my crew to yours.

21/11/2024

It's so hard sometimes having a dog that is difficult. From the management challenges, to the extensive training, to the juggling the needs of different dogs in different situations, to even just trying to survive. It all can add up. And that can lead to so many feelings and emotions.
It's important to try to remember that we are still trying. We are still fighting. We are still going. We are still moving forward. It may be hard and complicated. But giving up is the failure. Not where we are in our journey.

18/10/2024

Yesterday was Anwyns Gotcha Day.
And I have a trainer confession to make.

I only really started liking her about 6 months ago.

Yep. It's true and I feel like it isn't talked about enough. Having a behaviorally difficult dog makes enjoying them and bonding so much harder than it should be.

For the first 3 months of having her, it was trying to get her used to Akri and not explode every time she saw him. That took 3 months, then it was spending time working on management and still integrating. Then we lost Akri, and frankly, any training disappeared. I was lost in my grief. I could barely do anything eithiut breaking down. There was no training. There was no bonding. I was honestly just trying to nit be resentful towards her.
And as I came out of my grief, her behavior issues showed their ugly head. The resource guarding, the aggression, the seperstion issues, the sound phobias, the anxiety. All of it. Came crashing in. And then we did meds.
It is only within the last 6 months or so that we have been able to do anything. Been able to see who she is. Been able to bond.
I can see her fierceness in love. Her love for play. Her bravery in stress. Her sweetness when she wants love.
Puppies can be this wonderful lovely thing. But they can also be hard. And it's okay to say that you aren't bonding well and it is taking time to adjust. It has taken us 2 years. We have a ton of things to work on. But I am hopeful that now, we can actually do it.
Happy Gotcha Day Anwyn.

15/10/2024

No one will understand how important this picture is except me.
We adopted Anwyn almost 2 years ago. And within a couple of months I knew things woukd be hard.
I had no idea how hard they would be. Working on her abd Akri getting along. Dealing with the reactivity that popped up with her. The resource guarding that was showing its ugly head. The ever daunting task of looking cooperative care. And the year after losing Akri was even harder than I could have ever dreamed. Not only dealing with my grief of losing him. But my honest resentment of her. My frustration that she was so difficult. Dealing with her agression issues that seemed to never end.
She could barely be in the same room as Am at all. And there was no way they could lay in the same space. They aoent so much time separated. And he was neglected. Now, we can lay like this and my heart will never get over the progress we have made.
I won't take all the credit. This is management, and meds, along with training. But I am damn proud of where se currently are.
Now to tackle the big problems.

07/08/2024

One of my favorite things about my job is that I am not just there for a team during those first initial training.
I am there for all the good and the stressful. I want to be a cheerleader, a coach, a friend, and anything else I can be to help.
And I am here to help through all the life changes that come. Whether that is preparing for a new baby in the house. Or whether it is helping an old man still get his exercise out and enjoy his walks.
I love bring a part of all of the stages of life that comes.

27/07/2024

Dog Training Tip
Just because you have a multi dog household, doesn't mean that you need( or should) have your dogs around eachother all the time.
Anybody with siblings will tell you. Sometimes, you just need to be separated from eachother. I have 2 sisters. I love them both dearly but I couldn't imagine having to spend all of my time with them both. I don't think we all would have survived being teenagers if that was the case.

It's the same for your dogs. Especially when there is a large age difference between them or one has higher needs than the other.
We often have 'take a break' time. Time where one dog is in the living room and the other is in the office where we hang out. Normally both dogs get a chewy and time to chill. This is a great time for them to take a nap, chew on a toy, relax, and have some separate time.
I don't do a ton of playing with either dog at this time. This time isn't a punishment. I don't want to 'tease' the other dog that isn't with us. This is a way for us to have some peace and quiet without feeling stressed or overwhelmed with other dogs being too close.
Being able to manage a mukti dog household can be a skill that is a challenge sometimes. So making sure you are able t9 separate and give each dog some time to chill is such an important thing.

20/07/2024

Dog Trainer Confession Time
My dogs don't know heel. And they more than likely will never know heel.
I know. I know. A terrible trainer sin.
But......the reality is, heel is not important or a skill that will be beneficial to me. Ever.
Training your dog for the skills that make sense for your life is so important. Don't need your dog to know Heel? That's okay. Don't need your dog to know Place? Perfectly acceptable.
There are skills that I think are things that I think every dog should know. But.....here's another secret. None of them are obedience. Yep. You're dog doesn't even have to learn sit. Things like pattern games, Look At That/BAT training, cooperative care training, desensitization, and so much more is so much more important than obedience.
So the next time someone who isn't in your house questions why your dog doesn't do what they think it should. Think abiut it. Does your dog need that skill? Do you want them to have that skill? If the answers aren't yes. Then it isn't a big deal.

03/07/2024

Are you prepared for tomorrow and this weekend? Do you have your lick mats ready? Your kongs? Do yiu have the calming chews or sedatitive medications from your vet? Are you stocked on chewies? Do you have a plan for your pups fir tomorrow's festivities?
The 5th of July is the day that so many dogs are found and turned into fhe animal shelter. Please make sure your pups are safe abd inside during the festivities. No matter how far, your pup doesn't enjoy the show. Keep them at home with lights on, sounds on and a good way to keep them occupied.
I hope everyone has a good and safe holiday tomorrow.

26/06/2024

Today 4 fireworks went off right after I got the dogs in. Now is not the time for desensitization. Now it is management, survival, and preparing as much as we can. The 4th of Juky can suck for dogs that are stressed. Make sure you are prepared.
Do you have enough stock of appropriate meds for your dog for potentially 7 days?( Because we all know they aren't gonna just be on the 4th)
Have you trialed those meds so that you know your dogs reaction to them?
Do you have enough enrichment or chewies to keep your dog occupied for the time?
Do you have a plan for when there are active fireworks going that make sure your dog is going to feel safe( hidey hole, snuggled up, safe space)?
Do you have their collar on with their IDs just in case? ( though no dog should be out when there is active fireworks going)

22/06/2024

Have you ever described your dog as disobedient? How about Stubborn? Bad dog? Naughty? Or a ton if other words that we tend to use wuth dogs with behavior issues?
Is your dog actually those things? Is your dog being intentionally disobedient? Are they actually being stubborn?
Disobedient means the intentional refusal to obey. Meaning that they would only be not doing a cue because 'they don't want to'.
Stubborn means to have a dogged determination to not change one's attitude. Meaning that nothing else could be at play in that situation.
So when your dog barks at the neighbor, or bolts out the door and ignores your recall, are they really being 'stubborn' or 'disobedient ' or are they struggling and overstimulated?
The language that we use for our dogs behavior has a definitive impact on our idea and thoughts on our dogs. Abd those thoughts can change how we see(and help change) our dogs behavior. By looking at their behavior as not 'disobedient' or 'stubborn' but instead 'struggling' or 'overstimulated' or other issues, it allows us to look at our dogs behavior more objectively and be able to help them navigate through those problems more effectively.
I have a challenge for you. Change your language that you use with your dog and their behavior. Just one word. Change that word and see how it can change the thought process. See how it changes what you feel about your dog and their behavior.
And let me know how it goes.

10/06/2024

You know it's been a good day of training sessions when after every session, I get in the car exhausted and happy. Then I look down and realize I am disgusting abd covered in mud, dirt, dog hair, and slime.

Dog Training should be Fun. And sometimes the best fun ends in grossness.

05/06/2024

Let's talk trigger stacking.

What is trigger stacking?
Trigger stacking is where a dog might experience multiple ( potentially small) stressors within a short time frame that leads to a much bigger issue. This can lead to sensitization of triggers, reactions that seem larger than normal, fear that seems out of place, as well as other issues like higher resource guarding and aggression or agitation issues.
Let's think of a scenario. You had a day at work. Your favorite person isn't there to talk to. You stubbed your toe. You spilled your coffee. You hit every red light on your way leaving you 10 min late. You get 15 emails that you've already answered the question in a previous email. All what is normally minor inconvenience things.
And suddenly, someone asks you a question or asks you to do something and you explode. You yell, you huff, you get mad. And you just can't handle it.
It may feel 'out of the blue'. But in reality, all of those 'minor inconveniences' really built upon eachother like ill stacked Jenga pieces. And someone just bumped the table, and it all comes crashing down.
This is what trigger stacking is to a dog. Minor inconveniences that all build up to a giant blow out. Whether that blow out is towards you, another dog, or just everything. They are overwhelmed and can't help but lash out.
I write this as the 3rd storm system of the day is barreling through. Amarant is in the bedroom with Buddy as they try desperately to get some semblance of sleep while I am cuddling a shaking, nervous, Anwyn, who is struggling right now. Is this an indication of her storm anxiety getting worse? Hopefully with some training, no. Will she feel the stress tomorrow and have a stress hangover? Probably. Is this a normal reaction for her? It hasn't been but the stress of 3 systems this close together is bound to cause some issues.
So what do we do? Well, a couple of things. 1. We try to mitigate as much stress as we can. No stressful trips. No trying to work on anything. Nothing that causes more stress. As much as we can avoid it.
2. We manage as much as we can. Lots of lick mats, comfort, seperation as needed, and praise whenever we can. And meds for as needed.
3. We take tomorrow slowly and prepare for tired, potentially grumpy, and slow to start. We take the rest of the days slowly to help reintroduce to things as we can without causing to much issues.

Trigger stacking( especially when it is related to sounds) can be incredibly difficult and frustrating. The important part is to remember to breathe, allow for comfort, and go easy on yourself and your pup.

27/05/2024

The unofficial start of Summer is here. And so are all the good and bad things thar come with it.

Summer can be an awesome time for dogs and people alike. It can also be frustrating, scary, and downright dangerous for other situations.
Over the next couple of weeks, I wabt to talk about some of the things that can be a challenge for your pups in this season.
The first thing I want to talk about is what the Summer means for reactive/ fearful dogs.
I have heard the same thing from multiple clients over the past 2 weeks. 'We were doing great and then it got warm' ' Why can't people just go back inside?' 'I don't understand why we are struggling so bad all of a sudden' Summer is incredibly hard for reactive dogs. Neighbors are outside all the time. Mowers are going somewhere almost constantly. Your favorite quiet park is suddenly riddled with triggers. Storms make sound aversion a big problem. While, fireworks go off randomly leaving you stuck and not knowing where to turn. And with the heat, everyone is out earlier and later, leading to high stress for way longer. And the heat can make dogs not want to eat along with feeling grumpier than normal.
So what do we do? How do we navigate this time?
We plan. And make sure we are prepared. Scope out your parks and places that you frequent. See what days/times tend to be less busy. Be ready with an alternative option just in case.
Go earlier. Sometimes this means I am at a park with clients at 6 in the morning to miss the majority of the rush of triggers.
Be prepared. Have high value rewards. Be prepared to change plans as needed. Have situation medications on board if needed.
Even having a plan in place for when there are fireworks is so helpful to know. Have enrichment options available and ready. Have situational medications ready. Be prepared to drown out sounds and keep them inside for stressful situations.

The summer can be a really hard place for many people with stressed out dogs. Take it one day at a time. Don't expect too much. Make a plan and be prepared.
And if you are struggling with how to help your dog, send me a message. I would live to help.

04/05/2024

There's something in training that I feel like we don't talk enough about as a trainer. My job is yes to help the dog succeed in different environments and different situations. But my job is first and foremost to the human component of the leash.
In my early years of training, close to 18 years ago, I would say things like 'They just aren't doing the work necessary' or 'They obviously don't care enough about this to really work on it'. But I never took the time to find out the why. I never stopped and thought about why they might be having issues with whatever thing I had assigned as homework. They were just Non-compliant.
Thankfully, that is one thing that I have changed drastically in my training. I now understand that the myth of non-compliance is simply that. It is myth. People in general want to do what is best for their dogs. But we have to acknowledge something very important. Dogs are a part of my whole life. Dogs are a facet of everything of my being. But that is simply not true for most. Dogs are a part of most peoples lives. I have to acknowledge the other factors that might make it harder for people to help their dogs. And I have to find ways to make things easy for them to do. If I can't help and ease the human part of the team, then I can't help anyone.
There's a ton of things on social media saying 'You aren't doing enough if you aren't doing XYZ.' 'It's your fault your dog is like this' or 'If you can't provide X, then you shouldn't have a dog'. I want you to all just ignore all of that. All of that nonsense is simply that. Nonsense. You do the best you can with the information that is given to you and the ability to disseminate that information. Don't let your preconceived notions of what things 'should look like' or what other people do influence what you do. And let me help you find ways to make behavior change easy for you and your pup.

06/04/2024

Confessions of a Dog Trainer

Sometimes I don't like my behaviorally difficult dog.

This week has been so hard for my household. Easter was rough. Anwyn was on edge and freaked out 95% of the day. There are reasons for it. I know what they are. I know what I did. Abd I know what I need to do different to make it better.
For the rest of the week, because of various factors, everything rolled down and snowballed. It just kept getting worse. And unfortunately, it led to a couple of fights. Nothing super big. But still not fun. And I have the bruises to show for it. Thankfully no one else does.

We've changed management. Really buckled down on seperations and working on her issues. I know we can get through it. It is a rough patch that we can work through.
But it doesn't change what is going on in my head. Resentment. Frustration. Disdain. Anger. And Guilt. So much guilt.

People that don't have a dog with behavior problems don't get it. And I hope to all the gods in all the universes that they never have to get it. This fu***ng sucks. It truly does. I don't wish this on anyone. Because it sucks for everyone involved. The management. The order in which every little detail needs to be done. The energy into everything. The amount of everything that needs to happen. Nothing is easy. Nothing. Everything takes effort, time, and energy that some days are so hard.

Some days/ weeks are harder than others. This is a week where I can be completely honest. I love her. But this week, I don't like her. She is hard and I miss having easy dogs. It's okay to say that. I do miss it. I miss it being simple. I miss not having to watch every single move with an eagle eye. I miss the ease of doing the things that I loved to do that can't really happen anymore.

To all those with a behavior dog, I see you. I understand and I am here for you for whatever you need and want. Things can be okay. It sucks for a moment but I completely am here for you.
To those that don't understand, that is fine. I hope you never have to find out what it's like. But give us grace. Let us have our moments of wishing we had different dogs. And understand. We love them. But we don't like them sometimes.

29/03/2024

Dog Trainer Confessions

I f*cked up.

The other day, I took some clients of mine to the park to work on some distraction training. They are German Shepherd Dog puppies and we have been slowly working on socialization and other skills. And it was time to work at the park. And it went......badly.
We got to the park and it was immeasurably busier than expected. There was almost no place to park and there was a ton of people and dogs. First red flag.
We got out and I didn't direct them to do the pattern games that we had set up for months. We started the walking abd sniffing without any kind of a cool down or acclimation to the area. Second red flag.
The area that we walked into was a blind corner with a decent trail system into it. We didn't even make it to the trail before being bombarded with multiple sets of people and dogs. It set one of the puppies off. They are 6 months old and clearly in a juvenile fear stage moment. Well, they weren't the week before but he was clearly in it now. That was my final red flag.

So now that I had royally f*ed up. What do I do? Easy.
We went back to the car, got them decompressed. Got them to a point of being able to not be totally freaked out so we could end the session. And I apologized. It was my screw up.
This is something that I feel like a lot of trainers don't do. They don't apologize. They don't own up to their mistakes. They don't tell people how they messed up and then figure out a way to fix it. They might blame, shame, or skirt it in some way.
It's important to me as a trainer to be up front and honest. So we took a step back, recalculated what to do and are trying again. A mistake isn't the end of the world. We can recover from it. The important thing is that we own up to it and change direction to make it better.
Training is never easy and it never goes the way you want it to go. But apologizing and changing path is an important thing to being successful in training.

09/03/2024

We can do scary things!

So last week was one of my nieces 6th birthday party. I was unable to go to my older nieces birthday last month as I was sick. At the party, people were asking my older niece if she was going to try to do the gravity ropes this time. Apparently she tried last time and got scared and didn't go through with it. I told her she could do it and I believed in her and she decided I was the tribute that would help her get over her fear. To which I said okay of course. Even though I am terrified of heights.
Standing in line, I could see she was antsy and nervous. She was fidgety and stressed. I kept telling her. We can do scary thing. We can do scary things. And I kept saying it. Until we got harnessed up and walked up the steps. Then it was my turn to be scared. And I kept saying it. We can do scary things. I can do scary things. And I did it. Truthfully, I didn't go far. But I did it. And that's what mattered to me. And she went all the way to the end and back. I was so proud.
And this reminded me of how scary things with dogs can be. Having a dog that is behaviorally difficult is scary. Having a dog with any kind of behavior problem can be frustrating, overwhelming and scary. It feels like everything is a battle. Everything is overwhelming. Everything is hard.
Not only is everything about having a behaviorally difficult dog hard and scary. But asking for help can be hard and scary. What if I get told that it can't be 'fixed'? What if I am the problem? What if I can't do what needs to be done? What if the answer is never there? The questions never seem to stop. And spiraling into an anxiety ridden hole seems inevitable.
But it doesn't have to be. See. My job as a trainer is not only to help ease your mind and make things easier. My job is the same it was for my niece. To give support. To help you flourish. To give you the tools thar you need to be successful with your pup. Whether that is with management, Training, enrichment, and support. My job is to be the cheerleader, the coach, the hype person. To be the person saying 'We can do scary things' so that you gain the confidence and the knowledge that it isn't so scary.

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It's so hard sometimes having a dog that is difficult. From the management challenges, to the extensive training, to the juggling the needs of different dogs in different situations, to even just trying to survive. It all can add up. And that can lead to so many feelings and emotions. It's important to try to remember that we are still trying. We are still fighting. We are still going. We are still moving forward. It may be hard and complicated. But giving up is the failure. Not where we are in our journey. #rewardsbasedtraining #positivereinforcement #forcefreereactivity #forcefreetraining #forcefreetrainingprofessional

Dog Trainer Confession Time My dogs don't know heel. And they more than likely will never know heel. I know. I know. A terrible trainer sin. But......the reality is, heel is not important or a skill that will be beneficial to me. Ever. Training your dog for the skills that make sense for your life is so important. Don't need your dog to know Heel? That's okay. Don't need your dog to know Place? Perfectly acceptable. There are skills that I think are things that I think every dog should know. But.....here's another secret. None of them are obedience. Yep. You're dog doesn't even have to learn sit. Things like pattern games, Look At That/BAT training, cooperative care training, desensitization, and so much more is so much more important than obedience. So the next time someone who isn't in your house questions why your dog doesn't do what they think it should. Think abiut it. Does your dog need that skill? Do you want them to have that skill? If the answers aren't yes. Then it isn't a big deal.

Today 4 fireworks went off right after I got the dogs in. Now is not the time for desensitization. Now it is management, survival, and preparing as much as we can. The 4th of Juky can suck for dogs that are stressed. Make sure you are prepared. Do you have enough stock of appropriate meds for your dog for potentially 7 days?( Because we all know they aren't gonna just be on the 4th) Have you trialed those meds so that you know your dogs reaction to them? Do you have enough enrichment or chewies to keep your dog occupied for the time? Do you have a plan for when there are active fireworks going that make sure your dog is going to feel safe( hidey hole, snuggled up, safe space)? Do you have their collar on with their IDs just in case? ( though no dog should be out when there is active fireworks going)

Have you ever described your dog as disobedient? How about Stubborn? Bad dog? Naughty? Or a ton if other words that we tend to use wuth dogs with behavior issues? Is your dog actually those things? Is your dog being intentionally disobedient? Are they actually being stubborn? Disobedient means the intentional refusal to obey. Meaning that they would only be not doing a cue because 'they don't want to'. Stubborn means to have a dogged determination to not change one's attitude. Meaning that nothing else could be at play in that situation. So when your dog barks at the neighbor, or bolts out the door and ignores your recall, are they really being 'stubborn' or 'disobedient ' or are they struggling and overstimulated? The language that we use for our dogs behavior has a definitive impact on our idea and thoughts on our dogs. Abd those thoughts can change how we see(and help change) our dogs behavior. By looking at their behavior as not 'disobedient' or 'stubborn' but instead 'struggling' or 'overstimulated' or other issues, it allows us to look at our dogs behavior more objectively and be able to help them navigate through those problems more effectively. I have a challenge for you. Change your language that you use with your dog and their behavior. Just one word. Change that word and see how it can change the thought process. See how it changes what you feel about your dog and their behavior. And let me know how it goes.

Trainer Talk Have you ever described your dog as disobedient? How about Stubborn? Bad dog? Naughty? Or a ton if other words that we tend to use wuth dogs with behavior issues? Is your dog actually those things? Is your dog being intentionally disobedient? Are they actually being stubborn? Disobedient means the intentional refusal to obey. Meaning that they would only be not doing a cue because 'they don't want to'. Stubborn means to have a dogged determination to not change one's attitude. Meaning that nothing else could be at play in that situation. So when your dog barks at the neighbor, or bolts out the door and ignores your recall, are they really being 'stubborn' or 'disobedient ' or are they struggling and overstimulated? The language that we use for our dogs behavior has a definitive impact on our idea and thoughts on our dogs. Abd those thoughts can change how we see(and help change) our dogs behavior. By looking at their behavior as not 'disobedient' or 'stubborn' but instead 'struggling' or 'overstimulated' or other issues, it allows us to look at our dogs behavior more objectively and be able to help them navigate through those problems more effectively. I have a challenge for you. Change your language that you use with your dog and their behavior. Just one word. Change that word and see how it can change the thought process. See how it changes what you feel about your dog and their behavior. And let me know how it goes. #rewardsbasedtraining #positivereinforcement

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