Conscious Dog Training

31/12/2023

Yep!!!! And then I see my own dogs around other dogs in the wild and realize that giving them choice and freedom has in fact helped them become more stable, resilient, and able to make lovely choices even when faced with very challenging and stressful situations.

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I am usually a trainer that sees very difficult cases and most of the time, the biggest challenge isn’t the dog, but the training the dog has received prior to coming to me.

It’s not about a dog’s level of obedience. It’s about a dog’s ability to function and choose in a world and culture that puts a dog’s level of obedience above their overall wellbeing. A down-stay will never resolve aggression or resource guarding but teaching a dog that moving away works AND that the dog has the choice to move away ACTUALLY WILL resolve aggression. In order to do that, you have to teach a dog that:
1) they have a choice
2) moving Away works
3) and it works just as well if not better than choosing to escalate into aggression.

Behavior serves a function.

The goal should be to set both the human and the dog up for success so that both can be safe and well.

Regardless of the case or the dog or the level of severity of the case, I can assure you that the issue is never about the level of obedience.

20/01/2023

Y’ALL!!! I’m so excited. Pamper Ur Pets is taking reservations!!!

Pamper Ur Pet is Open for 2023 reservations! We are excited to meet you!
Services offered: Dog walking, Pet sitting and House sitting.
Email us at [email protected] to get your fur kids on the books 🙌

07/12/2022

Resharing because this trend of calling shock collars “communication” or “corrections” needs to stop. “Corrections” are generally positive punishment (+P) which is the ADDITION of an uncomfortable/painful/aversive stimulus as a consequence of a behavior in an effort to make that behavior less likely to occur because something “bad” happened.

Is it communication? Sure but there are more efficient and effective ways to
Communicate.

Leaders of teams or coaches or CEO’s are blamed or rewarded for the success of failures of the team. People will say to not anthropomorphize your dog and at the same time, the same people will say that you need to be the ”boss” of your dog. It’s interesting because leaders take responsibility for their “teams” yet in the world where shock collars are used as “correction”, it’s always the dog’s fault if they do something “wrong”-not the human for setting the dog up to fail. It’s so Ironic yet not surprising given the perspective.

Dogs and animals do what they know and what is natural. What’s UNNATURAL is expecting them to magically be Fluent in an unknown language and seamlessly pick up on human expectations when even some humans can’t manage to figure this out within a single lifetime.

Give your dog the grace of being able to learn without the risk of pain, fear, intimidation, or coercion. True Communication involves a conversation. It isn’t your dog’s fault that you aren’t listening or able to understand what they are saying.

I don’t know who needs to hear this today (LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK).... YOU DO NOT NEED PAIN TO COMMUNICATE. .....
The argument that an e-collar when used properly is just a “stim” is dead in the water because BY DEFINITION, in order to produce results, the learner must find it aversive or uncomfortable. Positive punishment or negative reinforcement ONLY produces the desired results when the learner experiences discomfort. ....
The question is NOT if punishment works. Although if punishment was effective long term, corporal punishment would be still be in existence and we wouldn’t have repeat offenders in our correctional systems. The question is at what cost does it work and whether you’re the type of person who would like your dog to experience discomfort. .....
BY DEFINITION, In order for positive punishment to be effective, it must be intense and it must be consistent and you must have perfect timing. ....
If you are that skilled, I would argue that you don’t actually need to inflict discomfort to “communicate”. ....
I would argue that ear flicking, spanking, and intimidation are all forms of communication. The question is if there is a better way and the answer is that yes....science and research has shown us that there is a better way. .....
We don’t use e-collars on undomesticated animals because the consequences would be devastating and often deadly. So why do we use them on dogs when we don’t use anything even remotely similar on dolphins, lions, tigers, elephants, crocodiles, etc. Surely if we can get a crocodile to respond off of a leash, we can get a dog to respond just as well. .....
Lastly, there is not a single piece of peer reviewed research that says yes....discomfort is definitely the best way to “communicate” and for a living creature to learn...let’s do that. AND if e-collars were just communication, they wouldn’t be banned in several countries. ......
So the next time a “trainer” says it’s just a form of communication, ask yourself if that’s your preferred way to communicate. ......
There is so much more to mention on this topic including the power of choice and control but that’s for another day. ✌🏻

13/11/2022

Learning should be an opportunity-NOT a risk. One of these dogs was provided the opportunity to learn without pain and one was not.
……
Learning was fun for one of these dogs and it was not fun for the other.
……
If you’re frustrated with lack of results or feeling impatient, it’s not because positive reinforcement failed. Positive reinforcement works when you know how to use it. Feeling the need to escalate pressure, pain, or discomfort because you’re frustrated with your dog is a human issue. Your dog is just doing what is natural and what has previously “worked”.
……
Our dogs deserve our patience and they deserve to learn without pain, force, fear, or discomfort. 💕

09/11/2022

Replace whip with e-collar or prong and this is what we are seeing in the dog world as well.

To say that the e-collar or prong or Leash pop is not painful but rather a slight “increase in pressure” or a “correction” is completely untrue.

E-collars and prongs and choke chains and any other “training collar” (also an oxymoron because it isn’t “training”-it’s just aversive.) operate on positive punishment +P and negative reinforcement -R and BOTH require the stimulus to be uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. If you’re seeing results from an e-collar or a slip lead or a prong, BY DEFINITION, your dog is uncomfortable.

Have you ever learned well when you’re experiencing discomfort? When you experience pain or are anticipating discomfort, we move out of the “thinking” part of our brain and move into the limbic system. That is not conducive to learning. That’s not conducive to long term results.

So often people ask if they need to use treats forever and my response is that for any behavior to continue, there must be some level of reinforcement or the behavior must serve a function. Do you always win when you gamble? No. Intermittent reinforcement is the best way to maintain a behavior.

HOWEVER, you’ll find that most people require the e-collar or the prong forever. If it worked as a “learning tool” the behaviors would eventually be fluent. The collars become the cue and “pressure” so that the dogs try to avoid engaging in behavior that elicits the aversive. This is when I hear people say that they don’t need the shock anymore-just the collar. That doesn’t mean the behavior is fluent. That means you’re still using suppression rather than resolution. It’s the same with water bottles. If they worked, you wouldn’t need to grab a water bottle and show it to your dog. The behavior stops temporarily because the dog wants to avoid being sprayed but it does not resolve or address the cause of the barking.

Emotions always find a way out. Trying to suppress them is like trying to trap steam from a tea kettle. You’ll get burned.

Focus on teaching your dog rather than adding pressure or aversives. If you find that what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s not that positive reinforcement doesn’t work. It’s likely that you need professional help and if you’re working with a trainer and not seeing progress, find another trainer. Positive reinforcement ALWAYS WORKS when you know how to work it. It’s not about throwing cookies at your dog or using lures 100% of the time. I use a lure maybe 5% of the time and I fade the lure ASAP.

Rant over 🙌🏻

THE MYTH OF NON ESCALATING (AVERSIVE) PRESSURE

Recently there's a much talk going on about using so called * non escalating (aversive) pressure * . I've tried to find studies related to the subject but so far I haven't had any luck.

From my understanding the concept of non escalating (aversive) pressure emerged as a way of showing contrast towards still very popular approach to training horses via very visible escalation of the aversives often to the point of hitting the horse with a whip to get a desired behaviour if the animal doesn't respond to more "subtle" requests.

This concept quickly grew in popularity and has been widely accepted as a more humane approach to train horses, often times believed to be an approach where horses maintain their autonomy and voluntary participate in such training.

First of all it's fantastic that equestrians are starting to realise the harmful side of excessive averives and seek to find kinder and quieter ways to communicate with horses.

However I am yet to see this concept being factual to real life - below I'll share my thoughts related to it :

* Is it really non escalating?

If we are stating that we are using a non escalating (aversive) pressure then why are we holding a whip in our hand ?

There are many excuses from "it's a pointer " to "I swish flies away with it" but let's dive into what the horse feels about a whip as opposed to what we'd like it to be. The chances are that your horse has been hit by a whip quite a few times - either in his previous homes or by the less educated you in the past.

A whip will likely hold more aversive value than your own presence without it, so the presence of it is a visble escalation. "I don't need to use it - all I need to do is just to hold it " - this very popular statement about just a presence of the whip influencing the horse's behaviour in a desired way tells us that horses often times don't need whips being swished at them to feel more threatened.

Saying "I don't use escalating pressure " while holding a whip is in my opinion an oxymoron.

Another trouble with the "non escalating (aversive) pressure" I see is that we cannot guarantee that it truly isn't escalating because the only being that knows that is the animal in front of us.

Let's say that you're trying to move your horse out of your space by applying a physical aversive pressure on his chest via pushing your fingers into sensitive parts of your horse's body, you think you're keeping your pressure at the same level but you can't guarantee it, perhaps after few seconds of not responding your force increases marginally which generates a response in your horse.

And same goes to every single thing you do with horses, who are incredible at reading the most subtle changes in our body.

* Non escalating doesn't mean non aversive.

This is where my trouble is with the statements that horses can mainatin their autonomy when humans are using so called non escalating pressure.

Aversivness of the approach gives horses the "do this or else" choice. Even if we think we are not escalating it , the presitance of the aversive stimuli until the horse responds means that the horse doesn't really have a choice. The aversive is maintained until the horse responds , it wouldn't work otherwise.

This means that whatever we do is annoying, uncomfortable or even painful enough for the horse to take action to seek the relief from the uncomfortable sensations (physical or psychological).

18/10/2022

I am super excited to be featured in The Whole Dog Journal and discussing one of my favorite behaviors/skills.

If your dog struggles with birds, people, dogs, squirrels, etc, then THIS is for you.

At the end of this process, your dog learns that the stimulus (the thing that creates fixation or triggers big feelings) is the CUE to check back in with you and to do it all without ever asking them to with a verbal cue.

I’m including videos of this in the comments

With this “leave it” training method, the thing you want your dog to leave alone or stop obsessing over becomes the cue for him to look at you.

06/10/2022

SQUIRRELS!! Squirrels, bunnies, birds, deer…

So how do we deal with so many variables and so much stimuli in the Wild?

My preferred method will not come as a surprise to those that have been following me. I like to use the stimulus AS THE CUE to offer an alternative behavior. My go to is a quick check in (just as you’ve seen me do with reactivity and my dog with bunnies).

Many of you may feel like this is an impossible feat BUT this team has not ever done a private lesson with me and they are across the country. Enzo is also on a long line in this video!!

They have only been using the content from the Puppies in the Wild course.

NOT ONLY THAT, but this team has conquered reactivity to golf carts and other dogs and so much more.

If nothing else, remember that there is always help out there. You’re not alone.

Huge shoutout to .golden.boy.enzo for all of their amazing and hard work. Nothing makes me happier than seeing dogs like this out there living their best lives in the Wild. Huge shout out to for connecting Enzo and his mama to me 💕💕💕

28/09/2022

THIS!! This is what we coach you to do in board and train, private training, and in our Puppies in the Wild course. I am all about helping people shift the focus away from obedience and ”commands” and to a conversation. Training should be a conversation.

For Whose Benefit?
The benefits accruing to us of the things we desire our dogs to learn are obvious–after all, we’re the ones selecting them.

But for them, well-planned learning that seeks to develop skills can result in them being able to perform different behaviours, to distinguish between different actions, to control energy in movement. All of these things affect a dog’s ability to communicate, to navigate the human world, to find solutions to the daily challenges they may face.

Learning as part of a two-way conversation increases the feeling of safety and connection for both parties. Confidence expands in the partnership and new worlds are explored. And the consequences for them in discovering their own potential cannot be underestimated.

More on the Shelf to Read:
Chasm Opening Up
The gulf in approaches to living with dogs; the persistence of a focus on compliance and obedience, even if differently packaged. This post argues for learning to be underpinned by connection, mutual reward, and a focus on life-skills. It proposes some methods for developing connection and learning from our dogs
https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/chasm-opening-up/

A Clear Plan
Identifying key questions underpinning the learning design and planning process can help to create a better foundation for learning.
https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/a-clear-plan/

A Teaching Plan
Why is learning design so important for teaching our dogs and what might it look like? This blog explores the importance of individualised learning design and the benefits to both parties.
https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/a-teaching-plan/

12/09/2022

So much yes.

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

10/09/2022

Big huge thank you to As the Fur Flies Austin - Pet Grooming for Pampered Dogs & Cats for being so sweet to my client doggos. They are Fear Free Pets certified and so amazing. Highly recommend for my north and south clients 💕💕💕

07/09/2022

This 💕. This is going to sound very familiar to all of my Puppies in the Wild students and to anyone who has ever discussed learning and training dogs with me.

It’s Always About the Dog
The learner is at the heart of all good education, and the facilitator acts as a guide whose role is to bring out the best in them: to harness their skills, interests, and rewards to make learning itself pleasurable.

What if we thought about learning as a way of nurturing what we love most about our dogs rather than pursuing outcomes at the expense of who they are? How might we begin such an exploration? 

Perhaps a list of all that’s great about your dog is a good place to start.

More on the Shelf to Explore:
Ethical Questions
Some ethical considerations that may inform whether we choose to teach a behaviour or not, and an argument for being able to adapt one’s ethical standpoint as knowledge and understanding shifts.
https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/ethical-questions/

02/09/2022

Effectiveness is NOT enough. When someone says “e-collars” or “corrections” (aka positive punishment meaning the addition of something uncomfortable intended to reduce a behavior) don’t hurt or have negative consequences, NOT ONLY are most people missing the signs of stress and avoidance in the animal BUT they are also not considering the psychological state.

I think we can all agree that the last 2 years have been a whirlwind for the whole world.

On a personal level, the last 2 years have easily been the most challenging and the most stressful time in my life. You would never know by looking at me especially if you didn’t know me before.

The difference between myself and an animal is that I can verbalize it and be heard. The act of just verbalizing stress and emotions has been shown to reduce the physiological impact.

Our animals can not verbalize. They show us with their behavior. If you’re too focused on obedience or punishing “mistakes” you can’t “hear” them.

In my severe bemod cases, my first step is reducing any and all pressure and stress on the animal. If you’ve ever asked your dog to perform a behavior and they look away or yawn or scratch, that’s a signal that something is “too much”.

Sometimes what we can’t see can be more painful and harmful than what we can see.

We have to do better for these creatures that love and accept us unconditionally. Don’t even begin to call them a best friend if they aren’t ever allowed to “speak”.

31/08/2022

🌟E X P E C T A T I O N S 🌟
We have had a friend staying with us since the weekend. We had so many great days and for whatever reason, we both woke up just not having it yesterday.

I don’t know what it is or why, but both of us mentioned it to the other that morning.

We then took the dogs for a nice walk that ended with a neighbor chasing us down in a car because our dogs stepped on her driveway and were therefore “trespassing”. As she sat in her car yelling at us, in my head I just kept thinking “not today lady. Not today. Today is not the day to do this”.

I think many of our dogs experience this same sentiment especially with other dogs or kids. They put up with soooo much and it’s not a surprise that they just hit a breaking point. They shouldn’t have to but it’s an unfortunate and potentially dangerous reality for so many dogs

In this case, I had the skills to walk away and the wherewithal to start recording but my younger, rugby playing self may not have been so collected.

Why was my baseline elevated when I woke up? It could be a variety of factors but the point is that this applies to your dog too.

Some days they will be more fatigued, more irritable, more anxious, and we can’t expect the same level of behavior every single day.

Because I knew I was not in the best state of mind yesterday, I took more breaks, I avoided situations that I didn’t think I would be able to navigate well, and I used strategies to get through the day as gracefully as possible.

If we are listening to our dogs by using behavior as feedback, we can also “hear” them say they are a bit off and that is ok.

It’s why it is SO IMPORTANT to have the skills to adjust your criteria so that you set your dog up for success.

As humans, many of us have many tools and options at our disposal to support us when we need it.

Our dogs have far less options and skills and are often required to perform consistently all of the time regardless of the environment. It’s an unfair and unrealistic expectation.

Off days are a reality. Let them be ok. Take them as they come and make the appropriate adjustments.

Pic of my dog having an “off” day (those eyes 👀)

Happy training.

24/08/2022

🌟ADOLESCENCE 🌟
Studies have shown that adolescence in humans shares numerous similarities with the adolescence period in dogs.

It may seem like your dog is acting out or “behaving worse” and you may not be wrong. There are a variety of changes happening in the brain thanks to hormones and as the puppy brain transitions out of the juvenile stage into adolescence and then into adulthood. I think of this like a software update which often comes with glitches 🙂

TIPS
✅be patient
✅train often
✅ask less and reward more (reduce/adjust what you’re asking of your dog)
✅meet your dog where they are at each day as this may seem to vary wildly throughout adolescence
✅make sure to offer plenty of enrichment
✅you May need to adjust exercise (but be mindful of the joints and bones which are likely still forming)
✅stay consistent (as best as you can)
✅don’t panic
✅remember that this too shall pass

This is one of the reasons that I offer lifetime access to my Puppies in the Wild course…many puppy parents are still utilizing what they learned well into ADULTHOOD and often need more assistance in adolescence as they hit peaks and valleys in behavior.
If you have a puppy: start training now In preparation for the teenage years. If you HAVE an adolescent, start training now 🙌🏻

When in doubt remember:
🌟Ask less
🌟Reward more
🌟This too shall pass

Jenn Burns M.A,CBCC-KA CPDT-KA shared a post on Instagram: "🌟ADOLESCENCE 🌟 Studies have shown that adolescence in humans shares numerous similarities with the adolescence period in dogs. It may seem like your dog is acting out or “behaving worse” and you may not be wrong. There are a varie...

23/08/2022

HOLY MOLY. Let’s bust this BS.
FACT: poor leash skills cause pulling

When I was a baby trainer circa 2004, I was told that back clip harnesses created leash pulling due to what’s called the oppositional reflex and that’s why they are used for sled dogs. Welp. It’s 2022 and here is my dog on a back clip harness walking like a dream so…that can’t be true.

LIKEWISE: I see SO MANY posts asking for a “no pull harness” to stop the pulling.

Let me be clear. LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK.

What stops pulling? Proper leash skills. How do you build proper leash skills? Reward for engagement, position, and pretend as if you DO NOT HAVE A LEASH. Can you imagine how much more ENGAGED you’d have to be with your dog if you didn’t have a leash doing the work for you? Right. So do that. Try that. Teach your dog that checking in pays and it pays at your side or a little bit behind.

I like using harnesses (especially for puppies, and dogs that are old, young, small, large, reactive and/or brachycephalic) because it takes pressure off of the neck and trachea and isn’t so startling. That is also why I don’t use slip leads or aversive collars. A slip lead is like a punch to the throat. That’s the point y’all-the point is to add pressure which creates discomfort and makes the dog want to avoid repeating that behavior. I’m not about that life.

I prefer harnesses that do not put pressure across the shoulders. Sooner is wearing a freedom harness (link in Amazon store).

So to repeat: harnesses neither prevent nor create pulling BUT they can increase safety and comfort for you and your dog. Have you ever seen a dog slip their collar, pull so hard that they hack and/or knock you down or hit the end of their leash so hard that they fall back? I have. And guess what helps that? Leash skills but in the meantime, add a harness. Stop listening to trash myths. I’ll be here with my “feral” “leash pulling” gremlin dog (that’s what the trolls say to us) on a back clip harness breaking down myths if anyone needs me ✌🏻

Happy training y’all


Happy training

Jenn Burns M.A,CBCC-KA CPDT-KA shared a post on Instagram: "HOLY MOLY. Let’s bust this BS. FACT: poor leash skills cause pulling When I was a baby trainer circa 2004, I was told that back clip harnesses created leash pulling due to what’s called the oppositional reflex and that’s why they are ...

19/08/2022

🌟RESOLVING BARKING/VOCALIZATION🌟
It’s important to remember that barking is a form of communication and it serves a function. It is also INTRINSICALLY reinforcing which means it feels good and they are metaphorically “getting paid” for barking.

So it’s key to make sure all needs are met. Do they need to potty, are they tired, hungry, restless, anxious etc.

THEN, you want to create a behavior that can be offered to REPLACE the barking but serves the same function. This is where I like to teach a default sit or down (you can find this in Puppies in the Wild Online Course or briefly covered in my free FB group (link in bio)).

LASTLY, be sure to capture and reward when they are quiet. If you know me at all, you have heard me advise dog parents to reward for “N O T H I N G N E S S” but, because there truly is magic in the nothingness.

I also do not try to correct the barking or reward it. I simply wait until the dog makes a better choice and then I engage. THIS IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR DOG KNOWS HOW TO OFFER A BETTER CHOICE. This is why I teach defaults because I want a dog to have 2-3 options that ALWAYS work. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you had a phrase that always got you paid? My guess is that you would use it a lot and we want our puppies to know that they have AGENCY and have ample opportunities to get paid. It is UP TO US to facilitate this and it has nothing to do with obedience.

THINGS I DO NOT DO:
❌throw penny cans
❌cover their mouths with my hands
❌tap their muzzles
❌spray water
❌say no
❌startle them
❌bark collars of ANY KIND
❌e-collar

Barking is communication. For this puppy, he just had an issue learning how to BE. Some puppies have anxiety, an abundance of energy, are in pain, or don’t know a better way to communicate.

Emotions always find a way out which is why I want to find out WHY a dog is barking and then help them learn other ways to cope and engage without the barking.

This process took me a few days of generous reinforcement but that was all it took

Don’t be stingy. Pay for a job well done. Happy training

Jenn Burns M.A,CBCC-KA CPDT-KA shared a post on Instagram: "🌟RESOLVING BARKING/VOCALIZATION🌟 It’s important to remember that barking is a form of communication and it serves a function. It is also INTRINSICALLY reinforcing which means it feels good and they are metaphorically “getting paid...