Force-Free Training with Candice

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Force-Free Training with Candice CPDT-KA, Fear-Free Certified Trainer, CARE-TC KD. In-home servicing CSRA including Ft. Gordon, virtual nationwide.

25/11/2025

This has nothing to do with "training".
It also has everything to do with it.✅

Reactive dogs typically have a far lower tolerance for change.
They thrive on consistency.
They love routine.

We can have a weird view of what predictability actually means though.
Some people take their reactive dogs to work with them, they always have and yes that in itself is predictable.
Does your work involve meeting new people and travelling to new worksites?
Is what you believed is predictable really not?
New machinery?
Couriers unexpectedly popping in?

We may walk at the same time of day, but where?

Are you swapping where you walk too often and too soon?
Have you tried just walking in a low stress area for a few weeks?
Are there predictable triggers that you can safely "use" in that area?
Are your responses reliable or are you unpredictable in your response?

Predictability can help lower stress.
That starts to flow into all other areas of their lives.
Over time it can have a positive affect with their reactivity.

Predictability isn't boring for a reactive dog.

It's safety.

24/11/2025

Overnight, your puppy suddenly stops listening and starts misbehaving. Trainer Mikkel Becker has tips for the developmental phase of dog adolescence.

24/11/2025

Force Free Principles
Dogs are always learning
Set your dog up for success
Reinforce behaviors you like
Replace unwanted behaviors
Gradually increase criteria
Use a variety of reinforcers
Ditch aversive methods
Read body language
Make it fun

24/11/2025

This is why it just never stops.♾️
The reason it keeps happening.
It's working in that very moment and it's remembered.

A pattern has formed, a history and it worked!

Running and barking in front of the gate when the courier arrives.
Nudging your hand when you're relaxing in the lounge.
Barking through windows at that dog walking past.
Even pulling and dragging you along when they are desperate to reach that tall grass around that tree.
All of those are examples.

The reasons behind the "why" sometimes look complicated to us.
We can't quite figure it out.
It's almost "mystical" because we cant quite grasp why.

When we shift from "why won't they stop" to "what's in it for them" those patterns can be obvious.

Are you, "just over it", frustrated and "tried everything" ?
Take a deep breath, step back and look at things in a simpler way.

How were they rewarded?

23/11/2025

  Dental issues are common in cats. Because cats can be very good at hiding pain and illness, cat parents may not know that something is going on until obvious outward signs appear. Many cat parents are also reluctant to brush their cats’ teeth or are unaware of the fact that teeth brushing is ev...

23/11/2025

Do you have a dog? Or maybe your kid plays around dogs? Please watch this video!

23/11/2025

We CHOSE to bring these amazing animals into our homes and into our lives. 🏠🐕⠀
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Our dogs do much for us. They do their best to understand us even though we often struggle with communicating with them. ⠀
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The very least we can do for them in return is give them the opportunities, whenever safe and possible, to be themselves.⠀
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Sniffing, digging, marking, “kickies”, chewing, rolling in poo 💩…⠀
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We humans may not understand the joy these activities bring, but they have so much value to our dogs and they NEED that time for them.⠀
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When these needs are met, other training work come easier, because: ⠀
💕 Your dog doesn’t have to scramble and pull hard to get some sniffs or mark before they get punished or pulled away.
💕 Your dog is more relaxed because these activities help relieve stress and generally feel good.⠀
💕 Your dog can engage with you better since they’ve already done the stuff they wanted to do.⠀
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We control enough of our dogs’ lives as it is and they put up with a lot being in a world where they may not always be understood. We have to give them as many opportunities as we can to let them be a dog and give them more joy in their lives. ⠀
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Having time to be a dog is what every dog deserves.⠀
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ID: A collage of four photos of a brown mongrel dog engaging in different activities. The activities from top left clockwise are sniffing grass, digging in dirt, chewing on a natural chew, and kicking the grass. In the middle is a white box with text that says “Regardless of the issues at hand, we owe it to our dogs to let them be dogs. ”.

23/11/2025

Interactive playtime is an important part of a cat's mental, emotional, and physical health. It's also a valuable tool for you to use when trying to bond with a cat or work on behavior issues. This type of playtime should be done at least twice a day for about 15 minutes each session. When you have multiple cats it can get more difficult to schedule enough time for individual play but it's important that each cat gets to have that special time where they don't have to worry about what another cat is doing and they can just focus on the game. Group play can set cats up for competition and intimidation. Use group play carefully and limit it to just a couple of cats. When doing group play, it's best to create parallel play by holding a toy in each hand. Surprisingly, many people get interactive play wrong. For details on how to do beneficial interactive play sessions, and how to do group play, check out my book, Cat vs. Cat. It was written specifically for multicat households. Now, I think it's time for some play!
https://catbehaviorassociates.com/cat-vs-cat-new-edition/

Some great deals! For pet parents, too.
23/11/2025

Some great deals! For pet parents, too.

Below threshold is key! I love that graphic as well, an excellent one from Grisha Stewart’s BAT.
22/11/2025

Below threshold is key! I love that graphic as well, an excellent one from Grisha Stewart’s BAT.

21/11/2025

A good ole wrestle?
The quick "fly by" and catch me if you can?
How they play and interact with another dog is great information✅

They're likely giving you clarity in who they prefer and this can help you slowly introduce others that your dog has already "pre vetted" simply by their play style choices.

Good body language signals are so much easier to read when a dog has the same play style as another dog, and that's easier for you too.
Assessing just what is actually happening is easier when you already know your own dogs proclivities, and respect them.

What can get some dogs into difficulty is when there is a clear "mis match".
Sometimes that comes from us wanting or wishing they played with more energy, or even less.

They are who they are.
They can (or may) change their play styles but that often comes with more trust in the other dog.
It doesn't come from us desperately wanting them to "have more fun".

Dogs don't even have to interact much at all to enjoy each others company.
They can just "be".
They may have a good sniff session together or parallel "play" where they are at a distance and don't mingle or touch.

That's still social interaction.

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