Intentional Animalship

How subtle is your counter conditioning approach? Neutrality is created by consistently marking your dog’s attention to “triggers” before they escalate. Manipulating the controllable aspects of the environment (distance, length of fixation, etc.) will keep our dog under threshold, which will allow for effective learning. While this process may feel monotonous, consistently catching these successful moments is crucial for transforming your dog’s reactions into neutral responses.

Herbie came to us with a history of reactivity. His active herding brain would pick up on environmental shifts, often leading to frustration and outbursts. Currently, he is progressing through our E-Collar 101 Program, which has been pivotal in fostering a sense of neutrality for him. In this video, we utilized the e-collar to reinforce his obedience, helping him apply his foundational skills in a more challenging environment (with other dogs present). This man is crushing it! We can’t wait for his owner to begin implementing this clear, non-emotional communication in their everyday lives!

This is a great example of how an e-collar correction can be used to prevent and break the cycle of reactivity. Misha is a dog whose reactivity developed into a habitual behavior. Once any dog has practiced a behavior enough for it to become a habit, that behavior can become inherently rewarding. Our sessions with reactive dogs don’t start with corrections - we start by teaching a dog what we want and also how to get there. From there, we refine those expectations through boundaries and corrections. Misha had previously undergone e-collar “training” with another trainer, who, in our opinion, took advantage of the situation and more importantly, took advantage of Misha’s owner. Upon leaving that program, he was shut-down due to misuse of the e-collar, resulting in more severe behaviors than when he first arrived. His owner wrote to us saying, “there are things that he does better, but not enough to justify the training. I want him to trust me, not to just be submissive out of fear”. He was frustrated, and genuinely confused due the lack of guidance the board and train had to offer. We reunited shortly after and Misha’s owner was ready to put in the intentional work to get him back on track. After building up his confidence through our Behavior Modification Program, Misha was prepared for the next phase of his training: our E-Collar 101 Program. Our initial e-collar sessions with Misha were designed to reintroduce the tool carefully and gradually, utilizing a low and slow approach to reinforce the expectations that were established in our Behavior Modification Program. Our program was only successful with the trust, dedication, and empathy of Misha’s owner! It’s crucial to understand the precursors of your dog’s reactions to help prevent the rehearsal of reactivity. In Misha’s case, he exhibits subtle signs that will precede a reaction: forward, stiffened body posture; a low, tight tail wag; slowed breathing. What are the precursors to your

Reina really embodies this song: 1. she’s a million dollar baby (duh) and 2. she knows right from wrong! This little lady has done so well in just the beginning sessions of her E-Collar 101 Program. She is a long term client, who’s owners wanted to elevate their relationship by introducing the e-collar. She came into this program with amazing obedience and impulse control (clearly)! So why condition the e-collar? We condition the e-collar to extend our reach in those “what if” moments. Reina will be given so much more freedom now that her owners have a way to communicate with her no matter if the leash is on or off!

Greta was adopted last year as an adult dog and came to us exhibiting explosive reactivity at even the subtle sight of another dog. Over the course of several sessions, we conditioned her to a clicker and utilized a variety of counter-conditioning techniques to help support healthy interactions and neutrality around other dogs. Here, we are opening up her ability to share space with other dogs by slowly decreasing the distance and utilizing the clicker. Why are we tossing her the treat? To make the reward event more memorable and longer lasting, but not high energy enough to where it will amp her up too much. Very proud of this girl’s progress and a big shoutout to her owners, Dave and Karen, for being so dedicated and really absorbing what is demonstrated in sessions! You don’t have to go through reactivity alone! Learn more about how you can help your dog work through reactivity by filling out our questionaire (link in bio) and scheduling an evaluation!

E-Collar 101 Promo!

We are so proud of Misha’s ability to open up with the help of the ecollar. By starting low and slow, we were able to reintroduce the ecollar through a delicate conditioning process. Misha now has so much more freedom to grow his social circles. Owner, Alicja, is able to communicate clearly with Misha, which has immensely helped him in his big moments of reactivity. We see big results because Alicja is so damn dedicated and ALWAYS shows up ready to train. We love working with these two, they have so much to look forward to! A reminder that socialization doesn’t always mean direct play! Misha and Rukka displayed many other ways your dog can and should socialize. 👉Neutrally sharing space 👉Solo side by side play 👉Nose to tail greetings (and being called off when appropriate) 👉Coexisting while independently exploring the space

Group Training with a view! Yesterday, we spent our session at Fort Williams, where we spent time on and off leash! COMMENT BELOW! Is your dog trained to be off leash? If so, what tools do you use?

We’re so grateful to have met so many amazing dogs this year! Big kuddos to the dedicated owners who have stayed consistent - you continue to make our community so fantastic! We can’t wait to watch more dogs and owners grow in 2024!

IA created Group Training to give our graduated clients a space to apply their handling skills and elevate their relationship with their dog in a range of settings. Emma and Ivy lead the group through exercises, while giving feedback on how to maintain a calm mindset and training presence while navigating more stimulating and challenging environments. Group Training is a space where clients can continue to safely grow with their dog, all while collaborating with likeminded, supportive owners/handlers! Here’s a couple clips from our most recent Group Training sessions at the @oldporthalfmarathon, @bunkerbrewing & Summer Sunsets Live at @thompsonspoint.

Some shots from our picture day with Justine Johnson Photography! 📸 @justinejohnsonphoto

Wrapping up our final group Foundation Building class with a little Musical Dogs!