Balanced Solutions Dog Training

10/21/2024

Sometimes a pack is just you and your dog. ❤️🐾🐾

Meet Neshama: Jack's protégé and future trainer dog! She's working on her confidence and leash walking skills so she can follow in his paw prints 🐾🐾

🐾❤️🐕

10/20/2024

Here's to another great pack walk, and all of the amazing dogs and their humans who came out to work on leash skills, overcome reactivity, make memories, and build community.

There is nothing like having a Pack around you! ❤️🐾🐾

🐾❤️🐕

10/12/2024

The cure for anything is a Pack (walk).

🐾❤️🐕

09/15/2024

🐾 OFFICIAL PACK WALK RULES🐾

The Pack Walk is a structured training walk, designed to recreate working pack migration elements, foster proper social and leash behaviors, improve neutrality to distractions, and manage and work through triggers and reactivity in an inclusive, supportive pack environment for both dogs and humans.

In other words, this is no regular walk!

RULES:

*Dogs must be in control of the handler at all times.

*All dogs must arrive on leash and stay leashed for the entire duration of the walk.

*No cross-body, waist, bungee, or flexi-leashes are permitted. Haltis and Gentle Leaders are also not allowed. All of these pose significant safety risks for dogs and people. If you elect a wearable leash, the leash must still be held in your hand for proper control.

*Leashes must be properly used: No wrapping of leashes around or under legs, abdomen, etc for "control" of the dog. (That is a training issue that can be addressed with proper leash handling and training. Using leashes improperly is a safety hazard and not permitted.)

*All dogs must walk in a heel position at all times, in pack formation (single or double file, staying in pace with the pack). Dogs can of course relieve themselves as needed, but they should not be allowed to roam freely out at the end of the lead for any extended period of time.

*No face-to-face interactions are permitted (this includes pack walk member dogs, and other dogs alike).

*No interactions with passersby, including allowing people to greet and pet your dog while participating in the pack walk.

These rules ensure the educational and developmental efficacy of the pack walk, as well as the safety of all participants. Allowing social interactions at the pack walk defeats the purpose of the working migration concept, and creates social pressure and anticipatory charge for the dogs when coming to future pack walks. (We will create opportunities for social engagement and introductions at other times, as well as in training sessions.)

Any violations of the above rules will result in the dismissal of the handler and dog from the pack walk and/or future pack walk participation. Thank you for your cooperation!

09/07/2024

Trainers, want to know why the dog that does so well with you falls apart with its owner? Owners, want to know why your dog does so well with your trainer but falls apart with you?

Most folks (owners and trainers) assume it’s simply a skills gap issue. And while skills can definitely be a part of the issue, when we see dogs become something completely unhinged with their owners, that’s not a skills gap issue, it’s an association issue. Put simply, it’s what your presence predicts to the dog that creates this wild, crazy, often “out of their tree” behavior.

Think about how your dog acts as you’re pulling up to the dog park, or as you’re preparing their food, or about to go for a walk or car ride, or when guests arrive, or…? Whatever it might be that makes your dog totally nuts. That’s the arousal/excitement that’s generated via the association with the lead up sequence that predicts the desired/exciting event.

Now imagine if there was one person who, all in one, predicted, or was the gateway to all that stuff, and more. What kind of crazy would that elicit?

Here’s the thing. It’s not that you can’t be the predictor of all things good and still have a well behaved dog—you absolutely can, and should! The problems only arise when your association to your dog is ONLY the excitement/arousal inducing stuff and it contains none of the balancing elements of firm discipline, valuable consequences, and an essence of sufficient respect and deference of which you’ve honestly earned by way of being a believable authority figure when it counts.

If you want to have a well behaved dog, and/or stop unwanted behavior issues, your presence HAS to predict both the desired and the undesired, the pleasant and the unpleasant—in equal intensity and in equal availability… as appropriate and as needed. This is how you create a healthy association, and this is how you get what your dog trainer gets… or, how you avoid needing a dog trainer altogether.

Unfortunately, very few people understand this, and even fewer will want to.

08/26/2024

Happy International Dog Day from the Pack! 🐾🐾

08/25/2024

Got Pack? ❤️🐾❤️🐾

08/18/2024

Trainers whose message and methods I agree with, and whose posts you will often see shared on my page:

Robert Cabral - if you check out no one else, make sure it's this one!
Solid K9 Training
The Good Dog Training And Rehabilitation
Southend Dog Training

These are voices I believe should be amplified, and trainers whose message I believe can be a valuable resource. I also believe that learning is an ongoing process, as is dog training, and we as dog trainers and dog guardians can always benefit from someone else's knowledge and experience.

That being said, I do not necessarily endorse every single opinion or training method they may share, and there is no one-size fits all method that works for every dog - ESPECIALLY when we're dealing with behavior modification. For your dog's specific situation and needs, it is best to consult me (or another reputable balanced trainer) for a customized training plan based on a hands-on evaluation of your dog in real life.

That being said - happy scrolling!

Finally: I don't endorse any other trainers. Unless you hear it from me directly in person or posted on my social media pages or website, it is a false statement. I also don't work in partnership with any other trainers, as my methods and protocols are individulaiized to each client, and I work 1:1 with my clients directly. There are very few trainers I trust, especially when it comes to dealing with behavior.

08/16/2024

📣🐾Paws up, Packmates!📣🐾

Pack walk tomorrow will be at 9:00 AM at Fisher Basin Community Park:

601 SE 192nd Ave
Vancouver, WA 98683

We can't wait to see you all there! You belong in the Pack. 🐾🐾

🐾❤️🐕

08/15/2024

THIS RIGHT HERE.

And in our continuing exploration of politically incorrect, but reality-based discussions, I share a question and my response from this AM in regards to my post about dogs not honoring thresholds and often that being less due to a lack of complex training protocols and far more due to your dog not taking you seriously as an authority figure.

The question was: “How does one get their dog to take them seriously? I find my dog ignores me even when I’m stern and don’t give in. I would love to have a respectful relationship with my dog.”

Most folks think that being “stern”—which in human talk almost always means using a firm verbal tone (perhaps some frustrated yelling even) and assertive body language—will be convincing enough to stop their dogs from engaging in behavior they don’t desire.

For most dogs who are truly intent on doing something, and who aren’t super softy cupcakes, this “sternness” is an impotent display of your floundering leadership, and confirms that you aren’t to be taken seriously, and that whatever the dog wants to do, there’s really no good reason not to.

Of course no one wants to hear that sharing appropriate and valuable consequences for unwanted behavior and for non-compliance with fairly trained rules, boundaries, and commands… are the gateway to a far more healthy, polite, respectful, and self-aware dog.

And they especially don’t want to hear that “valuable consequences” almost always involve making their dog momentarily psychologically or physically uncomfortable by way of humane training tools which cause no harm, but create much good.

They’d much rather try to reward their way to a healthy, polite, respectful relationship.

Good luck with that. :)

08/15/2024

This is why I will always advocate for balanced training.

Dogs are living, feeling, thinking, sentient beings.

Just because throwing a treat at a dog doesn't work, does NOT mean they are untrainable.

Just because they have a bad day, does NOT mean they are a bad dog.

They deserve the same grace and compassion we give a small child when they are fearful, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or learning something new.

We as their guardians owe them respect, leadership, and consistency.

🐾❤️🐕

08/03/2024

This pack though! 🥰🐾🐾

Another incredible pack walk in the books! These dogs and their humans worked together as a pack to overcome reactivity, ignore distractions, build confidence and make memories! Thank you to all of the dogs and amazing dog guardians who came out today to join the Pack! 🐾🐾

🐾❤️🐕

08/03/2024

Calling all Packmates!

Pack Walk is happening tomorrow morning! Meet us at the Beaches parking lot in Downtown Vancouver at 9:00 AM. All you need to bring is your leashed pup - and a friend or two!

You belong in the Pack!

🐾❤️🐕

06/19/2023

Epic pack walk yesterday! Thank you to everyone who came out for our BIGGEST PACK WALK EVER!!!

Pack walks will take a temporary hiatus while we move the pack to their new location! ETA we will resume in August or September. Watch this space for more details!

06/18/2023

When I am old...
I will wear soft gray sweatshirts...
and a bandana over my silver hair...
and I will spend my social security checks on my dogs.
I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair
and listen to my dogs breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...
When people come to call, I will smile and nod
as I show them my dogs...
and talk of them and about them.....the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today...
I will still work hard cleaning after them,
mopping and feeding them and whispering their names
in a soft loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat,
like a jewel, and I will be an embarrassment to all...
especially my family...
who have not yet found the peace in being free
to have dogs as your best friends...
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep,
to greet you as if you are a God,
with warm eyes full of adoring love and hope
that you will always stay,
I'll hug their big strong necks...
I'll kiss their dear sweet heads...
and whisper in their very special company....
I look in the mirror... and see I am getting old....
this is the kind of person I am...
and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me.
Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...
they love my presence in their lives...
When I am old this will be important to me...
you will understand when you are old,
if you have dogs to love too.
-Author Unknown
painting by T.C. Chui

06/05/2023

A message from the shelter animals:

04/08/2023

Amazing pack walk today at Lacamas Lake with this fantastic group of dogs and their people. We hiked over the dam encountering dogs, people, moving water, and even hundreds of Easter 10-K runners complete with bunny ears! 🐰🤣
The dogs remained focused throughout the adventure, working together as a pack and overcoming distractions. Thank you to everyone who came out and made memories today! You belong in the Pack. 🐾🐾