https://www.canine-cooperative.com/

Canine Cooperative, West Milford, NJ (2025)

07/05/2025

Aversive & Abusive are NOT synonymous. Yet there seems to be a ton of confusion surrounding this terminology.

Aversive consequences create a negative association with unwanted behavior. EVERY living being is subject to this consequence. Both nature & society set boundaries for behavior. We AVOID events which cause us discomfort.

Human Perspective-
Nature- Shake a hornets nest, get stung.
Society- Rob a bank, go to jail.

Canine Perspective-
Nature- Put your face in a porcupine, get stuck with quills.
Society- Cross an underground fence boundary, feel stimulation.

These consequences keep behavior in check based upon the laws of nature & society. The only difference when discussing training a dog is the societal consequences are manipulated by the owner.

Abusive means engaging in habitual violence & cruelty. There is absolutely NO place for this in dog training (or anywhere else) EVER. Period.

I hope this clears up any confusion.

06/29/2025

We have all been there... our dog is doing something inappropriate & we end up yelling commands at them, to no avail.
The problem is owners try to direct their dog once they have entered an over aroused state of mind. Your dog is amped up by the environment, you are amped up yelling & the entire interaction is one BIG mess.

It is very difficult to communicate with an over aroused head space. Asking for a “sit” when your dog is already jumping up on your guest will likely do little to help your cause. However the root issue is NOT the fact your dog isn’t sitting. It’s the manner of the greeting... the energy & mental state which accompanies it. Instead of using obedience to address behavior problems, use obedience to affect levels of energy & state of mind. This will in turn help your behavior issues.

Back to our example of greetings. If we address our dog at the sound of the doorbell by sending them to “place”, it will immediately minimize arousal. Now you can answer the door without your dog repeating the unwanted behavior. Once your dog is calm, you can allow them to greet your guest & ask for a “sit” prior to receiving affection.

The root of the original behavior was never one of obedience. It was about lowering levels of arousal in order to make your dog successful. So the next time you find yourself yelling commands at your dog, ask yourself about your dog’s state of mind & how you can impact levels of arousal first.

06/23/2025

Ever had that bad start to the day lead to an even worse part of your evening?

You know, you overslept. In a rush got up & stepped on your dog’s chewed Benebone (ouch! if you know, you know). No time to shower or eat breakfast. You get to work; cranky & hungry. You take a deep breath, go to the break room to get a cup of coffee. As you walk out, Linda from accounting rushes by & causes you to spill your coffee all over your shirt. Work day over, you head home.
Too exhausted to make dinner, you call for delivery... they don’t have a driver tonight. You go OFF on the person who answered the phone, telling them how unprofessional it is to not have a back up driver & hang up in a huff.

THIS is trigger stacking. While maybe none of these events separately would not cause you to needlessly explode, all of them compiled together take you way past your threshold of tolerance. The end result is blowing up at an event which normally would not illicit a response by itself.

Dogs operate similarly. Stressful events which stack themselves on top of each other cause our dogs to unnecessarily explode or have less tolerance for events that seemingly caused not reaction at all. Be aware of all the stressful scenarios your dog experiences through out the day & have realistic expectations for their reactions.

06/18/2025

Leash Walking... there is an ocean of options for WHAT to use when walking your dog.

Let’s break down how to choose what is right for you & your dog.

1st Dog training tools are simply aids to help you,
• gain leverage over strength.
• influence behavior change.
• communicate more effectively.

2nd Are your specific goals to
• stop leash pulling?
• control leash reactivity?
• walk off leash?

3rd Does your dog
• slip out of collars or harnesses?
• have a collapsed trachea?
• have neck or spine issues?
• freak out when you apply leash or collar pressure?

Each tool provides different support based upon the above considerations. Learning how to properly USE these tools, will AID you in communicating to your dog. Remember they only help with leverage, they are not quick fixes. However if what you are currently using is not suiting you & your dog’s needs, there are plenty of other avenues to try!

06/02/2025

There’s a lot of negative stigma around muzzles & dogs that wear them. Let’s talk about all the reasons a dog may wear a muzzle...

➡️To prevent unsafe scavenging
➡️To prevent a high stress dog redirecting on their handler
➡️For vet/groomer appointments
➡️To avoid nipping in over aroused dogs

What type of dogs wear muzzles?
➡️Friendly dogs
➡️Not friendly dogs
➡️Happy dogs
➡️Dogs who have responsible owners
➡️Big dogs
➡️Small dogs

….you name It. Muzzles protect the dog wearing them and everybody around them and it’s time we normalize muzzle use.

05/24/2025

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.⁣
⁣
Perhaps there are no two more polarizing breeds than a Staffordshire Terrier (aka “pitbull”) & a Golden Retriever. There are serious stereotypes that come along with both breeds of dogs. Within society & media, pitbulls are demonized, considered a dangerous breed, banned from certain cities. Owners struggle with homeowner’s insurance or being able to rent a place to live because they have a pitbull type dog.⁣
On the other hand, goldens are the “perfect family dog”, always friendly, amenable... essentially a big happy ball of fluff. ⁣
⁣
While it is true, different breeds have different personality traits; 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿. ⁣
A study (in the journal 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦) suggests only 9% of behavioral variation is based upon breed. While some behaviors are more likely to be seen in particular breeds, breed alone will not determine a dog’s disposition. Potentially dangerous behaviors are unlikely to be controlled simply through genetics. A dog’s behavior is based upon the much wider environment & developmental history.⁣
⁣
The dog’s pictured are training in the ALL IN Program. Kai, the Stafordshire Terrier, is a happy go lucky dog. We call these dogs “aggressively friendly”. While good intentioned, a happy greeting can turn (& has!) into a concussion for the human. Pitties are known for intense drive, which can absolutely cause issues. However these breeds are not inherently aggressive. Jax, the Golden Retriever, joined us with an extensive bite history & displaying dangerous behavior. While goldens are generally revered for their affectionate nature, this breed is not inherently friendly. ⁣
⁣
It is important to pay attention to the dog in front of you & less about the stories about their ancestry. Judging a book by the cover could either get you in serious trouble or cause you miss out on a fantastic canine friendship.

05/15/2025

Let me begin with this question...
Do you love everyone you meet?? The most common answer is “no”. Some individuals like MOST people & others dislike MOST people... however the majority of humanity is in the middle. We are selective about who we spend our time with & develop deep relationships.

The truth is MOST dogs are the same: DOG SELECTIVE. This means they have different levels of tolerance for different personalities. Some dog don’t like puppies or are uncomfortable around others with high energy. Some dogs simply need time to get to know another first before developing a relationship. There are dogs who only enjoy the company of calm dogs. Dog selective personalities can successfully socialize with other dogs when they are thoughtfully paired with the right individuals. However, when you leave the interactions to chance by going to a dog park or tossing some dogs in a yard to “see what happens” there can be consequences which result in aggressive behavior.

A SMALL amount of dogs are truly dog friendly. These are dogs who generally never have issues with other dogs. They tolerate rude & obnoxious behavior perpetrated by other dogs upon themselves. Truly dog friendly dogs can handle the majority of personalities. These dogs are rare & should not be considered the norm when considering sociability.

A SMALL amount of dogs are truly dog aggressive. These dogs do NOT like the company of most dogs. It is possible for these dogs to develop relationships with one or two others, but generally they prefer to be left alone. These dogs are also rare, however you should be aware if you own one of these personalities. Interactions with other dogs will result in aggressive conflicts. However teaching these individuals how to calmly coexist around their own kind will certainly help decrease levels of anxiety when around other dogs.

Canine Cooperative

07/05/2025

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