Animal Behaviour Conservatory

09/10/2024

I really needed to receive this message today.

My dogs are the poster puppies for mayhem and shenanigans. Too often the pressure and shame that I should and could do so much to change their behaviours weighs me down.

I will do better at taking comfort knowing they look forward to each day being the doggingest dogs to ever dog.

I’m here to help what isn’t working for dogs or their humans. And I’m going to find more peace in knowing that what we’ve got works for us.

I’m a professional dog trainer of 23 years, so here’s a list of things I can guarantee you my dogs are better at than most -

1. Begging for food. That’s right. My dogs 100% know how to turn on the drool and charm when I’m eating or cooking. Does it work? Maybe. Do I always pay cheese tax? Absolutely.

2. Taking over my furniture and bed. Yes. My dogs sleep with me, lay on me, take up real estate on the couch, my lap and anywhere else they find comfort.

3. Getting super excited at greetings. My dogs jump up and hug me all the time. In fact, I don’t ever wear anything I care about. It’s super fun in summertime when I’m in shorts.

4. Chewing stuff that isn’t theirs. Shoes, the corner of a rug, we’ve even lost a chair leg to adolescent teething. Toys? Oh sure they have TONS of them, that I rotate and fill with food and freeze and hide - but what are toys compared to a family heirloom?

5. Ignoring me when it’s really important. Why come back when I’m calling them when it matters most? Why not make me stand in my underwear at 5am for a few minutes. They sure do love to keep me on my toes. It’s even better when it’s in public and I’ve just told people I’m a dog trainer!

6. Getting sick at the worst possible times. It’s not a vacation if someone doesn’t start pooping water or ingest something unknown while I’m gone. Or when I’ve just finished putting the kids to bed and cleaning the house, they are SO good at vomiting right at the bottom stair so I can step in it barefoot on my way downstairs to “relax”.

7. Barking at nothing, and everything, at all times. Leaf fall? Vacuum going? Small creak in floor? We could all die and they keep me safe. Without them, I may fall into the awful spiral of having peace and quiet, and who wants that?

8. Pointing out my flaws. Nothing like an adolescent dog or a drivey shepherd to make you recognize you need more work on your patience, timing and delivery. If it weren’t for them, I’d never have to really work on myself!

9. Leaving too soon. Just as we’ve figured out all of each other’s idiosyncrasies and habits and settle into a friendship of a lifetime, they have to go. We get a few amazing years together, and then my heart gets absolutely shattered, yet I still wouldn’t have it any other way. And THEN, I choose to take the journey all over again.

10. Being my best friends. Long day, feeling gloomy, struggling to see a bright side? They are there through all of it. Making me laugh, keeping me grounded, never taking things too seriously and always ready to try again for me. At my best and my worst they adore me, what better friends can you get than that.

I’m a dog trainer, but I still have dogs. They are not perfect, neither am I. My dogs are still allowed to be dogs as they accept that I’m still allowed to be a human. They are gonna dig a hole in my favorite spot of the yard and I’m going to take away the soggy tennis ball they found in the swamp. They will shred a new bed I bought for them and I’ll ask them to walk politely next to me instead of dragging me down. They will bark at a suspicious plastic bag and I will ask them to perform silly behaviors in front of people. They need to smell a tree branch for 10 minutes and I want to watch this new Netflix documentary. It’s a two way street and I’ve learned to embrace it instead of try to control it. That’s the only way I’ve found for it to be truly fair to them and to myself.

If you want a dog trainer who doesn’t advocate for allowing dogs to be dogs, and humans to be humans, and finding a compromise that’s fair and humane, I’m not your trainer, and that’s okay with me. They aren’t here long enough to make such big deals out of such little things for the level of friendship and devotion we get in return with them. Love your dogs everyone. For them, and for you.

- Helen St. Pierre

04/06/2024

Forced compliance, leveraging control and coercion, overriding the animal’s autonomy, needs and communication, in favour of compliance impacts an individuals well being.

The detriment is often mistakenly defined by how we are achieving this, often overshadowing the fact that achieving it at all is detrimental. The argument is often that the end does not justify the means. The means don’t justify the outcome either.

I recently came across the video in a Facebook group and the theme of the video is one that I have encountered countless times before.

The video was a dog being walked by a dog trainer.

The dog had on a harness attached to a long leash.

The person was using food.

The dog was given time to sniff.

What the public saw in this video is a dog who was highly responsive, focused on the handler, responding promptly to every cue when it was given.

Cues like when to sniff, when to turn and when to walk in heel.

The comments gave nothing but praise.

You may think that the video would fill me with joy, but what I saw in this video was different.

I saw a dog under complete control.

A dog fixated on food.

I saw a dog who wasn't performing natural behaviors - even when they were given the opportunity to.

A topic that is left out of the conversation when discussing how we teach our dogs is how positive reinforcement can suppress behavior.

The positive reinforcement can be controlling.

Understandably highlighting how damaging and coercive positive reinforcement has the potential to be is not a popular topic.

But it's one that I think about often.

It's also a topic that I guide clients through shifting their mindset around.

When a client asks me how to teach their dog something I will often ask "Why do you want to teach your dog _______?"

Asking why allows me to understand what outcome they are looking for so I can guide them to the most dog-centered approach.

When we have all of the power and control over a vulnerable species like our dogs it's important for us to be intentional on what we teach.

Questions you can ask yourself to assess if something is important to teach:

❓Why am I teaching this? (ie Is it necessary?)

❓What is the least invasive way to teach this?

❓Am I suppressing a natural behavior?
Follow on Q: Am I routinely providing an alternative outlet for this behavior?

We want to believe that if we are using treats, toys and kindness to teach our dogs that this is enough, but there is more nuance that needs to be explored in the conversation so we are safeguarding our dog's mental health.

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01/09/2023

This reminder couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. I have been confronted again about the “need” for training and mistaking dysfunction and a disregulated animal for one that is “social”, “driven”, or “biddable” in the industry. We should be prioritizing raising a captive animal in a way that understands and fulfills their inherent needs so they can be a behaviourally stable animal that can function and thrive emotionally, socially, and physically. One that has developed with adaptability and resilience, that can be a communicator, cooperator, problem solver instead of a codependent, reliant on us for regulation.

20/08/2023

These beautiful giants, Bender and Bailey, are staying with me while we help them look for a new home. They have been very well loved and cared for their whole lives, but heartbreaking circumstances have led to them needing a new home. Both dogs are spayed/neutered, and absolutely wonderful with humans of all ages. They have boarded with me and my 5 kids over the years since my youngest was an infant. They are social with other dogs. Bailey (6-7 yo female) has arthritis and can get grumpy about space and resources with strange dogs but is always great with her brother. Bender is a happy boy who loves to play and the only caution with other dogs is his impressive size and boisterous energy. He’s very attached to people and will want to be wherever you are. Bailey is happy to relax wherever. They are used to living in a modest house in the city but also love acreage life when they board and enjoy the outdoors in all seasons, but are used to living in a home.

Please email serious inquiries only to [email protected]. We will place them, either separately or together, based on a best fit, not fcfs.