Except For That One Thing...
Train with Canine Engineering and spend more time loving your dog and less time worrying about them or struggling with them.
26/04/2024
“But, my dog isn’t food motivated!” Are you sure?
It’s a common frustration: the dog that refuses the treat, especially in the face of a behavior challenge. BUT, food is necessary for life! Dogs don’t need to learn that it is rewarding to eat; that knowledge comes pre-installed at birth. Your dog can be motivated by treats, as long as we use them the right way.
Image: Red dog on black background, mouth open, catching tossed treats. Text reads "Not food motivated? Are you sure?"
13/04/2024
Hiking with your dog can be a wonderful experience but there are risks. By giving your dog the skills to safely avoid rattlesnakes (even if you don't see them first), you could save their life!
This class is offered by The Veterinary Behavior Center in Boulder, CO and has options for in-person participants and virtual auditors.
Image: Coiled snake ready to strike. Text reads "Be safe while hiking with your dog! Rattlesnake avoidance training starts April 24th."
26/06/2023
New blog post!
Annoyance, frustration, embarrassment – the feelings that come from that moment when you ask your dog to do something and they ignore you. The world is full of obedience classes and quick fixes for the disobedient canine companion. What actually works? How can you deal with a disobedient dog?
How you you respond when you ask your dog to do something and they seem to ignore you? The world is full of obedience classes and quick fixes for the disobedient canine companion. What actually works? How can you deal with a disobedient dog?
18/02/2023
Puppies! They're so cute and curious and so very bitey... I've compiled a bunch of ways to survive this very normal part of puppyhood.
“How do I stop my puppy biting?” “Why does my puppy bite so much?” “What do I do when my puppy bites?” These are the top questions in my puppy classes. It’s an incredibly common behavior, in puppies as well as some teenagers and beyond!
06/02/2023
Do your dog's leash manners need some work? Pulling on leash driving you crazy or even becoming dangerous on icy sidewalks? Sign up for an online leash walking class through The Veterinary Behavior Center!
Veterinary behaviorists are trained in all species, not just dogs and cats. Nothing gets us more thrilled than the chance to use our unique skills to help animals in human care from all sorts of backgrounds. See what our expertise can bring to your animal care program.
23/01/2023
Winter is still raging and being outside isn’t fun so I used the Treat and Train to add some additional physical exercise to our training (while being lazy on the couch myself). How do you exercise your dog when the weather makes it hard?
18/11/2022
The weather is changing and the holidays are coming up! This might mean changes to your dog's life, with less time outside, routine changes, and busy humans. Now is a great time to think about the variety of ways you can meet your dog's needs, beyond the "usual".
Earlier this month I shared a blog post that asked if you should skip neighbor walks and provide alternatives. I encourage everyone to consider alternatives to their normal routine, to ensure you have backup options or see if there are better choices.
Rather than thinking "I have to walk my dog to exercise them", think "my dog needs X amount of exercise each day, what can that look like?" Consider adding fetch, tug, chase games, flirt pole, or even trick training to the list, along with walking, hiking, or off-leash play. Having options allows you to be flexible when time, weather, life, or your dog's behavior get in the way of your normal.
Or check out Canine Enrichment for the Real World, by Allie Bender and Emily Strong
With a little planning, your “rainy days”, stuck inside, can be just as fun as a romp in the park. Your dog’s needs can be met and their best behavior encouraged. When incorporated into your dog’s daily routine, indoor enrichment is a win for everyone!
04/11/2022
New Blog Post: Should you stop walking your dog?
You might be surprised that I sometimes recommend that guardians stop walking their dogs! Or at least cut down or adjust when/where/how much they are walking. While physical exercise is important, your dog's behavior may be making walks frustrating or scary. If that sounds familiar, check out this month's blog and learn more about why and how to change your daily walks to improve your dog's behavior.
Walking your dog can feel like a necessary chore, a part of being a responsible dog owner. But there are lots of reasons this task can become stressful, frustrating, or not possible. Good news! You don’t have to take your dog for that neighborhood walk, as long as you can meet their needs in other...
21/10/2022
Spying on Aspen while she demonstrates an interest doggie trait: contrafreeloading. Here you see her working to get food from a food puzzle, even though there's "free" food right next to her.
Many (if not most) dogs will choose to work for their food, if given the chance. This is great mental exercise, which is important to your dog's wellbeing. Solving puzzles and working for food can lead to better behavior too!
Have you tried food puzzles with your dog?
Video Description: Tan chihuahua licks and chews on a "bobble" food toy to get food out. A small cup of food sits about a foot away, being ignored.
07/10/2022
New Blog Post: Want to see cute pictures of my dog? Oh, and also learn some tips for helping your dog be their best self? Aspen is here to share how planning ahead and setting a dog up for success can lead to better behavior quickly.
Any new dog will present challenges to your household and routine. Often these disruptions and frustrations can be eased by taking small proactive steps. During their transition into your home, your new dog is learning what is expected, what gets rewarded, and what doesn’t work. Setting them, and ...
16/09/2022
One of the most challenge behavior problems for owners to live with is separation anxiety. If your dog can stand to be leave home alone, you'll look for anything to help you! Check out my two-part series on the myths surrounding separation anxiety so you can put your effort into things that work.
IMAGE: A graphic with the text "Crate training solves all separation anxiety. The right food puzzle or toy will cure your dog's fears. Never return to a bark dog." Over everything are larger words saying "Myths Busted!" Underneath it reads "Learn more about the facts, partial truths, and full-on myths of Separation Anxiety at CanineEngineering.com/blog" and has the Canine Engineering logo.
02/09/2022
Hi! I’m back! I’ve been away from social media for a while but not away from training dogs and helping people live happier, easier lives with them.
During the past year, I’ve been working hard with clients dealing with fear, aggression, and separation anxiety, as well as working with local shelter dogs to increase their adoptability and make their shelter stays easier. While I’ll admit I don’t love social media, I do love my work and will be trying to share more of it here.
What do you want to talk about?
VIDEO: A small brown chihuahua sitting on a white blanket, waving her paw in the air.
07/10/2020
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." - Maya Angelou
Thank you Petco for doing better! The U.S. is behind many countries who understand that shock collars are high risk and unnecessary tools. This is a great step to help dog owners learn more about best practices in dog training.
If you are a dog owner who is using a shock, prong, choke chain, or other "training" collar designed to stop behavior, reach out and let's talk about the risks and why modern dog training is no longer using those tools.
04/10/2020
Canine Engineering (and Feline Engineering) are moving to Boulder, Colorado!
This is an exciting move for me personally and I'm excited to bring my training and behavior modification to a new community. California has been a wonderful home for the last 10+ years and I'm thankful to my mentors, colleagues, shelter and rescue partners, clients, and everyone who has supported me.
Online training and separation anxiety training are still available nationwide, so you can still take advantage of modern, humane, and effective training, regardless of where you are.
19/09/2020
Primrose is just too cute with her teeth sticking out!
Wonderful in so many ways, Prim is having a little trouble with her housemate dog. Luckily, her family is working hard to keep everyone safe and I'm helping them with training to use when she gets too excited.
The first step to any dog behavior concern is "management", also known as "preventing the problem". For Prim, this means using her crate more often, which she's fine with because that's where the best treats and toys show up! There is no need for a problem behavior to occur in order to work on it. In fact, you really want to prevent your dog from practicing that unwanted behavior; after all, practice makes perfect!
15/09/2020
Look at Simba's adorable face! One of my favorite things is helping foster dogs. Simba loves people, so much so that he just doesn't want to be alone. As a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer, I know that this problem can be overcome with the right training and dedication. Simba needs someone who can help him feel safe; in return, he'll give you all the love he has!
Simba is being cared for by Silicon Valley Pet Project. Contact them for more information!
UPDATE: Simba has an adopter!
12/09/2020
Testing starts today for trainers hoping to earn their CPDT-KA! I remember how nervous I was when I took my exam 3.5 years ago. Good luck to all who are taking this step on their training journey!
A "Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed" must logged at least 300 training hours and pass a 180 question exam. We also sign a code of professional ethics. To maintain the certification, continuing education is required each year.
Dog training is not a regulated industry. Anyone can decide to call themselves a trainer and charge for their services, with unfortunately can lead to problems. I chose to become certified through an independent organization as a way of demonstrating my knowledge and professionalism.
08/09/2020
FREE WEBINAR TOMORROW! There is still room to join me tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9th at 6:30pm (PT), for a webinar called “More than Surviving, Thriving!” - all about enrichment. Presented in partnership with Silicon Valley Pet Project.
You want to give your pet the best life possible! But what does that take and how can you do it with all the other demands on your attention, time, and money?
In this webinar, I will share practical tips for keeping your dogs and cats happy and well behaved through "enrichment." Resolve annoying or problematic behavior, lower stress, and have fun - all at the same time!
Use tinyurl.com/thriving-pets to sign up for free and get the link.
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Videos
Winter is still raging and being outside isn’t fun so I used the Treat and Train to add some additional physical exercise to our training (while being lazy on the couch myself). How do you exercise your dog when the weather makes it hard?
#dogtraining #treatandtrain
Spying on Aspen while she demonstrates an interest doggie trait: contrafreeloading. Here you see her working to get food from a food puzzle, even though there's "free" food right next to her.
Many (if not most) dogs will choose to work for their food, if given the chance. This is great mental exercise, which is important to your dog's wellbeing. Solving puzzles and working for food can lead to better behavior too!
Have you tried food puzzles with your dog?
Video Description: Tan chihuahua licks and chews on a "bobble" food toy to get food out. A small cup of food sits about a foot away, being ignored.
Hi! I’m back! I’ve been away from social media for a while but not away from training dogs and helping people live happier, easier lives with them.
During the past year, I’ve been working hard with clients dealing with fear, aggression, and separation anxiety, as well as working with local shelter dogs to increase their adoptability and make their shelter stays easier. While I’ll admit I don’t love social media, I do love my work and will be trying to share more of it here.
What do you want to talk about?
VIDEO: A small brown chihuahua sitting on a white blanket, waving her paw in the air.
Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?
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About the Trainer
Jessica Char is experienced with positive reinforcement training protocols. Used around the world to train everything from pets to zoo animals, animal actors to service animals, these techniques are modern and humane. She has completed extensive coursework in behavior modification and learning theory, including graduating from the Academy of Dog Behavior taught by acclaimed trainer Trish King. Jessica is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Certified Fear Free Trainer.
Jessica spent 4 years working with dogs in a large animal shelter. Dogs in shelters are in one of the most stressful situations possible. With these homeless canines, she learned to manage fear and aggression and modify challenging behavior so the dogs could find their forever homes. She worked closely with adopters to solve behavior challenges once the dogs and puppies were in their new homes. Jessica saw first hand how a little training and support could change the lives of dogs and their people.
Jessica is a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She also offers cat behavior consulting through her other business, Feline Engineering.
How You’ll Benefit
In all of her consulting services, Jessica applies positive-reinforcement methods to improve the lives of dogs and the lives of their owners. Before transitioning to being a trainer, she earned two degrees in engineering. This gives her a unique perspective on problem-solving which is pragmatic and solution driven. She strives to always balance the small details that can mean success or failure with the big picture goal: achieving a happier life with your dog!
Ready to start that happier life? Schedule a consult today.
When not working, Jessica enjoys trying to teach every animal she meets to do a “high five” and training her rabbit, Dewey, who makes her a better trainer by never making it easy. She lives in San Jose, California.
