Reform School K9

20/04/2024

Check out the link below to see a video where I discuss the potential connection between "problem behaviors" and pain! (it's a re-upload....Facebook decided to only post 1 minute of it last time, which was basically useless 😅).

I also include a reference in the video description of a study where they found a SIGNIFICANT number of dogs who were seen for behavioral concerns actually had a physiological disease process going on! 🤒

It is never a bad idea to take your dog to the vet 🏣 BEFORE contacting a trainer just to confirm they are not actually communicating discomfort with the behavior changes you are seeing! Some of the big ones I talk about in the video are suddenly stopping play 🥎, becoming increasingly "grumpy" with other dogs and humans, or isolating themselves from others!

https://youtu.be/O6Y4noS_kdM

17/04/2024

Today I talk briefly about Reactivity, and talk about one of the FIRST homework assignments I give owners who are just starting out!

This video covers some basic info about Reactivity and one of the FIRST homework assignments I give clients who are in the thick of it!

14/04/2024

Great resource on Michael Ellis talking about the "how" of using play in training! 🥎

After studying at his training school (while it was still in-person!) I now use this type of functional play in training with almost every dog I work with, ESPECIALLY working breeds. Often incorporating structured play is one of the missing links in a well-balanced training program ⚖️!

In this clip, Michael Ellis describes the rules of play and what skills he looks for in a dog before play can be used as a reward. Understanding and establis...

11/04/2024

❗️It's National Dog Bite Prevention Week! ❗️

So let's do some preventing!

While many other trainers are talking about the myriad of topics surrounding dog bites, I'm taking a moment to share a couple of resources that I refer clients with kiddos to ALL THE TIME! 👶🏽👧🏻

If you are either pregnant or plan on having kids in the future, I just want to make sure that you at least hear this: ⚠️PREPARATION is KEY⚠️ when combining dogs in the home with small humans. I'm serious. Small children move "strangely" to dogs, and that can elicit a myriad of responses from them. 🥸

Anyone who has referred cases to me knows that I don't work dog aggression cases where there are young children in the home. There are many reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons is that the stakes are INCREDIBLY high for not only the young child(ren) but also the dog. In many cases, these become either straight "high management" cases or re-homing cases. For the dog, not the children.

There are two fantastic 💯 businesses though that I've taken trainings from who specialize specifically in kids and dogs:

🐶Family Paws Parenting
www.familypaws.com

🐶Pooch Parenting
poochparenting.net

These are two trainers I feel very comfortable directing families to; I have seen both handle cases with the grace and experience that can only come from specializing in this area for years. They also offer some free resources on their sites! Check them out!

Family Paws Parent Education Ongoing support for families with dogs and babies.

09/04/2024

🍔🥞🥓🧀Let's talk about using food in training!🍔🥞🥓🧀

Whether working on Obedience skills or Behavior Modification, adding food into your training plans can help build relationship 🤝, add value to reinforcement history 🧠, and build your dog's motivation to engage with you 👁 . So why do some of my clients initially show resistance to using food to train their dogs? Let's talk about the top four reasons I hear:

1. "We used food in the past and now my dog won't listen unless they SEE the food."
2. "I don't want to bribe my dog. I want them to listen to me because they love/respect/etc. me."
3. "My dog checks out after they get the food reward, so it's basically useless."
4. "I don't want my dog to be obsessed with food."

I'm going to address one of these each week! This week we are staring at the top!

I like to tell owners that food is like any other tool 🛠 in training- it only benefits you and your dog to the extent that it is being used with INTENTION. If the only reason you are using food is because your dog needs to eat, that is not a good reason 🥱

#1 is about your dog not listening unless they SEE the food. This training error occurs when we don't take into account HOW dogs learn.

Dogs take cues visually FIRST--i.e. they learn that when they see the high-value food is present, it benefits them to do what is asked because in the past:
🍪visual cookie (or treat pouch) + following a command = receiving cookie

So we create a pattern for them, then change it up by cutting off the first step after a while. Often I will see owners abruptly stop using food and when their dog stops responding to commands, they get frustrated and move the food closer to the dog's face 🤦🏻‍♀️ .

That is how we train a dog to not listen unless reinforcement is shown to them. 🔥

So how do we fix this problem?

1. ASAP in the training process we begin what we as dog trainers call "varying the reinforcement schedule". This means (on a very basic level) we start throwing in more than one command before a food reward is delivered. Maybe I ask Fido for a sit, a down, another sit, and THEN deliver reinforcement. Have you ever gambled with money? THIS is the reason it is so reinforcing for some humans-- you keep trying because the "jackpot" is on a 🎲 variable reinforcement schedule 🎰!

2. Remove any visual indicators for the dog that reinforcement is present-- often owners will hold treats in their hand, carry a treat pouch, etc. Again, all visual 👀 reminders to the dog that there IS, or more importantly IS NOT reinforcement present. instead we switch to keeping food ON us-- think in our pants pocket, hoodie pocket, etc.

So to avoid concern #1, we start to make things a little less predictable 🔮. Stay tuned for next week when we talk about "bribing our dogs"!

www.reformschoolk9.com

05/04/2024

The new website is up and running!

I’ve integrated a Calendly 📆 scheduling and payment system into the website- super easy to schedule everything from the initial virtual consult to the behavior mod/obedience/Cooperative Care session options! 🐶

It was actually much more fun to build this one than the previous one, but I don’t foresee myself trading in my dog trainer hat for a web designer one anytime soon 🤣

Dog training and behavior modificationAlmost ten years of experience specializing in Obedience and Behavior Modification Training through food, play, and relationship. Currently offering in-home, private training sessions today!currently accepting new clients inthe willamette Valley contact Meet you...

04/04/2024

Dog trainers know that our dogs are watching us and learning ALL THE TIME ⏰. We know how confusing it can be for our dogs if we allow behaviors *sometimes* but not others. Dogs don't turn their brains on when we go into group classes, and stop learning when we leave.

This is something that I would see every day when I taught group classes with puppies and adolescent dogs:

Often the dogs enter the training facility under zero direction from their owners 💨; out at the end of the leash, rushing to any dog within their sight, practically pulling their owners off their feet. At some magical moment, typically when the owner got to their seat and set their bag down and put on their treat pouch -BAM⚡️- now they were in training mode and focused on their handler.

Why such a contrast in behavior from the parking lot to the training space?

Because a strong reinforcement history (treats + praise for behaviors) had been created IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TRAINING SPACE, but owners were not setting similar expectations elsewhere. Owners were so focused on the goal of getting to and from their car 🚗 that they don't realize that those moments in between are also TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES!

Allowing your dog to pull you in every direction sometimes but not other times only shows your dog that you are inconsistent and unpredictable 🫣 For some dogs this results in anxiety, other dogs happily hop into the "driver's seat" and do whatever they decide is best moment-to-moment!

Take-away tips for dog owners:
🎯 Dogs are learning whether we think we are training or not! They are RELIABLE to the extent we are CONSISTENT 😎

🎯Context and reinforcement history are POWERFUL for dogs! If you want your dog to know commands out in the "real" world, you need to train them where you want to use them 🌎

Doing some in-home or on-site obedience sessions can be incredibly helpful in getting started on your training journey with your dog! We are happy to talk with you about your dog and specific goals you have for them!

www.reformschoolk9.com

01/04/2024

Going through old photos the other day I came across this photo of Dinah. It brings back happy memories, but I will freely admit that this was a period of her life (adolescence) that was full of a lot of conflict for us.

As is normal for dogs, when hitting social and sexual maturity you begin to see "the dog you really have"; for Dinah that involved behaviors and breed traits like:

🎯becoming more aloof with those outside of our family-group
🎯becoming physically stronger and more "self-directed"
🎯displaying more "resistance" to traditional pet-dog obedience

Sound familiar? Searching for answers, I began to utilize more 🧬Biological Fufillment🧬 -focused training with her; to this day I heavily utilize this as a cornerstone of my approach to creating a well-rounded dog for my clients.

How can you identify and begin to incorporate some of these activities into working with your dog?

I always recommend owners start out with the book "Meet Your Dog" by Kim Brophey! She is a fantastic ethologist and pet dog trainer; the book is an easy read that looks at breed groups by shared traits that are important for owners to know-- whether they are currently living with a dog or considering what they want in their next dog. You know that saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? This book is that "ounce of prevention"🫙 !

In my training business, I find that often owners don't know the real-world implications of those breed traits and how their emergence may affect their day-to-day life with their dog. I see the pattern repeat itself over and over again:

Lack of biological fulfillment ➡️ Built-up frustration in the dog ➡️
Increase in "behavior problems" ➡️ Increased desire to "control" the dog through obedience training ➡️ Combustion 💥

My job as a trainer is to look at how you want to live with your dog and identify some of the key ways that we can meet those needs that your dog has. It's amazing over the years the amount of "behavior problems" I've seen SIGNIFICANTLY reduced or that disappear completely by applying this knowledge! Check it out, your dog will thank you!🐕🐾

29/03/2024

Ever wonder about the connection between pain and “problem behaviors” in like reactivity and aggression in dogs?
And if you are REALLY a behavior nerd, here is a study related to this topic:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32085528/

27/03/2024

What do fear and anxiety look like in a veterinary setting?

It is stressful to bring a dog to the vet clinic who you know is going to potentially growl, lunge, bark, or attempt to bite staff.

It is stressful for the dog........for you, the owner..........and for the staff caring for your dog.

I have often communicated with owners who feel their dogs are being "protective of them", and I have heard veterinary staff describe dogs as being "protective of their owners". What is MOST often the case, however, is that the dog is fearful and anxious, and as a result they are displaying aggressive behaviors (barking/growling/lunging/biting) as a means to prevent the "scary thing" from coming closer 🤡.

Many of those dogs give lower-level indicators of stress and avoidance such as averting eye contact from the "scary" person, attempting to move away, and giving stress signals such as lip-licking and yawning BEFORE they resort to aggressive displays. Rather than "being protective of their owner", they may really be attempting to protect THEMSELVES.

So what can we do?

#1 Study our dog's body language in different situations so that you can identify these early signs of anxiety and discomfort--when you see these signs are when you need to start advocating for your dog.

#2 Build a consistent relationship with a regular veterinarian. Predictability for your and your dog is KEY!

#3 Recognize when your situation would benefit from the help of a professional!

Dogs don't come with instruction manuals, and reaching out to a behavior professional can make SUCH a difference in how your dog feels about what goes on at the vet! When we are able to help your dog anticipate the sequence of events, as well as give them the skills to appropriately communicate, ✨amazing✨ things happen 🎯

#4 You don't have to wait for your dog to "hate" going to the vet!

Cooperative Care training can be started the DAY you bring your puppy home! Why wait for your dog to struggle when you can set them up for success from day one?

Reach out to find out how Cooperative Care Training can work for YOUR dog today!
🐾🥼🐶🐺🐩🐕

https://www.reformschoolk9.com/consultation

26/03/2024

🐶 Time for some updates 🙌

Transitioning to training full-time means more time for social media, and also integrating options for online self-scheduling for clients!

18/02/2024

🐾New client consults🐾 means individually packaging up some single-protein treats for the pups to try! Dinah always volunteers to supervise this part 🤣

One of the benefits of in-home training is we bring an assortment of treats for your pup to try out during their first session to see what their favorites might be!
Using single-protein 🥩 treats is also a great option if you are concerned your pup might have allergies or sensitivies to certain proteins!

20/01/2024

Time for a new series!

What I Wish Dog Owners Knew, As a Dog Trainer Who Works in Vet Med! (also, what I wish I'd known before I worked in Vet Med!)

There are so many things that I know now that I wish I had known back when my dog was struggling with veterinary care. So once a week I am going to make a post specifically focused on topics that revolve around your dog(s) receiving veterinary care, whether they are nervous, stressed, confident, or fearful!

Topic #1 ..........The Waiting Area is Not Required
Did you know that you can ask NOT to wait in the "waiting area"? Especially if you have a dog that is nervous, vocal, or just "builds" in energy while it is waiting?

Most clinics and hospitals are more than happy for you to check-in by phone from your car or offer you an open room to go right into if it is available. Another option is to arrive a few minutes early, call and check in, and then take your pup for a "sniff break" around the parking lot while you are waiting (with your phone on!). This can help nervous or excited pups decompress before their visit. Another options is to arrive a few minutes early and do some training or enrichment in the car!

Even back when I was younger and had a super-friendly and outgoing Golden Retriever, I would always dread waiting in my clinic's small waiting area as he wanted to drag me over to every dog AND human that walked by in the close quarters. Rude to other dogs, and honestly a pretty unsafe situation around dogs with unknown temperaments. Fast-forward to life as a dog trainer, and it can even benefit dogs like him to not have to wait in the waiting area, getting amped-up as all the dogs and humans pass by.

On top of managing our dog's energy, it's important to note that clinics and hospitals are places where pets often go when they are ill, and aren't a "low-risk" place for dogs to socialize. They also aren't a place to train NEW behaviors that you might want to work on: your dog is so excited in an environment they only visit a few times a year, and expecting them to focus on a new behavior there may not be realistic in the moment. More on that in the next post!

http://www.reformschoolk9.com

15/01/2024

Are you primarily communicating with your dog through CORRECTION or DIRECTION?

A popular dog trainer, Tom Davis, brought this binary up in a video the other day and it is a topic that affects you and your dog's relationship DAILY. I know this, because when I do an evaluation with a new client and their dog I can usually tell which one they rely on more heavily within the first 5 minutes of watching them interact! And I'll tell you a secret-- the owners of the "better behaved" dogs rely more heavily on DIRECTION rather than correction!

Notice how I say "rely more heavily on"? Because we all know that there is a place for both of these in the world of dog training, just as there is in the human world. But with dogs, because there is often such a communication barrier, which one we choose to use MORE can impact the outcomes we see in training. Here's an example:

Dog A is allowed to have "the run of the house" but is yelled at by the owners/given an e-collar correction when jumping on the furniture, or on guests when they enter the home. But only when the parents are present (inconsistent). And only when the guests express that they "don't like dogs".

Dog B knows a variety of obedience commands, and through training has learned that the owners words matter because they were often rewarded when they did what the owner asked (direction). Everyone in the house follows the same rules that no dogs are allowed on the furniture, so they are never invited up (clarity). When guests come over, Dog B has a "Bed" command on the opposite side of the living room. Dog B can still observe new people coming into the house, but doesn't have to interact with them until he's calm (again--DIRECTION). The pattern for visitors is the same every time, so Dog B is able to relax into the routine (consistency).

Do you see how life can be so much EASIER when we provide direction over inconsistent or poorly applied correction? Dog B was not corrected once in that scenario because it wasn't necessary; the owners had put in the work early in training and provided direction in moments when the dog might struggle to make the choice that the owners want.

It really can be that easy!

http://www.reformschoolk9.com

13/12/2023

Reform School K9 has moved to the warmer (and greener!) land of Oregon! Now that we have sufficiently soaked up all of the ocean time that we possibly can, it's time to get back to training full-time 🙌

Now booking clients for in-home Puppy/Adult Obedience, Behavior Modification, and Cooperative Care training!
Check out our new website @ www.reformschoolk9.com for training program options!

Keep an eye out for updates to FB & IG! The social media has definitely taken a backseat to training dogs 🤣