The Pit Stop Dog Training, CPDT-ka

27/06/2022

19/06/2022

I saw something being shared on facebook the other day that really stuck with me. It was a meme generated by a highly compulsive trainer, who has had significant success (if you want to call it that) in his venue of expertise (dog sports.) He posted a bastardized version of a football coach's quote relating it to dogs. But the very first part of it was the assertion that we should be holding dogs "accountable." And that dogs with behavior, or training concerns, were the result of not being held accountable to their actions. And it bothered me. Because holding someone, or in this case a dog, accountable for their actions implies their actions are a result of a moral decision making paradigm.

Dogs are amoral. This means they have no moral decision making paradigm. They do not understand right or wrong. They have no concept of good or evil. They merely understand what is successful, and what is safe. And in opposite what is unsuccessful and what is unsafe. It is damaging to training and behavior modification to consider behavior from animals anything but what it is: an animal's best effort towards being safe and/or successful.

I have said it many times over the years but I will say it again here: behavior is not personal. Your dog's behavior is not driven by a need to personally affront, or insult you. Your horse's behavior is not driven by a need to personally offend, insult or challenge you. Behavior is not personal. And treating animals like their behavior IS somehow personal is both anthropomorphizing and devalues their emotional/sentient lives. To reduce the behavior of animals to a moral failing is a dirty trick, and serves no one to better shape the animal's behavior going forward.

31/05/2022

The ticks are very ACTIVE in Fort Mcmurray this year! Our clinic has seen three times the amount of ticks this year than we saw last year already!

Remember to remain vigilant with flea/tick treatments & checking your pets over for ticks regularly.

Ticks pose a risk of Lyme disease, sending the tick out for testing is the best practice to confirm if your pet is at risk. It can be extremely difficult to remove ticks on your own. We recommend contacting your vet in the instance you find a tick on your pet.

Here is more information regarding ticks & Lyme disease:

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lyme-disease-in-dogs

https://vcacanada.com/know-your-pet/ticks-in-dogs

19/05/2022

I spend a fair amount of time working on cases with dogs that behave in ways that are normal for an animal but the human doesn’t like the behavior. It doesn’t fit the mold or ideal the human has in their head.

This is a huge concern for animals. We have to remember that just because we decide to bring animals into our homes does NOT mean that they will behave in a way suitable for your environment. Their welfare, and yours, can be affected.

This is why it is absolutely crucial that before bringing a dog into your home that you ask… “what if?”

What if:
- the dog can’t adjust to city life?
- hasn’t been socialized optimally or has experiences trauma before coming to you?
- has never been on a leash and you have no off leash options where you live?
- has high prey drive

A lot of behavior is not “fixable”.

Can we modify behavior? Yes.

Can we give animals access to outlets that are species specific to help them meet their needs this resulting in a happier dog? Yes.

More thought needs to go into:
- history/past
- genetics (ancestors)
- breed type/mix
- your environment
- your limitations

If we are more prepared to answer these questions before bringing an animal into our home there will be less heartbreak on both sides. ❤️

23/04/2022

Your dog is not a robot, and they don't come pre-programmed to do all the things us humans want them to be able to do.

Just like you had to learn about the world around you and how to exist within it, so do dogs!

Set your dog up for success by teaching them the skills they need to be able to meet your expectations.

08/04/2022

Credit - Dogenius

02/04/2022

Everyone wants a dog who comes when called, but it can be a challenging behaviour to teach. This course walks you and your dog through steps and exercises for teaching your dog a rocket recall. This protocol was developed in Germany after E-collars were banned (yay!) as an alternative method for getting high drive dogs to come when called, even when predating after wildlife. Check it out!

Do you dream about having a dog who comes eagerly running back to you when he’s called? Believe it or not, Rocket Recall can become a reality for you! Every dog, no matter past behaviours , can learn to come joyfully and reliably. (CEUs Pending).

21/03/2022

Really great conversation on applied ethology as it relates to dogs broken down in a simple and easy to digest way. Check it out!

For most of history, humans have regarded dogs as animals with specific jobs.But in recent history, these animals have become pets only.Is that to blame for ...

27/02/2022

They aren’t called maligators for nothing. Do not get an animal because you saw it in a movie- PLEASE. The movie “Dog” with Channing Tatum is released tomorrow featuring a highly trained Belgian Malinois. We stand firm that most people should not own this type of breed and anyone interested should do an immense amount of research. This movie took THREE different Belgian Malinois and nine months of training for this movie. A highly trained Malinois is a work of art and can be amazing in the right hands- the right professional hands. We fear that we’ll see an influx of them in shelters soon and that will not go well for the breed. Due to the extreme amount of enrichment/exercise/training needed (think mini raptors), Belgian Malinois deteriorate very quickly in a shelter environment.
If you’ve made the decision to get a Belgian Malinois (and cleared your schedule for the next year of training), please remember that pure bred does not equal good breeding. Don’t help a backyard breeder line their pockets. Ethical Belgian Mal breeders won’t advertise on Facebook, road signs, or Craigslist. And they won’t sell their dogs to probably 90% of the population because not everyone is equipped to handle a dog like that.

18/02/2022

PSA: The Alpha Theory was proven false decades ago. Even the guy who came up with it has recanted his opinion and admitted that the research that led to the alpha/dominance theory was faulty and the findings inaccurate. A quick Google search (not to mention hundreds of educated professionals) will confirm this. Sadly, many who have not been formally educated on learning theory and the science of canine behavior still perpetuate this nonsense. All this to say, you don’t have to be the “Alpha” and behaviour struggles in canines are not the result of “dominance”. If you are going to take training and behaviour advice from someone (yes, even if they have their own TV show), make sure they have, not just the experience, but also the education to back it up.

09/02/2022

Coming at you with another slightly technical post! Fellow behaviour and psychology nerds may enjoy this brief explanation of Classical Conditioning. This is another element of learning theory that is commonly used in dog training and behaviour modification.

Classical Conditioning & Counterconditioning can be tricky methods to navigate, especially when addressing complex behaviours or emotional responses. So never hesitate to ask for help if this is something you think your dog might benefit from or something you would like to learn more about.

09/02/2022

What a beauty this girl is! 🥰

03/02/2022

02/02/2022

If there was one thing I could tell all dog owners, I think it would be this:

Stop expecting your dog to do things that you haven’t actually—REALLY—trained them to do.

Too often we expect our dogs to follow through for us when we haven’t followed through for them.

Keep in mind that dogs are not born understanding English or how to walk nicely on a leash or how to act in a human environment.

Yet those are the expectations I regularly see placed on dogs.

Imagine you are taken to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. You are placed in a work environment that you don’t understand and are expected to preform a job that doesn’t make sense to you.

When you inevitably do it wrong, someone shouts at you or punishes you for not understanding. Then you are expected to do better with no real additional information.

Occasionally, you do something right and get some vague form of affirmation, but not always, so you’re really just guessing most of the time because the rules and environment are still unclear and feedback is inconsistent.

Sounds pretty unfair and stressful, doesn’t it? Yet that is the life many dogs live.

Time for some tough love.

If your dog is not responding to something you’re asking of them, this is a opportunity for self reflection. Take a second to consider what steps you have taken and how much time you have put in to prepare them for what your asking.

If the steps taken and the time put in is very little, the responsibility for improvement is on the human, not the dog.

This involves spending time actively teaching your dog. Starting in environments that are realistic to set your dog up for success and communicating in a clear consistent manner. Keeping in mind, they don’t speak your language and it’s your job to help them form associations between words and behaviours.

This takes time. And work. And many, many repetitions.

I understand that this can seem daunting and many just don’t know where to start. That’s ok. There are professionals available to guide and support you.

But we can’t expect our dogs to be consistent and reliable if we are not willing to be.

🐶❤️

02/02/2022

Yup! 😅

31/01/2022

Happy Monday!

I want to give you all a challenge for this week!

➡️ Get to know your dog!
Research the breed of your dog (if you know it) and gain some deeper insight into why they might do some of the things that they do. What is the history of the breed? What were they originally bred for? Are there things you can do that resemble their original breeding purpose that might be super enriching and fulfilling for them? To help with this, I would highly recommend Kim Brophey’s book “Meet Your Dog”. It’s full of so much valuable information!

➡️ Also make sure you know your dog as an individual!
Yes, breeding and genetics are very relevant and I always keep that consideration in the back of my mind. But your dog is also an individual with their own preferences and personality. Give your dog some choice and control this week—as long as it’s safe and realistic. You might be surprised what you learn about them!

❤️🐶

26/01/2022

To me, training with ego means doing what benefits us and makes us look good even if it’s at the expense of what’s good for our clients and their dogs.

Ego free training means doing what’s best for the client and the dog in front of you, even if it’s tough and requires humility.

What does that look like?

It could be asking another trainer for help or advice with a case that’s more challenging than we thought.

It could be referring a client to someone else because we recognize a specific case is outside of our scope or experience.

It could be assessing our own motives and acknowledging when we are doing something for our own good rather than for the good of the dog.

It’s being honest, even if that means saying “I don’t know” or “I was wrong”.

It’s never making promises or guarantees that we can’t keep.

It’s recognizing our mistakes and learning from them.

It’s keeping an open mind and being willing to adapt and change...constantly.

Are these things easy? Hell no.

They’re challenging and uncomfortable. They take practice and a willingness to grow. And growth hurts sometimes.

Checking our egos is never fun. But the alternative is worse. Training with ego may look pompous and impressive on the surface, but underneath it is isolating and lonely. It attracts an audience but not a community.

Training ego free means being vulnerable, yes. But it provides opportunities for support and community. And perhaps most importantly, it gives others a reason to trust us. I’m ok with that trade off.

🐶❤️

24/01/2022

I can’t even with this face. 🥺🥰

22/01/2022

Getting a bit technical in today’s post!

This is an overview of the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers. Someone asked me to explain these so I thought others might benefit from the information as well.

Please let me know if you would like clarification or have any follow up questions!

🐶❤️