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10/01/2025

In the Wild Wednesday
What on Earth could be worse than a person with no education or experience representing themself to be a Dog Trainer?

A person who claims to be a "Certified Trainer" such as CCPDT, CBATI, IACPI, etc. Those acronyms look impressive on a business card, but it doesn't make them any more qualified than any other trainer. All it means is they went on a website, paid $300 - $500, took a test, and received a "certification" that is not recognized by any State or Federal agency.
Even a dog groomer has to take a state board exam and obtain a license before they shampoo your dog, but not a dog trainer.

A "certification" doesn't make dog trainer more "qualified", all it does is make them feel entitled to charge more for their services, probably because they need to pay for all those capital letters.
BTW you know who doesn't have any certifications? Cesar Millan.

An attorney friend once told me she would much rather hire a paralegal with 10 years experience, over a lawyer who just passed the bar exam.
The same concept applies to dog training.

In the dog training industry, "you get what you pay for" does NOT apply. I know trainers who would work for free, and often do, just because they love working with dogs.

And I am aware I am going to get hammered for this opinion, but it is what it is. Bring it on.

04/01/2025

Does your dog dig?
Build them a Dig Pit! I often get asked how to train their dog to stop digging holes all over their yard.
Digging is a natural instinct, so it can’t be trained out of a dog. You can only correct them (if you can catch them in the act), deter them (chemical sprays, put rocks in the holes, lay down chicken wire under the grass/ dirt) or the most effective option, give them an alternative (give them a place where it’s ok to dig).
My clients, Teresa and Robert, took my advice and look at how happy Jackie is with an outlet for her digging instincts!
Their dig pit is quite impressive, but for those less talented, filling a baby pool with dirt works too! Bury a few bones to encourage them to find that spot rewarding, and there you go. No more holes in your back yard.

02/01/2025

We said goodbye to my beloved Eleanor this morning. She was diagnosed with bone cancer in August and she was only expected to live for 2 months. She made it to Christmas and was able to ring in 2025 with us. Her paw prints will forever be on my heart.

02/01/2025

In the Wild Wednesday

Before I start this series discussing common dog behaviors that are often misinterpreted, I want to address the reason there is so much misinformation about dog behavior.
It is not the dog owner's fault.
The problem is the dog training world as a whole.
Ask 10 dog trainers a simple question about dog behavior and you will get 9 different answers.

Here's the dirty little secret about the dog training industry...

There is no local, state, or federal law that requires dog trainers to have any type of certification.
There is no government agency or accredited authority that regulates or establishes a minimum standard of education, knowledge, or experience that a person must achieve in order to legally represent themselves and do business as a dog trainer.

Anyone, without ever having trained a single dog in their life, can get business cards printed and start charging unsuspecting dog owners' money for their "services".

My hope is that those menaces to the dog training profession will at least read one book on wolves, and they aren't that hard to find. Enter "wolves nonfiction" on Amazon and you will get about 20 results for books written by a reputable scientist, usually with an impressive degree in animal science, wildlife, ecology, and/or biology.

In stark contrast, enter "dog behavior nonfiction" on Amazon, and it will result in a list of around 100 books, none of them written by a single scientist with a degree in Cynology, the scientific study of domesticated dogs. (More on this next Wednesday.)

A whole lot of dog training books are professionally published and self-published by people with questionable credentials. (See dirty little secret above.)

Why is the lack of authoritative books on dog training alarming? Because it means anyone portraying themselves to be a dog trainer can make up whatever bulls #!& that comes to their mind, and there is no accountability.

I have much more to say on this matter, but I promised to keep these weekly insights brief.
Next week I will cover a whole class of dog trainers that I think are even more dangerous than those operating without education or experience.

31/12/2024

My New Year’s Resolution for 2025 is to start a new educational series:
“In The Wild Wednesday”

Starting tomorrow, since New Year’s Day happens to fall on a Wednesday, I will post brief insights in to the world of dogs. My goal is to help pet parents understand the wild nature of dogs in hopes that it will improve their relationship with their furry four-legged family members.

The first thing I do during my free consultation is ask, “tell me what’s going on” so I can understand why they called me. I then listen patiently while my prospective client tells me everything their dog is doing wrong, and what they have done so far to try to fix it. Unfortunately, my response almost always starts with me telling them what they are doing wrong, not what the dog is doing wrong.

My next sentence usually begins with, “in the wild…” to help the pet parent understand why their human verbal communication does not translate in to a language the dog understands, and therefore the unwanted behavior is never resolved. (I will cover this in a future post.)

After the free consultation, sometimes they hire me, sometimes they don’t.
The ones I never hear from again usually decide to look for a trainer who will tell them what they want to hear…. that the problem isn’t their fault. And there are plenty of trainers out there who will do exactly that. (I’ll cover this in a future post.)

I am also inviting you to participate in a Q&A. Please submit your question through IM, not by commenting on a post. Please focus your question on how a dog’s wild instincts influences a dog’s behavior in the home, not personal questions about your dog’s particular issue. (You can contact me for a free one-on-one consultation for that.)

I am excited to start this series and I hope that you find it enjoyable as well as enlightening. Monique

29/12/2024

Dinner with a captive audience. They’re keeping a respectful distance so it’s not quite begging, but they sure are ready if anything drops on the floor! 🐾💕

22/12/2024

This video (originally posted by .training on IG) demonstrates why you should never take your dog to a dog park. Dog parks are an unnatural environment for dogs and contradicts their genetic territorial instincts. This confusion causes them to go in to fight or flight mode. Even this Golden Retriever, one of the most gentle and friendliest breeds, isn’t immune to instigating a fight. -9 Koncepts

14/06/2024

Retrieving a medicine bag from another room.

14/06/2024

When you’re feeling lazy train your dog to Get the Remote!

26/05/2024

Roll Over!

26/05/2024

Shake & High Five!

26/05/2024

Selfie!

15/05/2024

Walking at Heel

08/05/2024

5 Commands!
Place, Sit, Down, Stay, & Come.

08/05/2024

Leave It

08/05/2024

Door Manners

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Videos

Does your dog dig?

Does your dog dig? Build them a Dig Pit! I often get asked how to train their dog to stop digging holes all over their yard. Digging is a natural instinct, so it can’t be trained out of a dog. You can only correct them (if you can catch them in the act), deter them (chemical sprays, put rocks in the holes, lay down chicken wire under the grass/ dirt) or the most effective option, give them an alternative (give them a place where it’s ok to dig). My clients, Teresa and Robert, took my advice and look at how happy Jackie is with an outlet for her digging instincts! Their dig pit is quite impressive, but for those less talented, filling a baby pool with dirt works too! Bury a few bones to encourage them to find that spot rewarding, and there you go. No more holes in your back yard.

Why Dog Parks Are Bad

This video (originally posted by @k9koncepts.training on IG) demonstrates why you should never take your dog to a dog park. Dog parks are an unnatural environment for dogs and contradicts their genetic territorial instincts. This confusion causes them to go in to fight or flight mode. Even this Golden Retriever, one of the most gentle and friendliest breeds, isn’t immune to instigating a fight. @K-9 Koncepts