Cold Nose College, Space Coast, FLA

06/01/2022

A New Year, a New Website! We’ve grown and changed with the times and are thrilled to announce our new website that reflects the virtual dog training we provide to clients around the globe. No matter where you live—here or abroad—you can train with us.
Take a tour of the site and you'll see additional talented trainers, new services for pet guardians, along with coaching and mentoring for aspiring professional trainers, and behavior case support services for Pet Pros. And we still have a specialty in helping clients whose dogs suffer from separation anxiety. Whether you’re planning ahead for a new puppy, concerned about fear and anxiety or serious behavior problems, simply want a well-mannered dog, or already have a new puppy wreaking not-always-adorable havoc, we can help. And please help us by sharing the site or this post with your dog-loving family and friends.
Because we are fully virtual now, all of the Cold Nose College locations on Facebook are joining the main CNC page to create one convenient location for our amazing clients to continue to find helpful information. If you haven't already, please visit and like www.facebook.com/coldnosecollege today.
Wishing each of you a year ahead filled with the joy of your animals beside you. https://www.coldnosecollege.com

Cold Nose College dog training canine graduates are a joy to live with, and the envy of neighbors and friends. Contact us today!

05/02/2021

https://bigthink.com/amp/dogs-fresh-less-2650296263

A new study finds that dogs fed fresh human-grade food don't need to eat—or do their business—as much.

05/01/2021

Beautiful!
https://mymodernmet.com/dog-photography-audrey-bellot/

Humans aren't the only ones who can have photos of themselves from their travels to beautiful landscapes. These doggos have their own Instagram-worthy travel photos!

31/12/2020

Here’s some Moonpie videos to make you smile. ☺️

30/12/2020

We wish you all a safe and happy New Year!

25/12/2020

Merry Christmas from our family to yours. 🎄🎁🐾

24/12/2020

This week, we’ll have a Thursday Funny! Happy Howlidays to you and yours!

23/12/2020

Please always try to stop and remember this.

22/12/2020

...Understanding your dog’s mind can not only sate your curiosity about your companion but can also help you ensure your pup lives a good, happy life. The more you know about your furry friends the more you can do to meet their needs...
https://www.inverse.com/science/the-psychology-behind-a-dogs-happiness

The more you know about your furry friend, the more you can do to meet their needs, according to a psychologist. Here's how to know what they need to lead happy lives.

17/12/2020

12/12/2020

Learning to understand what your dog needs and how to communicate with her clearly is what I hope to teach every client with whom I have the pleasure of working.

COMMUNICATION 📡

Good communication is not about how well your dog responds to your cues when you present them, that is only the final product of a previous history on you listening to your dog - and the context of the moment.

Listening by first training in low distraction environments with simple, clear cues followed by rewards your dog finds motivating.

Listening by not asking your dog to do something which isn't necessary, is arbitrary or compromises them.

Listening by not suppressing their emotions through aversive tools, punishment or corrections.

Listening by stepping in to speak up when outsiders invade their space, comfort or safety.

Listening by educating yourself with an ability to observe your dog's body language, understand it and take appropriate action.

Listening by assessing situations, environments and routines to provide our dogs with comfort and security.

Listening by meeting our dogs needs as a dog, not what we think their needs are.

When we take the time to listen we learn that not only are our dogs are great communicators, but a lot of what we ask them is completely unnecessary and/or too difficult in the context we are asking it for.

29/11/2020

Your Sunday (Holiday) Funny. ☺️

26/11/2020

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

24/11/2020

A little polar bear clicker training to start your day. ☺️

21/11/2020

Reactive behavior is the tip of the iceberg. It’s what we see: the lunging, the barking, the snarling, the growling, etc. It’s what’s above the surface and it’s what we often want to stop. What we don’t see and what’s driving this behavior is the rest of the iceberg below: the fear, the anxiety, the stress, the frustration. So if we want the behavior to change, we need to look at the root cause, not just the symptoms.

When we change how a dog feels about a trigger, we help change how they act around it. We do this through the application of modern, science-based positive reinforcement behavior modification techniques including desensitization, counter-conditioning, and reinforcement of alternative behaviors.

What we don’t do to change how a dog feels about a trigger is use punishment and aversive tools such as prong or shock collars. No matter how these tools are marketed, packaged, and sold to us, and no matter how “properly” or “correctly” we use them, they work by means of pain and fear avoidance. They “work” by stopping the behaviors we see—the barking, the lunging, the growling. They “work” by temporarily suppressing these behaviors. They “work” by addressing the symptoms not the cause. They “work” by trying to chip away at the tip of the iceberg. But even if the entire tip is gone, the mammoth below remains.

What also remain are the countless risks associated with the use of pain-based tools including increased fear, anxiety, stress, avoidance, aggression, and behavioral shutdown.

The year is 2019, folks. Let’s get real. Don’t mistake behavior suppression for behavior modification. If your dog needs help, hire a reputable professional who understands the science of behavior and has the education, skillset, and experience (yes, those matter!) to create real, lasting, and humane behavior change.

18/11/2020

This is beautifully explained and important to remember. There are certainly some breed characteristics, but every dog is still very much an individual.

When dog owners contact me for help with their dogs, I am often asked some variation of the following:

1. Do you have experience with Flying Unidoodles?
2. Will your methods work on a dog that was previously used as a coffee table?
3. Can you help with our dog that we're pretty sure was born under a Super Moon?

Replace the silly stuff with real breeds and histories, and they're just as useless to me. Because when it comes to changing an existing behavior, none of it matters.

I see you warming up your fingers to furiously refute what I just wrote:

"You absolutely MUST know the traits of the breed you're working with! Flying Unidoodles are COMPLETELY different from Venutian Skating Dogs!"

"But you have to know a dog's history before you work with it! Otherwise, you might not know that the dog was used as a NIGHTSTAND and not a coffee table!"

"Super Moon dogs are notoriously difficult to housetrain and if you don't know that going in, you might miss something!"

Here's the thing: If any of this were true, then stray dogs of unknown backgrounds and breed mixes could never be trained successfully. And we know that's not true.

Of course, I always take a thorough history when working with a new dog. But not for those reasons.

Taking a history helps me determine whether or not there might be a medical condition that requires a referral to the vet before starting any training.

I can sometimes learn enough about the dog's background to pinpoint the origin of the problem, like a lack of socialization, traumatic experience, etc. But, again, with dogs from shelters and rescues, we can sometimes only speculate.

It also helps me determine whether or not there are environmental factors or things in the dog's daily routine that might be contributing to the problem.

Most importantly, taking a thorough history helps me identify a pattern for the behavior, including what triggers the problem, so that I can develop a management and training plan.

But, when it comes to actually changing the behavior, breed, origin, and prior learning history (via abuse, neglect, or just bad training) don't play much of a role in my behavior plan.

Because I can't go back and change those things. Knowing about them might allow me to explain the behavior to the dog's owner (so they are more sympathetic to the dog and so they might avoid making a similar mistake with future dogs). But, if we don't know the dog's history, it doesn't hinder my ability to change behavior.

I am going to customize my plan to that individual dog, not the breed, not where they came from, and not based on past learning history.

We don't have special collars for dogs born under a Super Moon, or patented techniques for Venutian Skating Dogs used as coffee tables.

What matters is the behavior the dog is presenting at this point in time, what triggers the behavior, and what the outcome is for the dog after he/she exhibits the behavior, which helps us determine the motivation for the behavior.

From there, we can develop a plan for that individual that decreases stress, increases tolerance, changes associations, and teaches alternatives to increase future success.

Does it help to know breed traits and quirks? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Breed is a combination of selected traits, but that doesn't mean all individuals of the breed are identical or motivated by the same things. We do a huge disservice to dogs when we assume that they behave the same just because they look the same.

Having worked with 150 breeds and over 4,000 dogs over the last 15 years, I have learned not to make any assumptions about a dog based on breed. They all need us to adapt to them, not force them into a box of stereotypes.

That said, when working with a Flying Unidoodle, I do recommend having a plan in place for strategic treat delivery. Those horns are sharp, especially when they are young!

When seeking a trainer, don't stop your search just because a trainer seems to have experience with your dog's breed or background. Keep asking more questions to determine their expertise.

See "Getting Help For Your Dog" under Notes to learn more.