For PETS Dog Training: Pawsitive Education, Training & Services, LLC

19/07/2024

My Siberian Husky service dog with a smaller dog he met a few minutes before. Elsie was uninterested in making friends, and Takoda politely agreed.

14/07/2024

Another 5 star review. Thank you!
This Anatolian Shepherd mix takes guarding his people very seriously! So seriously that he cannot relax around strangers.
Teaching His people to recognize his communication signals, And how to be Their dog's leader while respecting his emotional state (feelings), will help decrease the unwanted behavior of active guarding.

See short video in comments.

02/07/2024

Today, I started a new course to better support dogs with anxiety. Even with minimal exposure, Animal Centered Education greatly affected my bond with Artemis and her confidence in the world. Enrolling in this initial course and progressing to the more advanced ones will expand my abilities, resources, and understanding to benefit your dogs.

Animal Centred Education (ACE) is an integrated and mutli-modal approach approach to animal well-being and education. It has been developed by animal educator and behaviour advisor, Sarah Fisher.

27/06/2024

I don't want a robodog, I don't want my dog to pull me everywhere. I don't mind if they are out in front, as long as they walk with manners. Teaching those manners starts with me.

23/06/2024

16/06/2024

Always check.

12/06/2024

I am so glad that there are many other good dog trainers out there.

I am also glad that they make educational memes like this so I can share them.

28/05/2024

Beautiful.

22/05/2024

Turid Rugaas created a chart that shows early stress signals from dogs and how they escalate as stress increases.

Lately, I've been talking to people who had incidents with dogs misbehaving, claiming there was no warning. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the dogs that were punished for their actions.

The dogs are skilled communicators, while the caretakers struggle to comprehend their signals.

While dog communication may be distinct from human communication, they do have their own way of 'speaking' to us if we are attentive. When their 'speech' ceases, it's typically due to humans disregarding or penalizing their previous communication efforts. What is the solution to this problem? We explore how dogs communicate.😁

20/05/2024

Pedigree dog food recall:

Mars Petcare US is voluntarily recalling 315 bags of PEDIGREE® Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food in the 44 lb. bag size only, due to the potential presence of loose metal pieces in the bag. The affected products have a Best By Date of March 4, 2025 and Lot Code ...

17/05/2024

Pictures after a puppy training session yesterday. This little cutie is smart and clever!

21/04/2024

Artemis came to me an anxious 4-month-old puppy that was afraid of the world. She would freeze or bolt when frightened (which was often). Nothing terrible ha...

23/03/2024

Afraid grain free dog foods are bad and will cause heart issues because of all of the supposed "evidence"? It was a scam (with cherry-picked information and outright lies) by a few veterinarians who received a great deal of money from pet food manufacturers who were losing money to the high end dog food market, and all of the evidence is now being released as part of the lawsuit. Read the evidence.

Kibble has only been in wide use since the 1950's- dogs ate what their humans were eating for THOUSANDS of years and lived well into their teens...

As humans we are told that highly processed foods are bad, its the same for dogs.

And they have a slew of evidence to back up their claims.

06/03/2024

Truth bomb...

03/03/2024

Dog training. No hype, no gimmicks, no pain. I will teach you to understand your dog and show you how to communicate your rules and boundaries to them so they understand and listen.
Visit www.forpetsllc.com
to learn more.

17/02/2024

Have you ever thought how frightening it must be to be taken from your family by strangers, brought to a strange place where you don't speak the language, don't know the rules, has unfamiliar smells and sounds and be expected to just behave?
As humans, it is up to us to be good stewards of our dogs. We need to learn to understand how they communicate, what they need, and to treat them fairly!

18/12/2023

I have been sick, off and on, since before Halloween. I am working with my doctor to get well. Please be patient when contacting me..

25/11/2023

This blog post is a statement of my position on aversive training methods.

25/11/2023

What do I do when I am going on week 4 of two different 'sicks' (bronchitis and now sinus infection)?
I get caught up on my continuing education!
The picture below is of the presentation by Victoria Stillwell at the Dog Behavior Conference.

16/11/2023

Avoid Dog "Trainers" That Promote Using Pain and Fear to "Train.

"Training" a dog using aversive methods such as shock collars, prong collars, choking, hitting, etc. has been shown to induce stress, causing these dogs to develop other negative, unwanted behaviors including anxiety and aggression. Aversive methods also switch on the part of the dog's brain that controls fight or flight responses; when in this state, true learning is inhibited and fear-based responses are developed instead (this is an extreme simplification as the process that takes place in the sympathetic nervous system is complex, involving several parts of the brain, nervous system, and hormonal responses).

Rewards-based training that focuses on teaching the dog The Right Thing To Do has been proven to develop calmer, happier-to-please dogs that do not tend to develop anxiety and aggression issues (when the training is CORRECTLY implemented). This type of training induces a calm, even eager state where the dog is better able to learn and retain information.

Rewards-based training requires patience, learning, thought, and skill (that can be developed) on the part of the human.

A "dog trainer" resorting to aversive methods shows a lack of skill, lack of education, and lack of willingness to learn.

I learned dog training during a time when aversive methods were normal. They were quick, easy, and effective in intimidating that dog to do what the human wanted. I saw the cowering, yelping, submission urinating, and other stress behaviors and left dog training. I was learning from highly regarded trainers at that time...

When I discovered rewards-based training about ten years ago I came back to dog training and began learning again. The education I have received, coupled with my over 40 years of experience give me a unique perspective on which training methods are actually more effective and healthier for the dog.

Working in the veterinary field also gave me the opportunity to see which trainers had higher behavioral euthanasia rates for the dogs they worked with, and their own. The Aversive trainers had much higher behavioral euthanasia rates.

Aversive methods are simply easier for the "trainer" who cares more about their own ego than the dogs' well-being. Rewards-based training actually teaches the dog the right things in a way that is fair and promotes long-term retention (and takes more time and dedication from the trainer).

Dog training methods range broadly from those using mostly positive punishment and negative reinforcement (aversive-based) to those using primarily positive reinforcement (reward-based). Although aversive-based training has been strongly criticized for negatively affecting dog welfare, there is no c...

21/10/2023

Artemis had another outing to WalMart to see if she would trust the boots on the slippery floor. They worked! I had to sit on the floor with her, have Takoda walk a few feet away, and give her lots of encouragement and treats- but she did it. No force, no pain. I allowed her to take the time she needed to figure out that she could now walk on the scary floor without slipping and falling.

18/10/2023

These guests came to my Sniffspot today! I love seeing such joy from a dog!

Check out Rachel Senechal's video.

14/09/2023

I'm tired of being told that my repulsion for punitive and aversive training is a lack of knowledge or skills. I'm tired of being told that my 7 years of studying, qualifications and experience working with dogs couldn't possibly stand up to the Facebook expert.
I'm tired of being told that force free training is limited and that it only works with some breeds. I'm tired of seeing friends and fellow force free trainers being accused of abuse because they refuse to defend those that would abuse dogs in the name of training.

I choose not to use aversives because I know how they work and their purpose. There is no magic or skill involved, it is designed to be unpleasant and its purpose is to intimidate, control and suppress. I choose to avoid punitive training because of my education and experience. Countless studies demonstrate the harm that aversives inflict and how they impact learning and welfare. Force free training is being used worldwide with a variety of species. If it works with gorillas, tigers and crocodiles, it works with any dog breed.
We will not empathise with abusive dog trainers because we do not want to give them a platform, whereby they can destroy even more dogs. We have plenty to learn from qualified trainers that do not compromise training ethics.

Qualified dog trainers shouldn't have to compete with trainers that only care about tik tok videos and forced compliance. Every force free trainer could use aversives with the same outcome. We choose not to because we understand the consequences and prioritise welfare and long-term results over followers and profit.

-Holly Leake

Please feel free to share but do not copy and paste without credit.

09/09/2023

Sometimes other trainers say it perfect so I don't need to!

Some basic tips..

Reinforcement drives behaviour. If the outcome is worth it, they’ll keep doing it. Remember it’s from their perspective, not yours.

Dominance is a thing. You just don’t have to worry about it.

Not all dogs are equal. You’ll have a very different experience with a bull dog compared to a husky. Genetics really do matter.

Aggression is normal. Don’t lose your mind if or more likely when it occurs. I guarantee, you won’t go through your life never arguing with anyone again.

If you don’t like something your dog is doing, don’t keep letting them do it. If they keep running off, put them on a lead. If they keep jumping on people, put them on a lead. You can’t train a dog if you don’t manage the bad stuff.

Dogs focus more on visual stuff, not verbal stuff. Concentrate more on what you’re doing, not what you’re saying.

Dogs have needs. Before you expect them to behave how you want them to, make sure you’re letting them be a dog.

If you want the dog on your sofa or the bed, let them on. They won’t try and take over the household no matter what anyone tells you.

The dog daddy is a terrible dog trainer and a massive t**t.

All the best.

Also, subscribe to our website for our exclusive content:

www.Thinkdog.nz

05/09/2023

I stand with the thousands of dog trainers speaking out against the dog daddy, and calling for his arrest for animal cruelty.

03/09/2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvyciw2q3IE

📍TORONTO 🇨🇦 PEACEFUL PROTEST THIS WEEKEND! Andre Yeu from When Hounds Fly Dog Training went on CBC Toronto to discuss “Dog Daddy” Augusto DeOliveira, who ...

27/08/2023

Another great article that discusses the dangers and (lack of) ethics of using pain and fear to 'train' dogs.

The word ‘dominance’ has become a dirty word in the dog training world. It’s become emotionally charged and we usually can’t use it without stirring up a hornet’s nest. Even at university we were a…

19/08/2023

I expanded my outdoor dog training area and will be offering the space as a SniffSpot, as well as beginning training again.

The Pooch Playground SniffSpot is nearly done! The rain really slowed us down.

We need to finish up driveway repairs.

Not pictured are the stick box, wading pool, ball pit, small wiggle platform, 2 pause platforms, and a tunnel, which will be set up tomorrow morning.
More toys and equipment will be added over time.