Question 1

How did I get started training dogs?

Accepted Answer

I've been involved with dogs my entire life. There are photos of me only a few weeks old surrounded by a litter of puppies my parents were fostering. I've grown up with a passion for animals and everyone who knew me knew that I would find a career working with one.

I had been taking pre-med veterinary classes the year I became disabled. My schooling was unfortunately put on pause while we figured out the mystery ailment(s) that were reeking havoc on my life. During this time, my doctor suggested looking into a service dog so that I could regain some independence. Unfortunately, at the time, the only option available to me was to work privately with a trainer while raising the dog myself.

It didn't take long while training my first prospect to realize I was in love with dog training. Not long after training my first prospect, I began studying to become a professional trainer myself. I have been training dogs professionally since 2016.

Question 2

What are your qualifications to train dogs?

Accepted Answer

I am a certified as a dog trainer by Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT). My certification from this council is Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). This certification is an intense process to ensure that I have appropriate experience (minimum 500 hours dog training and a reputable reference from another qualified trainer or a veterinarian) and pass a test to ensure my knowledge is accurate.

Additionally, I received a certification from the Fear Free certification board. This certification allows me to partner with your veterinary team to ensure successful visits to the vet, teaching cooperative care methods, as well as helping pets overcome things that may induce fear. While this certification is a bit new, the concepts that it stands for is something I have been utilizing in my training plans for a very long time.

While these are currently my only certifications in dog training, in my opinion, the learning never ends. Dog training is an ever changing field of study and it is my goal to always stay at the forefront of knowledge in the field.

Lastly, I am affiliated with many professional dog training organizations. I am a member of the American Kennel Club evaluators, The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and The Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).

If you have any additional questions about my professional education or experience related to dog training, I am always happy to discuss this.

Question 3

What is your training methodology?

Accepted Answer

A good dog trainer should be willing to be as open about this question as possible. There are 1,001 ways to train something. So how did I come to the method that I did when choosing how I would go about training the dogs in our program? Before I dive into my personal methodology, I want to make sure we are on the same page about the varying types of methodologies in dog training.

The following chart shows the different quadrants of dog training.

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Many trainers utilize the above four quadrants in various ways, which leads to many different names for training methods. You may have heard of terms like "positive reinforcement", "force free", "L.I.M.A.", "balanced", "dominance training", or compulsion. So which of these do I ascribe to and why?

Personally, I consider my training style to be Force Free, Fear Free, and Least Intrusive Minimally Aversive (L.I.M.A.) based. These three have several common traits that I identify with.  While they do have many similarities, I go by all three labels to avoid confusion regarding my methods.

Force free and Fear Free methods rely strictly on Positive Reinforcement (R+) and Negative Punishment (P-) to train and avoid using negative reinforcement and positive punishment. Instead, we will utilize alternative measures to decrease unwanted behaviors or increase wanted behaviors.

If that is the case, why do I also identify with the L.I.M.A. training style? I still go under this name because, personally, I feel the guidelines for L.I.M.A. are more cut and dry. I appreciate the steps laid out for the order that I should undertake when training a dog to do a certain behavior. L.I.M.A. lays these steps out in the "Humane Hierarchy". As someone who is a Fear Free Certified Professional, which is a certification which encourages me to reduce fear in my client's dogs and partner with their vet team, I really appreciate the first step of the Humane Hierarchy. This step encourages us to ensure the pet is healthy and there is no medical reason that a certain behavior is occurring. Additionally, it suggests consulting with a vet to ensure that we can't improve the situation with medical care. This is an often forgotten step when dealing with behavior issues that can make a very large difference in the success of training. Additionally, the Humane Hierarchy ensures we set our dog's up for success, which is they key to succeeding in dog training with positive reinforcement.

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Knowing all of this, why do I go by all three labels?

Some people may still use method that involve positive punishment while considering themselves L.I.M.A. Up until a few years ago, this was considered acceptable by APDT and IAABC, the creators of this training protocol. I want to distinguish myself from these trainers so my clients know what to expect in my lessons. Additionally, I go by all three labels because I am a certified Fear Free Trainer. With this being a specialty that not many people can claim to be apart of, I want others to know how this certification impacts my training style.

Question 4

If you don't add punishment, how do stop "bad" behavior?

Accepted Answer

The first step for me to discourage "bad" behavior is to figure out the reason why (the "goal") the dog has when performing this behavior.

Example: Many puppies and dogs jump on their human counterparts to get attention.

The first step in this process is to figure out why the dog currently finds this situation rewarding?

Example: Yelling "no!" at them still is rewarding them with the attention the dog is seeking out.

Next, I need to figure out how I can manage my environment to set my dog up for success.

Example: my dog jumps on my family and myself when we first get home. So, I might consider having my dog behind a gate inside my home. This way, he no longer can jump up on me. If he jumps up on the gate, I can disengage by turning my back or leaving the room.

Once I know the goal and how to set my dog up for success, I will try to find a preferable behavior that will achieve the same goal but be incompatible with the current "bad" behavior. The key is to reward the good, alternative behavior while avoiding reinforcing the "bad" behavior.

Example: I taught my dog to lay down inside the gated area before I come fully inside and give him attention. If he were to get up and try to jump, I would once again exit and start over. To ensure my dog truly finds this more valuable than jumping, I give him both food and praise.

Over time, you will see the dog vastly prefers to do the preferable action rather than the "bad" behavior we were struggling with before. This was all without using any form of punishment to correct the behavior and instead redirect it to a preferable action.

Question 5

Other than service dogs, what else do you train dogs for?

Accepted Answer

While training service dogs is my passion, there are many other training goals I frequently help others achieve.

I train a lot of non-service dogs in obedience. I train therapy dogs intended to help the general public. I use behavior modification to teach a dog alternative behaviors we'd prefer instead of the ones we consider "bad". I train with reactive dogs to help them become less reactive towards certain situations. I also work a lot with cooperative care to help dogs lend a hand in taking care of their own health and wellbeing. Do you want to train for a goal not listed here? Reach out and see if it is something we can accommodate. If not, I am happy to help refer you to a trainer that may be better equipped to train with you.