This training is all about communication with your dog….letting your dog know in a clear and simple way what is expected of him.
Imagine for a moment that you are in a foreign land where you don’t know how to read, write, or communicate with anyone around you. Maybe you have just been taken away from everyone you know and loved. You are confused and have no idea what you are supposed to be doing, and everyone around you is touching you, talking to you and trying to get you to do things. So you try, but you simply can’t do what they are asking and ultimately you end up making up your own rules and doing things your way. That is literally the way most dogs navigate through our world. I will help you change that for your dog.
I will provide you with a training program that will work….but in order for it to work, you have to be truly ready to make some changes and everyone in the house will need to be on board with the process. The reason that I stress this is because if you aren’t ready to fully commit, it is not something that you want to start because you will end up frustrated and wasting your money due to lack of effort.
Daily exercise with your dog is so important to this process….it doesn’t have to be a marathon run or a multiple mile walk, but you do need to get out and take your dog on a structured walk, even if it’s a short one, every day. This will do wonders for your dog’s state of mind and for your relationship with your dog.
We do not necessarily need to address specific behaviors with this training program. I know that sounds strange, but if we started addressing one behavior at a time, we would chase behaviors all day long. What we aim to do instead is to help change your dog’s state of mind. So many dogs are anxious, over-adrenalized, insecure, and just overall unsure how to navigate the human world. We will teach them how to be CALM and show you how to communicate with them, and that is where the magic happens.
If you have more than one dog, you may have identified one of your dogs as causing the most problems. Often times people find out through this process that the problem they had thought was the issue, is only a symptom of the problem. Regardless, you need to be on board with having every dog in your house engaged in the training process. Working with one dog, but not the others will leave you chasing your own tail, so to speak, and you will quickly become frustrated.
While there are lots of boundaries and clarity that will be provided to your dog, this is a process that you will also enjoy. This is NOT at all an all work and no play situation…..you and your dog will develop a much stronger relationship as a result of this training. Life in general will become more enjoyable. Your dog will feel more secure and more confident. You as an owner, will truly know how to communicate with your dog in a way that he understands.
And last but definitely not least, this is truly a joint effort…..I will help you help your dog BUT your follow through at home will be paramount to this process working. I will give you the tools and techniques to build your dog’s skills and if you practice consistently with your dog, I promise you, these skills will show up when you need them.