Canine Development and Testing

Three trainers. Same dog. Same problems.

I promise you it’s not your dog. It’s the approach.

Most training works in a quiet room with no distractions and a treat in hand, but that’s not what your life looks like.

We make sure your dog’s skills and mindset match your lifestyle.

DM us “Kibbles” to chat about your dog. We’re happy to be your last dog trainer.

Your dog’s reinforcer should make them look powerful, speedy, and committed.

Your dog can only be as driven for the behavior as they are for what comes after it. If they aren’t motivated for their reinforcer, the work will be flat.

If you want to start working on this today, stop using your reinforcer to lure or prompt a behavior. Make a strong association that the market predicts the reinforcer. Reserve it exclusively for after the mark. The moment it becomes predictable in your hand, it loses power.

Comment KIBBLES below if you want help building this kind of motivation with your dog.

I avoid having strangers give my dogs treats in most scenarios, especially for dogs with a history of stranger directed aggression. Instead…

Go for a walk.
Off-leash if you can. Let your dog move freely, make space, take in the new person’s vibe on their own terms. Use a muzzle so if your dog makes an inappropriate choice, they fail safely.

Play.
The known handler starts the game — throw the ball, let the dog bring it back. Then pass the ball to the new person to throw. Suddenly, the stranger is the best thing that’s happened all afternoon.

Both of these work because the dog never has to choose between comfort and connection. They get to warm up naturally, and every rep is a deposit in the bank with new people instead of eroding trust.

But here’s what I love just as much…these strategies give the human something to do.

“No touch, no talk, no eye contact” sounds simple, but it’s basically reverse psychology. Tell someone not to look at the dog and watch what happens. These strategies redirect that energy into action.

Comment KIBBLES to chat about your dog!

The boring reps. The early mornings. The endless drills. Many days look and feel unremarkable. Until one day, it starts to look like success.

Consistency over intensity.

PSA: Your dog doesn’t need to be constantly entertained or “under command” on place to be well-behaved.

Nobody told them to go find a stick. They just did.
That’s what happens when your dog understands their windows of opportunity. If I haven’t opened a session for play or training, or running around, they choose something calm on their own.

That comes from coaching choices every single day. just good ‘ole fashion consistency and feedback. Place training is easier for most people which is why as trainers, we reach for that skill. But it doesn’t have to be the case. I don’t like with my dogs like that.

When people come over or we’re at a family BBQ, I’m not worried about what my dogs are doing. They read the room and make appropriate choices because I’ve spent a ton of time exposing them and coaching them.

Comment KIBBLES and let’s chat about how to help your dogs learn to read a room!

Many people that call us about their dog think the crate looks like a cage. It feels like punishment. Or prison.

So they leave their dog with full run of the house because it feels kind.

But here’s what that dog is actually experiencing….

Every sound, every movement, every door, every car, it’s all incoming information your dog needs to process.

The crate is the only place in the house where nothing is being asked of that dog. No decisions to make. No environment to monitor. No threats to assess.

That’s not cruel. That’s the most generous thing you can give a nervous system that is struggling to regulate.

Clarity is kindness.

DM “Kibbles” to chat about your dog!