~ Training Philosophy ~
We use primarily positive reinforcement to teach dogs, which means we use food and toys to motivate dogs for training. Our training approach is rooted in establishing trust and helping you build great relationships with your dogs.
We don't use tools like choke chains, prong collars and e-collars primarily because we have never found any need to use them. Along with the many fallouts of using punishment, dogs can build resilience to punishment delivered through any tool, so I choose to train via motivation. Think of it as the difference between "do this because it is awesome and you want to" vs "do this or else...".
We teach you the difference between bribes and reinforcement - they are not the same. Simply using food in training doesn't necessarily mean you are training with positive reinforcement- there is an effective way to do it without food becoming a crutch in training, which means you can learn to transition away from food rewards.
We keep up with the latest in behavior science and training by taking lots of continuing education classes and attending conferences like the Clicker Expo and the Aggression in Dogs Conference. Click here for a list of my education.
