TRUTHS TRAINERS DON'T TELL YOU & WHY CHANGE SEEMS SO HARD

Change doesn't have to be so difficult.

1. CONSISTENT ROUTINES ARE ALL IT TAKES: Formal mechanical training has its time & place, but the average dog owner needs a dog that learns their lifestyle. I teach you how to use what you are already doing and saying to train your dog. No extra time, energy, or waiting. Get results starting today.

2. DOGS ARE BRED TO BARK TO GUARD RESOURCES (and lunge, and pul,l and jump, and...). Training them not to guard resources works, but my methods use simple tweaks to what you are already doing to get results right away.

3. DOGS LIVE IN THEIR SURVIVAL BRAIN: Fight, flight, freeze, fawn. We live in our Think & Learn Brain (and even that is debatable sometimes). A dog that is barking at your neighbors in the hallway is convinced they are a serial killer coming to kill us all and take our resources. (And they might be right!) Your dog is bred to do what they are doing in that moment to guard or get resources, and they believe it is life or death. Even if it is a piece of pillow fluff. My methods teach you how to use and work with this TODAY.

4. DOGS ARE OVERWHELMED MOST OF THE TIME. Dogs live taking in every one of their 5 senses to decide: friend, foe, food. Every sound, sight, etc, is a signal they are filtering to figure out how to guard or get their resources. Knowing this helps us cut them a little slack. And we can still work with this to get different behaviors and teach safety and confidence, even amongst our serial killer neighbor!

5. NO ONE WANTS TO TRAIN. EVEN TRAINERS! There's a running joke that trainers' dogs are always the worst-behaved. It's because we do it all day and don't have the time or energy when we are home. Sound familiar? I realized we need to use our lifestyles to teach our dogs what they are supposed to do and when. It's that easy.

EXERCISE TO SEE HOW IT WORKS, PRICING, PROOF.

EXERCISE

IT WORKS!

EXERCISE

Pick up your dog's leash. Your dog most likely gets really excited and they run, jump, etc. Think of going in slow motion and just gently crouch or sit down and wait for them to come to you. If they are already there expending their excitement on you, just remain calm and let it slow down naturally. Don’t look at your dog too much and try to be at a slight angle from them. Looking at, facing and excitedly talking to dogs excites dogs, even if our tone is frustrated or stern. Speak in a slow, calming tone as you cheer them on and share that you are excited, too and so on. You can softly pet your pup, just remaining as calm by example, as possible. The goal is to start to notice your dog slowing down and calmding down faster than before. You could add a gentle treat scatter on the floor and clip the leash while your dog is scavenging (the snuffling of hte nose releases calming chemicals). Put your energy and effort into this new pattern doing the same things just in different ways and it will take the same time and energy bu with a calmer dog, over time. Your dog will not be totally calm, but this one exercise shows you how it works. We are already picking up the leash, tyng to grab out dog, probably saying a lot of things that aren’t working “calm down! Stop!” or “We’re GOING FOR A WALK!” You might not mind your dog being excited in this scenario, that is ok! I am just illustrating the power of our routines and how tiny tweakes can change the energy and behvaiors. And this is what we will do around every behavior you need help with. Its this effortless and simple. WE can always add behaviors to the routine, like “sit”, “wait”, “let’s go”. But just try this exercise and you will get the idea!

PRICING

IT WORKS!

EXERCISE

In-person:

$250: 75 Min Initial Consultation (IC)

$165/hour after that

$800: Bundles of 5 Sessions (IC and 4 One Hours)

IT WORKS!

You are most likely here because you searched for “dog trainers” or “dog trainer near me”, and need help teaching your dog to do wanted behaviors and to stop doing unwanted behaviors. And we all know that training reqiures time, energy, patience and commitment. It takes time to see the changes. There are constant interruptions and regressions, and we often feel like we are starting at square one again. We might not have the time, energy or money to allocate to training. My system addresses all of this.

I developed this method during the darkest time of my life. I divorced an abusive man, moved, restarted my business and life as a ssingle-income, middle-aged woman. I was at my bottom and I had very little motivation to train dogs. I realized we needed a new way. That the existing ways asked too much, we needed a way that required less of us, not more. That was when that I started noticing that my habits and routines were training my dogs and I could use this. I could use the time and energy I was already using and tweak it a bit ot train. And it worked. That is what I present to you today!

eBooks Above:

OH! One more thought - you are already, undoubtedly, doing searches for “How to get your dog to stop lunging and barking on walks” or “How to get your dog to eat” or ”My dog bit our son“. Check out my eBooks above or easy, instant help wiht your most challenging behaviors. New books are being added weekly.

Free YouTube Below

Scroll down for some FREE easy info that will help you understand your dog a little bit better after reading. TTYS!

WHAT YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU!

KEY THINGS YOUR DOG NEEDS YOU TO KNOW RIGHT NOW:

The source of your dog’s unwanted behaviors is stress.
Stress reactions are biological survival reactions and cannot be trained out.
When overreacting your dog is in Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fawn. I call this the 4F Brain.
When in survival mode, some senses are dulled and your dog will not listen, eat, respond because they cannot do that and survive at the same time.
Once a dog is 100% in the 4F Brain it takes a lot of time and patience to help them calm down again and return to the Think & Learn Brain.
They are not “stubborn”, they are overwhelmed. This system helps them feel less overwhelmed in life!
Good stress and bad stress are the same stress.
Exaggerated, over-the-top, over-reactive behaviors, good or bad, are the result of stress.
Over-reactions stem from 3 things: Excitement, Fear, Aggression.
We will ID your dog’s stressors
We will ID your dog’s emotions.
We will reduce the intensity of your dog’s stress reaction.
We will shorten the amount of time your dog is in the stress reaction.
We will reduce the intensity of the emotions your dog has about the stressor.
We will teach you and your dog new behaviors to do before, during and after a stress reaction.
We will work on changes we can make in your dog’s life, inside and outside the home, to help them feel less stress 24/7.
Your dog will start to feel more calm, confident and safe as soon as we start with the above list.

REDUCED STRESS = FASTER LEARNING

WHAT YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU!

REDUCED STRESS, MANAGEMENT AND TRAINING:

Reduced stress will make all training easier, effective, expedient. No living being can learn best when stressed.
Management is the things we can do/change in the immediate situation to reduce stress. It’s our “Get outta dodge” go-to. The dog does not need to know the stressor is there. Sometimes this is the best option for safety and sanity.
Training involves pairing the stressors with good things while teaching new behaviors. This means the dog needs to know the stressor is present in order to learn new responses, emotions and behaviors.
Sometimes management and training overlap. Anytime your dog knows the stressor is there and good things are happening they are learning. Even if they are going ballistic. Some part of their brain is perceiving new good things happening. This is how we start to get the dog to snap out of it, refocus on us and engage in the new behaviors. This is how we start to get your dog to calm down faster, after a stress reaction.
Our goal is to transform your dog’s perception of, experience of, emotions about and behaviors towards the things that cause stress. The above step is the first step.

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR DOG RIGHT NOW!

WHAT YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU!

HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR DOG RIGHT NOW!

WHAT THIS PROCESS REQUIRES OF YOU:

Management and training takes commitment, consistency, repetition and patience. Your dog’s ability to transform is directly dependent on your investment in this training. If you are ready to make real changes, you will commit, be consistent and have patience in and trust for your dog and the process. I give you the tools and skills and it is up to you to use them. Your success will be in direct proportion to your use of what I teach you.
Mistakes will be made. Certain stressors will not be able to be avoided. Your dog will have good days and bad days. We will work with all of this. This is not about perfection. This is not a race. It is a marathon but it will be FUN! And learning will still happen and things will still progress even through the natural foibles of life.
A bit about methods. Please know that I hold no judgment to anything you have tried to help yours and your dog’s stress and to make you both feel more safe, calm and confident. But what many people do not know is that some methods increase stress and make the problem worse. Flexibility and compassion reduce stress while control, corrections and force increase stress. The first is the force-free science based method that I use to teach humans and dogs. This approach allows the dog to be a partner in their learning process. This builds relationships and expedites learning.

The latter, while often well-intended, can have negative consequences such as dependency on the equipment, impeded learning and harmed relations. This methodology also uses the calculation of failures to train, rather than successes. The dog who is taught to walk with a prong collar will not know how to walk with you without the prong collar. This type of equipment also relies on discomfort and pain to try to teach the skill. This physical damage obviously increases the dog’s stress, erodes trust and can possibly make them fearful of and intimidated by us. And the dog is expected to learn to not pull forward after a series of “mistakes”. The human is not doing any training. They are relying on equipment.

A similar method of using leash pops as corrections allows the dog to do the unwanted behavior only to then be punished for doing so. The dog is overwhelmed and acting out. The dog learns that this emotion means punishment. They do not learn to not have emotions or to do a different behavior instead. They are simply learning that they encounter the stressor, they feel and act about it and they get punished. This makes the stressor seem more stressful. It makes the problem worse. Plust, the dog is not learning to not feel and act out. So, if they encounter the stressor and they are not on a leash or the human does not do the leash-pop, the dog still feels the same way about the stressor and has no new behaviors to use to cope. In fact, they probably feel worse about it because they are now thinking “That thing is now scarier because when I see it I also get a leash-pop!” Their reactivity is dependent on the leash correction and without it they will default to all of their old ways of coping with the big feelings that are still there, in this scenario!

Finally, this type of teaching is dangerous because this dog still has his big feelings but is taught not to express them. This is the dog who is quiet but redirects and bites. They were taught to not communicate their feelings so they don’t but they are still in fear for their life. Dogs communicate from one signal to the next. If we train the dog to not do the initial signals, they will jump to the next one with seemingly no warning.

These punitive methods can also increase and create behaviors based in fear and aggression. Think of how you would prefer your child to learn in school; I am caYou better or else! Or, you are clearly needing help understanding, let me work with you to get on the same page so you can learn and grow and succeed. The same applies to our dogs!

Video

One Stop Training Shop!

All dogs I share time with learn some basics: Recall, Taking Turns, Leave-It, Drop-It and play regulation. These videos show this in progress and provide some useful stuff for you to know!

Dogs who need more training can purchase customized, structured 1:1 sessions catered to your specific training needs and goals!

A Leave-It and Drop Cue are SO USEFUL!

"Nope" (Don't put that in your mouth)

"Drop" (Drop what is in your mouth)

And RECALL

Away from the all you can eat seafood buffet!!! And The Name Game for teaching multiple dogs to TAKE TURNS!

Miles proving fear can change to joy!

Miles proving that a dog really can learn to feel confident and joyful around things that used to scare him! Miles had a bad experience in this park, at sunset, when coyotes were nearby. Miles displayed fear and reactivity on every evening walk. Through structured training walks in the same park, at sunset, using exercises and games we have rebuilt his confidence. He can now encounter dogs, children, runners, cyclists, anything and everything with calm curiosity! See for yourself!

"Benji started showing fear behaviors out-of-nowhere and was cowering and darting around on walks. He would freeze up and not want to move. He ran to avoid his harness when he saw us get it out.

I am a kindergarten teacher and Benji once LOVED coming to class with me. But he even started showing fear and barking and lunging at kids during and after the SIP, after not being around them for months.

Our once easy going, fun loving pup was scared of everything and it was heartbreaking.

Cyd helped show us how to help him feel safe and confident again on walks as well as even how to help him feel ok around things like the vacuum cleaner!

Since our work with Cyd in SF, we moved to LA and the move sort of re-triggered his anxieties. Per her suggestion, we sought out the help of a Veterinary Behaviorist. The combination of his puppy prozac and Cyd's behavioral modifications has brought Benji back to the joyful dog he as before he started hiding in his fear!"

Addie Johnson, Los Angeles