Why Free?! Is One Hour Enough?
Work-Study-Life Balance
Work-Study-Life Balance
Work-Study-Life Balance
As a full-time grad student, I am focusing on using my time to write and publish about dog training.
One Hour?!
Work-Study-Life Balance
Work-Study-Life Balance
Doing this allows me to make the most out of my time while still keeping me in the training world. One hour might not be enough but I PROMISE you will learn new things. Every short or long term client I have ever worked with learns life-changing info in the first session.
More?!
Work-Study-Life Balance
More?!
I will refer you to trainers that offer ongoing and in-person sessions but this one free hour will get you some of the help I know you desperately need ASAP. I began offering these services to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue awhile back and I now want to extend them to the community as I get my Master of Science in Animal Behavior & Welfare! Just submit the form and I'll reach out to schedule your FREE Zoom! It's that EASY! Keep scrolling for more info, videos, published pieces and more!
WHAT YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU!
WHAT YOUR DOG IS TRYING TO TELL YOU!
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!
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!
Dead Seal RECALL!
Shepsky listening to me!
Calling your dog away from a dead animal IS POSSIBLE!
99.9% RECALL WITH R+ METHODS!
Calling your dog away from anything more exciting than you is always a challenge. I have used 100% R+ methods to train my Shepherd/Husky mix, Balto, to listen and respond to me when I call him - even away from a dead animal!!!! No collars, no corrections, just fun, treats. and love. AND IT WORKS!
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!
Read what clients are saying!
Reactive to Relaxed Dog Training Success Story!!!
In this video, Aussie Shepard Poodle doggie, Riggs, takes a relaxed walk on a busy suburban street! With my Reactive to Relaxed
Canine Coaching, he has truly transformed from a hyper-vigilant dog (who did not even sniff on walks) to this confident pup who is handler focused and ENJOYING his outing!! Yayyy Riggs!
Reactive to Relaxed Canine Coaching Success Story! Fifi 🚴
"Prior to Cyd’s classes, I never felt comfortable enough to walk our Goldendoodle Miles without my husband, but am now able to using her training methods. We learned so much in such a short period of time!" Allie Antes, Las Vegas
"Harley (our 8 month old Doberman) is able to stay in a sit or a down and there is a lot less jumping on people. Cyd helped teach Harley how to walk on a loose leash and stay in step with us. She keeps her stay when greeting people or dogs. and when people enter the house." Olivia & Ben R, Las Vegas
"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
Published Articles: Quick, fun reads full of free tips!
Certifications & Credentials
Dog Training: Reactive to Relaxed
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