Educating both ends of the leash since 2002
Academy for Dogs
Our Training Approach is Force-Free!
Seriously…. it’s time to pitch the prong (pinch) and choke collars. And shock collars have no place in training our animal friends. We can and should do better for our canine companions. Since our doors opened in January 2002, we have been on the leading edge of positive reinforcement / force-free training. We stand by it and with the community of professionals who practice and endorse it, including the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Read their position statement HERE.
What do we mean by “positive reinforcement” or “force-free” training? In a nutshell, this means that we focus on rewarding dogs for getting things right instead of correcting them for getting things wrong. And – this is important! – we help our dogs get things right by preventing unwanted behaviors from occurring by managing their environments for success. With positive training, our dogs learn to practice the behaviors we desire because we set them up for good performance and fill their life with “Yes!” Teaching our dogs with positive reinforcement is more than just a training method, it is also a way understanding, appreciating, and interacting with dogs that recognizes their intelligence and sees them as partners in learning and fun.
We believe that…
…our relationship with dogs is one of partnership.
We believe in dogs and in the power of the human-canine bond to enrich the lives of both people and dogs. At the root of all we do is a belief that dogs are thinking, feeling partners in our lives. In our training program, you won’t hear us use words like “alpha” and “dominance” because we don’t believe in ruling over our dogs (besides, those terms are dated and don’t reflect current understanding of dogs). Instead, we believe in creating partnerships based on understanding, teaching, and communicating effectively with our canine friends.
…teaching good behaviors starts with building positive emotions.
Every one of us has been in situations where we don’t behave our best because we don’t feel our best. Stress and anxiety can have a delibilating effect on behavior. A dog who is not comfortable, can not learn well. Therefore, all of our training begins with addressing your dog’s underlying emotional state (and sometimes their physical wellbeing too). A happy, healthy, comfortable dog is a good learner!
…it’s never too early to start training your dog (nor too late!)
Studies of canine behavior show that there is a developmental “window of opportunity” for puppies when lessons learned can last a lifetime. For this reason, we encourage and facilitate, early positive socialization and learning. Many dogs come to us when they are older and so we love being part of new chapters for teen and adult dogs. And we believe that training can help keep our senior younger in mind, body, and spirit. Regardless of your dog’s age, we are here for you and them.
…training is part of an ongoing lifestyle of engagement with your dog.
Teaching your dog to behave, then maintaining those behaviors, is much like going to the gym. At the gym, we build muscle, then maintain it. In training we build new behaviors, but then we need to maintain them. How do we do this? Though a lifestyle of interaction, engagement, and enrichment with our dogs. We don’t look at training as an event. Rather, we look at it as a way of living, interacting, and enjoying life with our canine friends.
…training should be FUN for both ends of the leash!
When training is fun for dogs they…
enjoy it more, engage in it enthusiastically, gain confidence and trust, develop a better bond and partnership with their people, learn a larger repertoire of behaviors, learn to practice those behaviors in more situations and locations, and respond more reliably.
Come Join the FUN at The Canine Connection!
When training is fun for people they…
enjoy it more, practice it more, develop a better bond and partnership with their dogs, teach a larger repertoire of behaviors, train in more locations and take their dogs more places, and interact with their dogs more frequently and enjoyably.
Our Training Team is Certified and Experienced!
“An appropriate trainer should avoid any use of training tools that involve pain (choke chains, prong collars, or electronic shock collars), intimidation (squirt bottles, shaker noise cans, compressed air cans, shouting, staring, or forceful manipulation such as “alpha rolls” or “dominance downs”), physical correction techniques (leash jerking, physical force), or flooding (“exposure”).”
Our Training Code of Ethics
As a member in good standing of the leading certification and professional organizations in the field of dog training and behavior, we adhere to the codes of ethics of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and Pet Professional Guild. As well, we have created our own Code of Ethics:
Always treat clients and animals with respect and kindness, withholding judgement, and sharing and implementing advice and approaches that are based on the most current scientific knowledge about dog behavior. To this end, our team consults and confers frequently with other professionals and attends dozens of hours of continuing education every year.
Recognize that behaviors reflect underlying emotional states that must be understood, addressed, and potentially modified if real behavior change is going to occur. Particularly when stress, fear, and anxiety are the emotional roots of behavior, it is humane, fair, and right to address the root cause of behavior rather than simply suppress or change the behavioral response.
Use positive tools and methods and avoid punishing tools and methods when applying training and behavior approaches. This includes avoiding the use of prong/pinch, choke, and shock collars that are designed to cause discomfort and suppress behavior. Our approach is to prevent unwanted behavior through sound management and encourage and reinforce desired behavior so that these new ways of responding become the dog's reliable behavior.
Be honest at all times, including not guaranteeing the results of training and behavior programs, or suggesting that there are "quick fixes" to complex behavior problems. As behavior is affected by many factors, some of which are well beyond the control of our training team and the dog's owners, and as behavior is also dynamic, it is misleading to offer guarantees. Rather, we apply our best knowledge based on the most recent scientific understanding to a well-defined training program, make adjustments as necessary, to help our dogs become the best and happiest they can be.
Maintain professional integrity at all times, including representing ourselves and The Canine Connection accurately, interacting with colleagues within the training and behavior profession honorably, keeping our word, and remaining humble and grateful.
“I met Sarah, Founder of The Canine Connection, roughly 14 years ago when I had a fearful German Shepherd pup that I did not know how to handle. I had taken him to three other trainers before meeting Sarah…”
One trainer told me the dog was useless. One trainer said to put the pup into those situations that scared him, saturate him until he changes behavior, and the other trainer just did not know what to do with him.
When Sarah first met my shepherd she said “this is going to be one of the sweetest dogs you will ever have.” She was right. It was this dog who changed my heart for the better and helped me begin to understand the canine world. Sarah taught me to train this pup in a positive, reinforcing manner. She taught me about thresholds, how to approach his fearful behavior and begin to change it, in turn changing the dog's mindset and fear responses.
Fourteen years later, my third shepherd in tow, she continues to inspire me to learn more about canine behavior and training. I am now studying animal behavior in college and continue to perfect my marker training skills with all my animals. I strongly recommend Sarah Richardson, and The Canine Connection team to anyone wanting to better understand how animals learn, and how to use positive based training methods.”
-Candice Smith, Service Dog Trainer