Empowering Dog Owners Through Education and Data
At the core of successful dog ownership lies understanding—learning how to effectively train your dog and create a happy, healthy relationship. It's not just about teaching your dog commands; it's about educating yourself and your family on how to communicate with your dog, set boundaries, and ensure everyone in the household is involved in the training process.
Training the Whole Family
As a dog parent, your role goes beyond just training your dog—you’re also teaching the rest of your family how to help. Everyone in the household needs to be on the same page when it comes to setting rules and encouraging positive behaviour. It’s especially important to create an environment where teasing, bullying, or inconsistent training are avoided. The key is motivating every family member to stick to the plan and help train the dog consistently.
Using Data to Train Effectively
The principles of dog training, such as reinforcement and positive reinforcement schedules, are backed by solid data and research. For owners, this means applying proven methods that foster trust and cooperation with your dog. Knowing how to reward good behaviour at the right time helps build a strong, positive bond between you and your pet.
Creating Positive Change Through Knowledge
Educating yourself on dog training not only improves your relationship with your dog but also helps you better navigate the world of dog ownership. By staying informed and open to learning, you’re better equipped to handle challenges, avoid common mistakes, and ensure your dog’s well-being. The more you know, the more confident you’ll feel as a dog parent.
The Importance of Puppy Classes
Puppy classes are more than just an opportunity for your puppy to learn basic commands—they’re an essential tool for socialisation. These classes should be fun, off-leash experiences where your puppy is exposed to different environments, people, and other dogs. The goal is to prepare your puppy for all the unexpected situations life might throw their way, making sure they grow into a well-rounded and confident adult dog.
Why Dog Training Is Different Today
Today’s dog training is much more diverse than the traditional methods used for working or competition dogs. Pet dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and temperaments, and the training methods you use should reflect that. Modern training isn’t about rigid commands—it’s about teaching your dog to behave well in real-life situations. From handling everyday obedience to unexpected events, your training should be flexible and comprehensive, covering all aspects of your dog’s behaviour.
Building a Strong Relationship with Your Dog
At the heart of dog training is the goal of building a lasting, positive relationship with your dog. By taking the time to educate yourself, your family, and your dog, you’re setting the foundation for a life filled with mutual respect and understanding. Training isn’t just about your dog following commands—it’s about communication, trust, and making sure your dog is a well-adjusted, happy part of your family.
Lets Get a Head Start
Puppy Training Resources
1
Before Getting Puppy
Contact us by phone, email, or via the contact form. Tell us your needs by describing your dog's struggles and tell us your aim.
2
On Puppy Arrival
We'll prepare a plan for you to review and approve.
Dog Training Resources
1
Before Getting Puppy
Contact us by phone, email, or via the contact form. Tell us your needs by describing your dog's struggles and tell us your aim.
2
On Puppy Arrival
We'll prepare a plan for you to review and approve.
3
Training DIY Home Course
Once we've agreed on all the details, we'll get started!
Some of our doggy clients in training
Conditioned Emotional Response (CER)
What exactly Is CER and what effect does it have on your dog?
You may not have heard of the phrase "Conditioned Emotional Response," abbreviated as CER, but if you own a dog, you have most definitely observed this phenomenon. If your dog pricks his ears and comes racing joyfully in anticipation of a walk every time you grasp the leash, he has formed a CER, but let's take a deeper look at this and how it unfolds from a scientific standpoint.
Animals, like humans, are born with a biological system that allows them to experience pleasure and pain, eliciting emotional reactions. In humans, the sound of a drill may create goose bumps if you had a bad dental experience, or the sound of the phone ringing may make your heart to race if you link it with the voice of a loved one. These emotional responses occur swiftly and automatically, with little rational thought involved.
Similar reactions occur in dogs. Your dog's eyes may light up when he hears the click of a clicker because he has learnt to link its sounds with rewards, or he may come to fear the beeping noise that warns him that if he moves ahead, he will be shocked for breaching the border of an electronic fence.
Pleasure-related reactions (appetitive) stimulate approach and contact, but fear-related responses (aversive) urge retreat and avoidance, according to James O' Heare. From an evolutionary standpoint, this all makes sense since in order to survive, humans should seek life-sustaining reinforcers and avoid life-threatening events.
The Construction of a Conditioned Emotional Response
Conditioning emotional reactions are based on associative learning (classical conditioning). In the instance of Pavlov's dogs, a dog learns that a leash = a walk, a clicker equals a treat, and a white coat equals food through connections.
A dog also learns via connections that a skunk may discharge a nasty odour that hurts the eyes.
The brain, neurological system, and endocrine system are all implicated in a conditioned emotional response.
Neuronal activity: Several electrical and chemical communications occur in the brain via neurons, and these transmissions influence how the dog learns, memorises, feels emotions, and eventually acts. Dogs may recall prior events and behave (without cognitive engagement) in a reflex-like manner that has proven advantageous in the past because neurons make such connections.
Amygdala activity: The amygdala is involved in the processing of memories and emotional reactions. The amygdala, often known as the "smoke detector of the brain," is in charge of signalling the adrenal cortex to release hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) that prepare for the fight or flight response, which is critical for life.
The dog's brain is thought to operate in a "hardwired" reflex-like manner in reaction to each individual event based on earlier learning via association. This explains why standard training approaches aren't very effective in changing behaviour. We are functioning on an emotional rather than a cognitive level.
Instead, behaviour modification works because we change emotions through counterconditioning, and therefore one conditioned response to the same conditioned stimulus is replaced by another conditioned response. The good emotional response eventually clashes with terror.
During counterconditioning, neurons are rejoined in such a way that the nervous system's adaptability improves. When we have a conditioned emotional reaction, we are essentially changing past connections between neurons and transforming a frightened response into a pleasant, pleasurable one.
