Pup in Progress

Heres something I'm proud of this month! For the past year and a half I have been working on getting my CBATI-KA certification, by completing 100 hours of coursework, practicing BAT with shelter dogs, and finally this month writing the assessment! The assessment consists of a short exam, and an essay detailing how you would use the principles of BAT to deal with a given scenario.
I'm so happy to say that I passed and I now hold the title of Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor -Knowledge Assessed (CBATI-KA)
I'm excited to start using this knowledge to enhance my work as a trainer, and help more clients who may be struggling with reactivity, fear or aggression.

The point that im trying to make here is that we can achieve so much with a force free methodology and mindset. And to be clear: it is so much more than training! Being force free means not just training with positive reinforcement, but also ruling our health and wellness issues, and improving them! It means using careful counter-conditioning and desensitization to triggers in a low stress manner. It means setting up errorless learning protocols, and minimizing frustration where we can, but also giving our dogs the tools to better self regulate when they do encounter stress and frustration, but be there to support them when they can't. It means adjusting our expectations to be realistic to the needs of the dog, and changing their environment accordingly. Force free means so much more than just training, and because of that, we can achieve SO much with it!

Meet Sadie!
Sadie was recently adopted, and since coming home has displayed some stranger danger to people entering the home, as well as reactivity outside the home.
Last night we worked on giving Sadie's mum the strategies to implement routines for Sadie, and help to change her feelings about other people and dogs.
We learned some pattern games to help with recovery, and found out that scatters are a HUGE win for Sadie in order to manage her reactions when distance can't be achieved.
Sadie has big feelings to change, but with some time we hope to see improvements in her comfort level.

We often talk about setting your dog up for success, but what does that mean? The reality is there are many factors to consider, and as trainers it our job to help you navigate them. But here are some of the ways you can start to think about giving them the environment they need to succeed in training, and make your sessions go a little more smoothly!