From the Facebook live vaults! I got a chance to sit down after a training session with a young Xen to answer some questions. Here's a little window into my thinking and analysis following a session to inform my training choices going forwards!

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The High Drive Dog

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This one's from the Facebook Live vaults where I discuss classical and operant conditioning as it pertains to teaching behaviors. Enjoy!

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The High Drive Dog

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This one's from the vaults! I talk about crating with Xen when he was young and prone to getting into mischief!

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The High Drive Dog

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It's true; dogs are not children! And if you choose not to use models of thinking that compare children to dogs, you will have walked away from the most valuable tool available, in terms of understanding and training or living with dogs. The truth is… Children and dogs have a whole lot in common in terms of how they behave in a wide variety of circumstances, especially around learning. Don't give up that free resource lightly. Embrace it, and your training skills will skyrocket overnight. You will have the tools to motivate and understand, and you will find the solutions when challenges occur. Really. Simply by putting yourself into the position of your learner, (even as an adult!) and considering what would be happening inside of you, if you were the learner.

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The High Drive Dog

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Nope. You cannot. So be nice to your angry, fearful, sad, or frustrated dog. You won't make them more angry, fearful, etc. And I'll do the same for you! If you are sitting next to me and you're feeling afraid? I'll hold your hand and talk nicely to you, and I'll try to make you feel better. And no, you won't get more fearful.

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The High Drive Dog

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Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

Decision making about when to apply pain to others, how and when we use force or restraint, and our thoughts about balancing autonomy and control are heavily influenced by culture - and are very much shades of grey. We work to balance the needs of all the parties - physical, emotional and financial - to come to our best possible decisions.

Yet, there is never a right decision. Only possibilities.

Make your choices with compassion, kindness and knowledge and you'll get where you need to be.

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The High Drive Dog

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If learning cues is not what people need to live in harmony with their dog; if the goal is habits… What exactly does that mean? How do we get there? What role does a dog trainer play? Where does communication fit - and is the dog talking back? What is failure about, what makes failure more or less likely, and…do we even care if the dog is on board with our plans? Wow. Covered a lot of territory today!

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The High Drive Dog

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About that trained dog….does it even exist? Training is a process, not an end (trained) state of being. Only behavior that makes it's way to "habit" can truly be called "trained". Which is fine. How about we "raise" our dogs and try to live in harmony, while working hard to get everyone's needs met.

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The High Drive Dog

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Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

Words matter. Don't water down powerful words simply because you don't agree with another's choice or situation.

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The High Drive Dog

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Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

From the Facebook vaults: remarckably, and sometimes despite us, our dogs get trained!

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The High Drive Dog

More online training!

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy