Training Philosophy & Method

Tricia is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy which is dedicated to positive reinforcement training (no punishment, corrections or aversive techniques of any kind). Training is reward marker-based: we mark behavior that we like with a "click" or a "yes" and ignore behavior we don't like. Behavior that has been rewarded gets repeated and behavior that gets ignored extinguishes. 

Because your dog is making choices to do behaviors you desire and that you have rewarded them for previously, you learn how to communicate with each other and an increasingly strong bond is built. Instead of "commanding" your dog to do what you want, you work collaboratively towards instilling mutually beneficial behaviors. 

Unfortunately, harmful training methods built on "domination" are still in use by some dog trainers. These negative techniques are often based on (debunked) domination theory and use devices such as shock/e-collars. These methods fail to understand why the behavior is occurring in the first place. They also provide no guidance for the dog on what to do differently in the future. From their perspective, a dog might think, "Okay, you don't want me to jump, but what do you want me to do?"

My research-backed, evidence-based training methods are grounded in the tenets of Canine Learning Theory:

1. Using positive reinforcement and negative punishment*
2. Never using intimidation, physical or emotional punishment or fear.
3. Truly understanding the common misconceptions about the word ‘dominance’.
4. Appreciating the dog’s point of view when training: what are they thinking and feeling?
    

*Negative punishment does not mean using force or aggression. In Applied Canine Behavioral Science, all it means is removing things that a dog wants in order to reduce unwanted behaviors. We take away attention, a treat, or a toy, and then offer other positive alternatives to get the behavior we want. That includes ignoring, interrupting or redirecting behaviors we don’t like toward other behaviors that encourage the dog’s success.  For instance, when a dog jumps up to lick its owners face, it wants attention. By ignoring the dog and rewarding it as soon as it sits politely, we teach the dog that this behavior is desirable and will be rewarded.