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EMPATHY & COMPASSION

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Building a Relationship With Your Dog

Excerpted from "The Evolution of Dog Training" by Shannon Coyner Use positive training techniques to create an unbreakable bond with your dog. When you are training your dog, it is important to remember that both of you are learning. Even if you have trained dogs before, each time you train a new dog, you are both learning. As a professional, I treat every dog and human as an individual, and just because one technique works for one, it may not work for another. It is important that you show patience to yourself and your dog. If you are in a bad or stressful mood, you may decide not to train your dog at that time. Be sure that if you are aware that you are experiencing anxiety or fears, your dog may notice and become warier. Use Force-Free, Positive Techniques When you begin to work with your dog on a regular basis, they will learn your mood and will become a true partner. Training using force-free, positive techniques can create a beautiful, unbreakable bond. Remember: There are no bad dogs or bad humans – just inappropriate behavior. Get help when needed. Look for the “yes” when training. [...]

By |2021-09-14T22:40:12-07:00August 18th, 2021|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Dog Training – You Get What You Give

Dog Training - You Get What You Give Every day I teach people how to teach their dogs. I work with people privately and in classes. My clients come from all walks of life. Some have trained many dogs, others are training their first. No matter how much experience a person has training dogs, there is one factor that determines if a dog’s behavior will be changed by the training. That factor is - how much time is being dedicated to the training. Change Requires Doing Something Different We have all heard Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.” When dogs practice undesired behaviors, the behavior continues to get worse. The only way to change an unwanted behavior is to do something different. For example, if your dog jumps on you every time he sees you and you then pet him, the jumping will continue unless something changes. If you start to ask your dog to sit before he jumps or if you ignore him when he jumps, you have the opportunity to change the behavior. However, it is important to also realize that a behavior will not change overnight and it will take consistent repetitions (which means TRAINING TIME) to get the new [...]

By |2021-08-13T18:26:34-07:00July 23rd, 2021|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Benefits of Dog Agility Training

Benefits of Dog Agility Training I have been teaching dog agility for about 20 years. When I first started teaching it, I just focused on making sure the dogs had fun and that my clients were prepared if they chose to compete. Over the years I have seen that agility has so many benefits for both the dogs and their handlers. Team-Building Aside from the physical benefits, the next obvious benefit I have noticed is how agility improves the bond between the humans and the dogs (when agility is taught with empathy and compassion). Dog agility is a team sport, therefore the dog-human team must work together. As with any team sport, there must be trust and understanding between the teammate (in this case the dog and the human). In most situations, the dog and human are both learning a new skill and they will both make a lot of mistakes. As humans, we often like to blame others for our mistake. My heart always sings when I hear my client say “Ugh, that was my mistake” when they are practicing agility with their dog. I have found that agility can create a tremendous human-dog bond as both players [...]

By |2021-06-27T23:35:16-07:00June 11th, 2021|Blog of the Month|1 Comment

Empathy for Our Dogs (Book Excerpt)

It is important that you try to see things through your dog’s perspective and to have compassion and empathy for them. Being in a new home or new environment can be scary and confusing. It is very important to be patient and don’t force them into a fearful situation. I hope that you enjoy this excerpt from the book and find this information helpful – To continue reading, check out “The Evolution of Dog Training” by Shannon Coyner on Amazon! […]

By |2020-12-09T20:21:47-08:00December 9th, 2020|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Teaching Their Dog (Book Excerpt)

I wanted to share an excerpt from my book, The Evolution of Dog Training, to give you some insight into the information you’ll learn.  The following is from Chapter 7, Positive Reinforcement in Action.  I hope you find it helpful… The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Teaching Their Dog 1. What they are teaching is not clear. This mistake can happen in any part of the teaching process; however, the most common place it happens is with the consequence.  If you reinforce a behavior too early or too late, the wrong behavior is reinforced and the desired behavior gets ignored. This mistake can also happen when the cue used closely resembles another cue. Either the words or hand signals are so similar that the dog cannot tell the difference and they will often do one behavior for both cues. This commonly happens when people use a hand signal for “sit” and “down.” If the two cues are too similar, the dog will default to the behavior he prefers. […]

By |2020-11-18T20:33:24-08:00November 18th, 2020|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Meeting Your Dog Where They Are

Have you every had a day that you were overly tired or your brain was just not functioning as well as it normally does?  Have you had a day that you just couldn’t do what was asked of you?  We all have good days and bad days- and so do our dogs!  When training your dog, it is important that you recognize if they are having an “off” day and change your plan accordingly. […]

By |2021-01-26T22:42:50-08:00October 14th, 2020|Blog of the Month|2 Comments

Simple Steps to Get Through Puppyhood and Dog Adoption – Part 3

Part 3 Welcome back to our Blog Series about Puppyhood and Dog Adoption!  In Part 3, we’ll go over what happens when you welcome your new family member into your home.  I’ve divided this information into short, easily understandable sections and have shared them over the past few months.  I hope you’ll find this information helpful and, please feel free to check out our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/trulyforcefree/) for more information and to ask questions.  I hope to see you there! Home at Last! […]

By |2021-01-29T01:56:00-08:00September 16th, 2020|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Simple Steps to Get Through Puppyhood and Dog Adoption – Part 2

PART 2 Welcome back to our Blog Series about Puppyhood and Dog Adoption!  In Part 2, we’ll go over preparing for to welcome your new family member home.  I’ve divided this information into short, easily understandable sections and will continue to share them over the next two months.  I hope you’ll find this information helpful and, please feel free to check out our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/trulyforcefree/) for more information and to ask questions.  I hope to see you there! Preparing Puppy’s welcome home: […]

By |2021-01-29T01:59:37-08:00August 19th, 2020|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

Simple Steps to Get Through Puppyhood and Dog Adoption – Part 1

Before you get the puppy I’m excited to share our first Blog Series!  In light of so many people adopting or considering getting a new four-legged addition to the family, I wanted to share some thoughts for before, during and after you’ve made your decision.  I’ve divided this information into short, easily understandable sections and will share them over the next three months.  I hope you’ll find this information helpful and, please feel free to check out our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/trulyforcefree/) for more information and to ask questions.  I hope to see you there! PART 1 Choosing your pet: […]

By |2020-10-25T00:41:11-07:00July 23rd, 2020|Blog of the Month|0 Comments

What COVID 19 Has Taught Me About Positive Reinforcement and Motivation

Like every small business owner/ entrepreneur in the world, I have been hugely impacted by COVID 19. And since dog training is not considered “essential” my brick and mortar business is at a standstill as I try to grow and promote my website, Truly Force Free Animal Training. In the beginning of the pandemic, I was in survival mode and was frantically trying to find ways to create an income. As the weeks have gone by, I still work everyday to create new content or do something to promote my book, “The Evolution of Dog Training” and Truly Force Free Animal Training because that is the only type of business I am allowed at this time. However, I am beginning to notice that it’s harder to be motivated to work on my business. I am also noticing that people around me are losing their motivation to do basics things- like take a shower or brush their teeth. This realization got me thinking about how all animals- including our dogs and us, need motivation to move from task to task. […]

By |2020-11-04T20:16:59-08:00May 21st, 2020|Blog of the Month|1 Comment

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