Training Philosophy

Our Mission
Living with Dogs teaches dog owners the latest, positive techniques for training and socializing their dogs through group and private classes. Living with Dogs also provides consultation on common behavioral problems such as housetraining, chewing, excessive barking, digging or destruction of property. For serious issues such as aggression, resource guarding or separation anxiety, we assist families in management and behavior modification, working in conjunction with veterinarians and other animal professionals as required.

Our Vision
All of our clients and their dogs will have long, happy, healthy lives, characterized by mutual respect, joy and lifelong companionship.

Our Values
At Living with Dogs, we subscribe to the Code of Ethics of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and the ethical standards of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Specifically, we pledge to treat all of our clients and dogs with respect, to employ only positive motivational training methods, and to provide for the safety of all dogs and people with whom we work.

Training Methods
Dogs repeat what they are rewarded for
Dogs make associations which result in learning
Dogs communicate with their bodies
Dogs' behavior gets stronger with practice

All training at Living with Dogs is “dog-friendly.” Our methods are based on behavioral science. The APDT defines “dog-friendly” training as “training that utilizes primarily positive reinforcement; secondarily negative punishment (like time-outs), and only occasionally, rarely, and/or as a last resort includes positive punishment and/or negative reinforcement.” Translated into everyday language, this statement means that we train by relying on dogs’ natural tendency to seek rewards for their behavior. The psychologist B. F. Skinner discovered that animals learn by repeating behaviors that are rewarded. He called this “operant conditioning.” We say, “Animals will repeat what they are rewarded for!” We train dogs to do the things we want by using positive rewards (tiny food treats or brief play sessions) to reinforce their actions. We don’t punish or 'correct' dogs using “positive punishment” and “negative reinforcement” devices such as choke, pinch or electronic collars. Rather, we strengthen the behavior we want and if the dog engages in an unwanted behavior we use “negative punishment:” withholding of a reward, ora gentle reminder to get the appropriate behavior.

Another scientist, Ivan Pavlov, found that dogs have emotional reactions to events in their worlds. These can be either positive or negative for the dog. Pavlov’s principle is called “classical conditioning” and is what underlies many of the fears that dogs experience. In our training, we say, “Dogs make connections.” So we help our dogs become well-adjusted family members by making pleasant connections with people, places, objects and events.

Dogs, unlike people, rely mostly on their bodies to communicate with one another. Have you ever seen your dog “play bow,” by stretching forward on his front legs, saying “I’m friendly”? In teaching our dogs to perform behaviors such as “sit” or “down” we first use hand signals to communicate with the dogs in their native language, and later add human words as cues. We find that dogs learn more quickly when we talk to them in their own language.

Finally, we conduct all of our training step-by-step to ensure that dogs learn each behavior thoroughly before moving on to more complicated commands. Dogs need to learn first in low-distraction environments before they can perform in more challenging conditions. So we provide you with concise instructions for “proofing” your dog’s performance so that you will be able to take her into the world with confidence!

If you have questions about this approach, or would like to observe a class before registering, email sandi@capitola.com or call (831) 476-9065.