Impeccabull Dog Services

10/30/2021

Wait, wait, wait!!!
Hear me out, by now we are all aware of the fallout caused by training with aversive tools. That’s not what this post is about.

I just wanted to share some key takeaways from the “Aggression in Dogs” conference last weekend. This one seemed to be a recurring theme. CHOICE!
How impactful it really is on the well being of our dogs. We know very well since the pandemic started just how much freedom matters, and we still had exponentially more freedoms than most dogs get.
I’m challenging you to really consider how much choice your dogs are getting.
We control EVERYTHING! Food/water, bathroom, exercise, playtime allotment, sleep arrangements, the list goes on!
So why aren’t we being more considerate of our loved ones? Why can’t they say NO? Be able to express their discomforts to us, without reprimand. For us to use the expressions simply as information to better the relationship. So we can manage the environments where necessary, but also to just allow the room for them to get comfortable at their own pace and with our support.

Coercion by definition is the use of power to impose ones will on another. My thought is this, that doesn’t only mean physically. We control everything for our dogs. Let’s allow them to have their own personality and differences. They are another species after all!! We push them to exist in a tiny box of what is acceptable behaviour within our realm, with little to no regard for what their needs are. Including, most importantly, their happiness. And when we look beyond ourselves enough, we can see that is often overlooked.

08/03/2021

This applies to our relationships with our dogs (animals), too!

1. BE KIND

2. BE THOUGHTFUL/CONSIDERATE

3. BE PATIENT

4. BE SUPPORTIVE/ENCOURAGING

5. SHOW RESPECT

Take the time to truly try to understand what THEY are experiencing. When you get to the root of what they’re feeling you can put aside all of your filters and perceptions.

07/28/2021

This lovely girl Sasha and her guardian had a great 1st session last evening to work on ds/cc with new dogs. It was slow and steady, which made for a wonderful first session. They were mindful of body language and learning when she was getting close to her threshold. Marking and rewarding her engagement/disengagement. Seemed pretty boring, but that’s how we change feelings and what incremental progress is. They’re such a great team 👏🏼.

07/08/2021

~Consider Your Compliments

~Let Them Make Decisions

~Focus on the Glass Half Full

~Nurture Their Special Interests

~Promote Problem Solving

~Look for Ways to Help Others

~Find Opportunities for Them to Spend More Time with Adults

~Don’t Get Upset About Mistakes

~Encourage Them to Try New Things

-Allow Them to Fail

~Praise Perseverance

~Set Goals

~Celebrate Effort

~Embrace Imperfection

~Set Them Up for Success

~Show Your Love

These are ways to help build confidence. Notice how it doesn’t mention flooding them around triggers trying to force desensitization. Or punish them for not having the correct reaction? Or any other form of intimidation or dictatorship like jargon or belief system.
The reason why, is because you can’t force it!! Some dogs may have more natural confidence than others but we can both help and hinder from our contributions to the situation. So consider these when interacting with your dog. Helplessness isn’t obedience.

06/21/2021

Say hello to this pretty young gal named Lexi. We’re happy to be helping her and her family optimize their relationship. Who doesn’t love playing with puppies? 🥰

06/20/2021

Got back out to see Georgia after a few long lockdown months. We learned to play tug and some other games. And brushed up on some cues too. You can see from her body language she isn’t too sure about her feelings about the camera time but was a good enough sport and tolerated me taking a little vid.

06/17/2021

So happy to be back!! And what better way to get going than getting to work with a super cute puppers named Sadie. Happy to be back helping build bonds.

05/14/2021

05/14/2021

Thanks to Renée of for having me on to chat.

Posted • New episode up!

03/02/2021

As humans we often like to add labels to our environment in order to more easily compartmentalize all the stimulus we encounter. It’s something we developed for the sake of efficiency. But do we like to be labelled? Quickly judged and categorized? Put into a box and stored away? Of course we don’t. And rightfully so. We are the sum of all of our actions and parts. Not just a fraction of them and definitely not what a stranger would summarize us as, after having just a snapshot into our life without any history, context or background about us.

This brings me to the graphic, it’s a two way traffic sign. And as you can imagine I’m using this to analogize our relationships with our dogs. We so quickly and carelessly label our dogs. And don’t think about what that does to our perceptions of how we see them, our willingness to learn about and understand them, or truly just be thoughtful of them and how they experience life. Instead we focus on how we are experiencing it. There are many possible reasons for behaviours and so often we want to make a quick judgement and put a label on it. So many dogs are damaged from being mislabeled by people who don’t actually understand or worse don’t care to learn. So a little reminder that the two way street of give and take really can generalize in so many ways when it comes to our relationship with our dogs, training and life in general. As Stephen Covey once wisely said “seek first to understand, than to be understood.” Or if that doesn’t resonate than the old adage “do unto others as you’d have done to you” may hit different. Just be better, if you want better in return. Simple!

02/28/2021

Well it was nice to get to see some clients again in person! Especially this big silly girl Georgia’s smile. Had a great session brushing up on some behaviours we are building and introduced a couple more too.

01/10/2021

Happy to offer future or current clients some incentive to make the change over to force and fear free learning. By relinquishing your shock, prong or choke collar we will take 25% off your first training session. For existing clients your next session would have this offer available if you have a previously used device that you’d like to be rid of.

This discount applies only to a training appointment, an initial consultation would still be needed before this would be in effect for new clients.

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