Achieve unprecedented harmony between You & Your Dog
Methodology & About
At Pats Pack, we believe that your dog is capable of so much more than basic obedience.
Our dog board and behavior training programs are designed to help you unlock your dog's full potential, allowing you to create a lasting bond with your four-legged companion.
Our methods:
The overarching standard which is the most -comprehensive and authoritative is the LIMA Protocol
- Simply, we must do what is least intrusive and minimally aversive to the dog.
Each dog is unique and what your dog finds aversive (meaning something they seek to avoid) may differ from that of another dog.
So it's our job as effective, humane trainers to determine the least intrusive and minimally aversive methods available to us for each individual dog.
There is a healthy line between purely positive and using punishment.
In order to provide your dog with the best training It's impossible to be purely "positive" and it would not be effective.
Any quality trainer has a set of tools that they use and when implemented appropriately it sets clear and consistent boundaries in order to really change behavior – we just don't get physical with your dog or use devices that cause pain on our behalf.
What LIMA refers to as ethical punishment entails never using physical force, pain, fear, or intimidation in order to coerce your dog into doing what we ask.
Negative punishment = taking away something the dog wants (as a consequence of the dog practicing an unwanted behavior) in order to decrease that unwanted behavior.
Your puppy bites during play, and you withdraw for 30-60 seconds. The punishment is that we removed what motivates the puppy (playtime with you) in order to decrease the mouthing behavior. Not scary, not painful, but effective.
Additionally, food is not only a brilliant motivator, but when used correctly, it has the power to change the way a dog feels about something that upsets them. There is no bribery involved when using food in training.
In order to be used efficiently, food must be delivered with precision & timing. Our trainers are clear about what and when they reward. When using food to teach a behavior, the rewards are eventually faded out and are then used only intermittently.
About Pat
I’ve been building relationships between people and their dogs since 2013. Certified through Animal Behavioral College, my philosophy of training is based on positive reinforcement and consistency.
With hundreds of volunteer hours at second chance facilities, I’ve helped people and dogs alike find common ground. I specialize in puppy training and leadership skills. With the use of meaningful rewards, I teach dog owners how to influence change in their dog’s minds that projects outwardly in their behavior. Rather than using physical corrections like shock collars.
When it’s their decision then the behavior is truly achieved. Though there are many philosophies of training that work, I believe this positive, humane, and safe approach is the best proven one.
Dogs want to please us and I simply show you how to help them do that. If you have a new puppy and want to set them up to succeed, I can show you. If you’re getting unwanted behavior from your dog then we can help them choose the one you want.
