Training Philosophy
Our dog training methods are in accordance with the LIFE (Least Inhibitive Functionally Effective) framework that emphasizes positive animal welfare and providing them a happy life that they enjoy living. The LIFE framework focuses on four key components: Learning, Inference, Feedback, and Emotion.
- Learning: The process teaching a dog to respond to desired cues (verbal, hand signals, environmental) while increasing the frequency of desired behaviors and decreasing the occurrences of undesirable ones.
- Inference: The understanding of canine body language indicators and properly interpreting them to be able to predict a dog’s behaviors.
- Feedback: Clear communication between dogs and people. People and dogs learn to understand each other resulting in enhanced communication between the two species.
- Emotion: Emotion is important that a dog’s emotional state can affect their responses to training efforts.
Training Methodology
K&C Canine Life Skills LLC’s purpose for dog training and canine behavior intervention is to train owners to teach their dogs the necessary canine life skills for a happy life together. Dog training should be enjoyable and best suited for each individual dog and their family. Our training method takes a multifaceted approach to dog training and canine behavior intervention with three elements: force-free, positive reinforcement, and holistic.
Force-free: Force-free dog training and canine behavior intervention means that you learn how to achieve your desired dog training and canine behavior intervention goals without the use of pain, force, or fear. You are encouraged to be a teammate with your dog. We do not teach alpha and/or dominance theories. Training your dogs with these theories can cause problems. Two primary problems caused by training with alpha and/or dominance theories are: cause people to use punishment that suppresses canine behavior problems rather than addressing the underlying cause and human-dog relationships are often damaged.
Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement dog training is focusing on what your dog is doing right rather than wrong. You learn how to train your dog making use of what he or she finds to be positively reinforcing whether it be food, toys, play, etc. Positive reinforcement dog training encompasses learning skills for a happy life: giving a dog agency (having choices), developing a dog’s trust with their guardians, and helping both dog and guardian to be confident in their everyday lives.
Holistic: Holistic approach to dog training includes evaluating your dog’s overall needs: physical, emotional health, mental stimulation, and your relationship with your dog. Our holistic approach also encourages you to be your dog’s teammate to bridge the species communication gap and enjoy a happy life together.