About Us
If you are reading this, you likely have
a strong desire to improve the relationship you and your family have with your
dog. In short, you love your dog and want to get the most from your time with
him or her. At A Courteous Canine, we specialize in teaching
dogs and owners how to communicate with each other and achieve domestic
happiness.
We view dogs as an important component of every family’s life. Dogs are our
roommates, surrogate child or sibling and trusted friend. In all cases, they
desire to be your friend and lifelong companion. This dog-owner relationship is
like any other, with a little effort and insight, your time with your dog can be
as rich and memorable as you want to make it.
To merely train a dog is doing an injustice to both you and your pet. We don’t
train our children, we teach them. At A Courteous Canine we will teach
you and your dog how to learn from each other. We use positive reinforcement by the use of rewards. Be it verbal or
physical praise, a favorite toy, or treasured treat. That combined with an
appropriate correction when necessary, your dog will learn what your rules are
and what he or she needs to do to earn a reward and avoid objectionable
behavior. The benefits from understanding how your dog thinks and how to
motivate him or her are beyond anything that training alone can achieve. We are
here to teach you how to communicate with your dog!
We focus less on what is wrong with your dog and more on what we can do to make
it right. We are not merely a problem solver. We teach you and your dog
how to correct your own problems and eventually eliminate them all together.
The
At A Courteous Canine we are dog people,
just like you. As dog lovers, we have tried and experimented with many forms of
training over the years. We have worked with dogs on all levels of obedience,
hunting/retrieving skills Police service dogs, tracking and explosive and
narcotic detector dogs. We have worked with dogs that were handicapped, abused
and malnourished. Whatever the age, breed, sex, personality or history of the
dog, one thing was constant. Dogs desire a reward!
Dogs will do anything to obtain a reward. When your dog knows he is in
your good graces, he is happy and stress-free. When he is happy, he wants to
learn more so he can achieve his desired reward and be even happier. This
cycle is where a dog’s aptitude to learn is the highest. A Reward
can be physical or verbal praise or a special food or toy. Reward is
love, fun and satisfaction of basic needs plain and simple. The more of it we
use as owners, the more we receive from our dog.
Like any student, dogs will not understand all of the rules at first. As with
any teaching, we have to let your dog know when he/she has done something
“objectionable.” Objectionable behavior is the result of stress in your
dog’s life. This is where verbal correction comes in. It is important to note
that we are not punishing the dog; we are correcting him or her. There is a big
difference. Simply punishing him or her for not obeying does not make your dog
any smarter; it only makes him or her feel guilty and unworthy, traits not
conducive to learning.
The A Courteous Canine philosophy is centered on these basic principles. Our
methodology is geared to accomplish two specific things:
1. Teach your dog how to achieve desired rewards and deter your dog’s
“objectionable behaviors”
2. Teach you how and when to use rewards and correction to communicate
with your dog.
Once these basic precepts are learned and practiced, there is nothing you and
your dog cannot do together. This makes for a very happy relationship!
To learn more click here or call 208-466-9547