Welcome to the DogSmith and an overview of our training philosophies and methodologies. If you are embarking on a dog training career or if you just want to further educate yourself and your dog then you are about to commence a fascinating journey into the world of interspecies communication. What exactly does that mean?  Well, to train dogs we first need to understand how to communicate with them.  As we all know, we speak human and they speak dog.  We are primates and they are canines. Of course the other side of the communication coin is that we need to understand how they communicate with us using their bodies and vocal tones. In addition, we need to understand what they are physically capable of doing and of course we need to understand what motivates them.  To motivate a dog to do something it is physically capable of doing we need to accept that dogs are a predator and an opportunist and every behavior they display is designed to support their survival.  There are millions of dogs in the world.  Biologists consider the canine species, because of their numbers, to be hugely successful. There are more dogs than wolves and there are more dogs than almost any other animal so domestication has been a critical component of their success.  Yet domestication means dogs rely on us for much of their needs.  We humans are in a position of control and power in relation to our dogs and we are necessary for their ongoing wellbeing and survival.

Some methods are inhumane, cruel and abusive while others are just plain ineffective. At The DogSmith we work toward a world where people and their pets live together to the mutual benefit of each and where, by our efforts, we can significantly reduce the number of unwanted pets and provide abused, neglected, and abandoned pets an opportunity to find their “forever home”.  Our mission exists to enhance the lives of pets and their owners by improving their relationship and the quality of the life they share through:

1)      Providing professional support and training to pet dog owners,

2)      Supporting and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations to minimize the number of unwanted animals, and

3)       Offering affordable and professional care to family pets so that pet ownership is never a burden.

Our vision and mission is guided by some very stringent values. First, we seek to do no harm.  Secondly, we emphasize a ‘holistic’ approach to pet care by attending to the physical, emotional, and environmental well being of all pets and, thirdly, each DogSmith  will support, through its  deeds, efforts and sponsorship, animal shelters and rescue organizations to promote and implement the “no kill” animal philosophy.

How did the DogSmith training methodology and training philosophy evolve? Having spent considerable time researching and studying psychology while working with pet dogs and their owners, we recognized that dogs learn in two ways. The first way dogs learn is from their environment (acquisition learning).  This type of learning is going on all the time.   In the ‘pet dog world’ examples of this include learning that takes place in and around the home on a daily basis whether under supervision or not, at the dog park, at their day care or when they are out and about with their owners.  Dogs do what works for them and what brings them rewards in their daily life. It is not hard to imagine how dogs pick up and develop unwanted behaviors when owners unknowingly and repeatedly reinforce the wrong behaviors exhibited by their dog.  The other way dogs learn is in a formalized learning environment such as a dog training class or during periods when you specifically work with your dog to train them on a particular skill or task. This learning is more structured and formal. This is learning derived from education rather than from the accumulation of experience. With formalized learning the pet dogs are  involved and active in the learning process.