
Positive Reinforcement Training
Positive Reinforcement Training How positive reinforcement ONLY training is failing the people and dogs who need help the most. What
Resource guarding refers to when a dog displays protective or aggressive behaviour in order to defend or control access to a particular resource. This resource can be food, toys, treats, bones, beds, furniture, people or any item the dog perceives as valuable.
The behaviour and body language of resource guarding can include some of the following:
Resource guarding is a learned or genetic behaviour which puppies will try when they are young. Depending on the result of that attempt, the behaviour will either be reinforced or shut down.
Some breeds are more prone to resource guarding (retrievers, beagles, rottweilers, livestock guardian breeds & chihuahuas), and some dogs have an anxiety induced resource guarding problem that is similar to OCD in people. Either way, resource guarding can definitely be (at bare minimum) safely managed, or at best eradicated with the right training tools and techniques.
When I am working with a dog that has resource guarding, I always take the human clients safety in mind first and foremost. This behaviour is dangerous, and so many precautions and management tools need to be put into place before we begin to tackle the resource guarding head on.
Most owners are shocked when their precious puppy growls or bites them for the first time over a toy or bone. Unfortunately, this fearful reaction will encourage the behaviour in the future because the puppy got exactly what it wanted.
Other reactions such as taking the toy away reinforces the behaviour because the puppy learned that their humans take yummy things away from them, and so they should resource guard it in the future.
Resource guarding is one of the most dangerous behaviors’ a dog owner will have to deal with. Because of this, when dealing with dogs over 15lbs who are resource guarding and have bitten a person and broken skin, e-collar training is the only recommended route in order to handle this in the safest way possible for everyone involved.
Since resource guarding is almost always a relationship problem, the first most important step to any dog training, is improving the relationship with your dog.
This is where I come in, to help you understand what you might be doing to send your dog messages stating that the dog is in charge. I help you communicate with your dog clearly and effectively to help them understand that they are not the leaders of the household, you are.
Through teaching you how dogs communicate, Kristina will be helping you how to clarify your interactions with your dog so you are sending them the right messages.
You must learn from Kristina how to communicate what is and is not acceptable. Then you must apply this and teach your dog the rules and boundaries clearly and consistently.
Once you have the knowledge, skills and tools from Kristina to improve your dogs behaviour, you are to practice every single day. Practice makes perfect!
***PLEASE NOTE: Do not try e-collar training without a professional trainer. E-collar training takes special technique and understanding in order to be used properly and effectively.

Positive Reinforcement Training How positive reinforcement ONLY training is failing the people and dogs who need help the most. What

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Hyperactivity and over-excitability is a state of mind that is often created by the humans in a dogs world. The good news is that because it is often created, it can also be reversed.

While many trainers claim they can get rid of behavioural issues, only very few are successful at it.

E-collar training can be an invaluable tool for training behavioural issues such as reactivity, resource guarding and prey drive. It is also one of the best ways to get perfect recall.
As a first time dog owner, Kristina gives me all the tools I needed to best support my pup! She is super knowledgable and understanding of my pups needs and has so many helpful resources. She is also great with humans - professional, kind, and easy to work with. She has checked in with me throughout my training journey making me feel very supported!
There's a good reason Kristina has 82-now 83- five star reviews here. My partner and I have been with her for just one session with our two rescue doggos and already she has helped us more than all the googling and unsolicited advice possibly could. She offers clear, concise instructions without shaming you for not knowing this as some trainers can. She is always paying close attention to the pups without making you feel ignored and uses those small moments that occur in sessions as only a professional like her could pinpoint as a learning experience for us, and teachable moments for the furry ones. We are absolutely thrilled and are looking forward to continuing this with her!
Kristina is a wealth of knowledge, her experience with dog psychology (especially rescue dog) is immense and she provides a lot of detailed homework between sessions to keep everyone on track and get the most from your sessions. Highly reccomend!
We rescued an anxious possessive hound mix. We knew we were out of our depths and needed help. We turned to Kristina and have not regreted. Kristina is very knowledgeable and pragmatic in her advice. She listens well and tailors solutions. She is available to us between sessions. I have hope that we can train our dog to be a great dog
My sweet girl is 5 years old and I've had her for 4 years. In that time, she's developed quite a few bad habits that I was not aware I was encouraging. I learned so much in my first session with Kristina, not only about my dog but about my own behaviors that needed modification. I am very excited to continue this journey because after our first session I am certain I will come out of this smarter, more informed, and with a beautifully behaved dog.
My dog Merlot loves Kristina and has made a lot of improvement since working with her. She gives me great tips and advice to ensure that Merlot continues to be a happy pupper that feels comfortable and safe. She’s absolutely wonderful and I would recommend to anyone.
I’ve been to many trainers in the city and saw little to no progress with my dog. I finally found Kristina and saw immediate results! She was able to assess what my expectations were, what my dog needed, and set me up with the right tools and techniques for my dog to succeed. Previously I had seen “positive only” trainers and I can attest that with a balanced approach both me AND my dog are 1000X happier. My dog now has the structure he was craving and is so much more content with his life. And I’m not getting dragged down the street. With Kristina’s help, I can also now trust my dog off-leash pretty much anywhere which has been a game changer and increased the quality of both our lives. Don’t throw your money away like I did, just see Kristina first!
Before we consulted Kristina about our rescue dog Stella’s leash reactivity, we couldn’t take her for a walk without her barking/lunging/snarling at LITERALLY EVERYTHING. We’re talking — we leave the door of the condo building and it was non-stop snarling at everything she could see. People, cars, bikes, dogs. If you could name it, Stella was trying to bite it. After just the initial consultation session with Kristina and being given homework on relationship building/the correct tools (and being taught how to use said tools), we saw a considerable improvement in Stella’s leash reactivity and her leash walking manners. It’s been 3 weeks since our first session, and today Stella walked so casually in a loose leash position, I thought I must’ve brought the wrong dog home from the groomer. She does not bark at people and cars anymore (sometimes she’ll tense up at cars, but we can redirect her now). Her threshold for seeing dogs without reacting has considerably improved and we can even walk by many of them on the sidewalk without issue — a massive improvement from seeing them even across the street and reacting. I don’t feel scared to take her on walks anymore and my confidence as a handler has also greatly improved. AFTER ONE SESSION!!! Aside from Kristina’s expertise in training, my partner and I are extremely grateful for how gracefully Kristina communicates with us. Kristina never shamed us for not knowing better or not already seeing Stella’s signs of guarding (which is related to the reactivity issue). She never made us feel badly about Stella’s behaviour issues. She teaches in such an easily understandable way. We have another session with Kristina booked soon, and I imagine we’ll sign up for more in the coming weeks/months to continue to help Stella live the best life she can. I can honestly say that it’s probably the best money we’ve ever spent. Highly recommend!!!
We had our first session with Kristina today. She is incredibly knowledgeable on dog behaviour and helps you understand why certain behaviours are happening and what they really mean. The corrections she suggested really helped our dog in the first 90 minutes and we are looking forward to our next lesson and Marley’s progress! Thank you Kristina!
Kristina is like a medium for dogs. As a first time dog owner, I've spent hours reading, scouring the internet, and working with other trainers to try to teach my lil dude, Schnitzel. Alas, his guarding, reactivity, barking, and at times — aggression, has persisted, causing major stress and concerns for his happiness and safety. Cue Kristina — my goodness! Kristina has given me so much insight into lil guy's psyche, and the tools I need to communicate with him. Even after our first session I saw progress. A lot of trainers will apply one philosophy to all dogs — whereas Kristina takes everything you've told her about your dog, and combines it with her extensive knowledge of different breed's psyches/needs to come up with a plan that will work for them — lemme tell ya, it HAS! She just gets them, and makes the training process so much more comprehensive for owners. Thank you so much Kristina!
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