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The Canine Connection was founded to help dog owners discover the
results and rewards of positive training. Since training is one
of the most important facets of the human-animal bond, we believe
it should be conducted in ways that build trust and respect between
dogs and their people. Positive training capitalizes on the natural
drives, desires, and intelligence of dogs, thereby making training
fast, fun, and motivating!
MISSION
Our mission is simple - to help dogs and people discover the results
and rewards of positive training.
When training is fun and effective for dogs they:
- enjoy it more
- gain confidence and trust
- develop a better bond and a partnership with their people
- better appreciate and respect their people
- learn a large repertoire of behaviors
- and respond more reliably.
When training is fun and effective for people they:
- enjoy it more
- practice it more
- develop a better bond and partnership with their dogs
- better understand, appreciate and respect their dogs
- teach a larger repertoire of behaviors
- and interact with their dogs more frequently and enjoyably.
The end result . . . happy dogs and people who can enjoy a permanent
positive connection!
TRAINING METHODS
The last decade has seen a dramatic paradigm shift in dog training.
Scientific principles of learning, including operant and classical
conditioning, have been successfully introduced to the world of
dog training.
The training methods we use rely on these principles. These methods
are often referred to as positive methods because they rely
on rewarding dogs for getting things right, instead of correcting
them for getting things wrong. Have you ever seen the comic that
shows one dog talking to another, saying "My name is 'No-no-bad-dog"?
How sad and stressful, for both dog and owner, to constantly point
out our dog's wrongdoings. With positive training our dogs learn
to practice the behaviors we desire because their life is full of
"Yes!".
Because we do not rely on corrections as a way to train, we do
not advocate methods or equipment that can cause pain or discomfort
to your dog. Thus, we do not typically recommend the use of chain
(choke or pinch) or electronic (shock) collars. Instead, we use
equipment that helps foster good behaviors we can reward.
In many of our classes we employ clicker training. Clicker
training is a fast and fun method of training that is based on developing
a powerful communication system with your dog. It's the same method
(with some variations) used to train marine mammals at places like
Seaworld. And hey - if you can train a 6000-pound killer whale to
do amazing things, just think what you can train your dog to do
with these same principles and techniques!
Recommended
Equipment
Frequently Asked Questions
PHILOSOPHY
Though of a different species, dogs are asked to live and perform
in a very human world. They give us so very much (which is why we
humans must love and need them so) and I believe it is our utmost
responsibility to give them, in return, opportunities to learn in
a kind and gentle way. Every dog is a unique individual, shaped
partly by genetic traits, and partly by the experiences he (or she)
amasses while living in our human world. As a unique individual,
each dog - and his (or her) person - is deserving of the utmost
respect, and of an opportunity to learn in ways that are reassuring
and rewarding.
From Sarah
Richardson, Founder of The Canine Connection
Sarah and Deveron
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I have traveled all over the world, and have often found myself
in places where I do not know the language or the culture. I have
sometimes felt confused by unfamiliar words, unclear expectations,
and unknown meanings. Sometimes I think this must be what an untrained
dog must feel like in a human world. When dogs do inappropriate
things, or don't behave as we want, it's usually because they simply
don't fully understand what we want, or know what to do. Don't we
owe it to these marvelous and mysterious companions - our dogs -
to help them learn our human expectations in a humane
way? Would we want any less if we were the ones doing the learning?
CONTRIBUTIONS
The Canine Connection was founded because of a love of dogs. In
an effort to extend our reach to dogs not directly affiliated with
us, we contribute in a variety of ways to non-profit groups involved
with the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of dogs. Here are
some of the organizations to which we have recently contributed:
To learn about this photo click here.
Have you adopted a dog from a non-profit shelter or rescue organization?
If you are one of our students, please let us know about the adoption.
We will make a $10 donation to that organization on your behalf
so that other dogs may also benefit from your dog’s adoption.
Your dog must have been adopted within the 2 months prior to your
beginning one of our introductory classes (Puppy Kindergarten or
Obedience Basics) and the shelter or adoption group must be a registered
non-profit (501c3) organization. Together, we can make a difference
helping more dogs find loving homes.
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