ABOUT CATE

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My goal with every dog and guardian is to positively impact quality of life and bond through effective behavioural support and training that reduces stress and improves cross-species understanding.

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I launched Kindred Creatures in 2015 after graduating from a professional dog training program where I learned the principles and methods of positive reinforcement training. 

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Dog Training as a profession followed 25 years of working in community and home support services helping people get the information and resources they needed to function well.  In that capacity I often observed that the behaviour of misunderstood and untrained dogs contributed significantly to the stress in the home, and that often dogs as well as people were suffering.

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Kindred Creatures uses only evidence-based, positive reinforcement and force-free methods to teach new behaviours and address behaviour problems.

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My commitment is to provide and promote behaviour change strategies and training methods that are experienced by each client dog as positive and free of stress, that enhance each dog’s well-being and relationship with his/her guardian, and that grow awareness of force-free methods in the larger community.

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Why focus on stress? 

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Life in a human world is often very stressful for dogs. Lack of training can significantly add to that stress.  And sadly, training itself can be extremely stressful. 

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Stress interferes with learning, motivation, and trust.

 

Stress is an issue of welfare and well-being.  A stressed dog is one who in the moment has not been able to meet or manage one or more of its biological needs, including the need for exercise, mental stimulation, and ‘felt’ safety. Dogs, like humans, don't do their best thinking when stressed, and in fact can panic or shut down. 

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My methods are positive, always.  What does this mean?

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It comes down to how we train.  

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'Positive always’ means that training methods are intentionally NEVER painful or intimidating.  It also means that the dog’s point of view/experience (emotional, mental and physical) in real time (moment-to-moment) is relevant, respected and informs the training process (i.e. what and how and for how long we train) and its effectiveness (facilitates motivation and reinforcement).

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The dog’s “point of view”!  What does that mean?

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It means that what the dog perceives and experiences is real for the dog.  A dog’s well-being must be measured from its point of view. 

 

For example, if a dog shows fear when encountering a novel object, or the vacuum, then the object or vacuum is frightening. The human's point of view, that there is ‘nothing to be afraid of’ is not valid for the dog.  

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The dog decides what is reinforcing.

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Only that which the dog finds reinforcing (pleasant) is reinforcing (rewarding). This is a law of nature.  A piece of carrot or a piece of kibble or a piece of banana is not reinforcing (won't motivate) if the dog doesn't like carrots, kibble, or bananas.  End of story.  The dog is not being stubborn or trying to manipulate–dogs don’t think like that; the food you're offering simply doesn’t affect them in any way that is reinforcing.  (When we humans don’t like a particular food, we just don't like it. It’s our biology, or involuntary learning history that makes it so, not a character flaw.)  

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Learning to ‘read’ our dogs' body language is how we come to know our dog's point of view in any given instant, and is integral to positive handling and training. Body language is canine communication.  It lives in the movement, position and degree of tension or looseness of body parts--ears, tail, eyes, mouth, body posture.   ‘Reading’ your dog's body in conjunction with its behaviour is how we can achieve two-way communication, meaning the information each of us sends and receives facilitates the relationship. Once we we understand our dog's body language it will in many cases change how we interpret their behaviour.   When we understand and take seriously (are responsive to) the signals our dog is giving off then we have succeeded in becoming attuned to our dog, and our understanding of the meaning of his/her behaviour may grow dramatically. 

 

Believing that what your dog is communicating is relevant, and being responsive to that communication can be life changing for you and your dog.

 

My methods are evidence-based.  What does that mean?

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Evidence-based means that results are tied to the method; successful results are born of effective methods.  The training ‘method’ is the practical application of the approach supported by the best and most current scientific research.

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What exactly is Positive Reinforcement training?  

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Positive Reinforcement training is based on the science of applied behaviour analysis, the laws of which state that “...behaviours that are reinforced will be repeated…” (the animal will be motivated if reinforced, and will want to do the behaviour in the future to earn reinforcement again) and "... behaviours that are not reinforced will  extinguish..."  The methodology lends itself to some fast and easy wins with our dogs!

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 “You just use treats, right?” 

To be effective, and especially to avoid frustrating, or unintentionally punishing your dog learner, guardians should learn from a trainer who has been educated in the theory and methods of applied behaviour analysis and is qualified to practice.    

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More About

(To recognize a qualified positive reinforcement trainer, look for letters behind the name, and then do a search on the organization and qualifications associated with those letters. Once found, check that the code of ethics explicitly denounces training with correction and aversives, and then search that organization’s trainers directory to find the name and photo of the trainer you’re considering.) 

The theory and the science is much deeper than meets the eye; ABA is complex and rich with nuances that guardians don't need to understand in order to be effective with their own dogs, but are essential for the trainers of guardians know.

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But isn’t this more involved than the average pet guardian has time for? 

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Not to worry.  The theory of positive reinforcement (R+) training is a study for trainers teaching others, and geeks.  The important thing is that YOU have a qualified trainer to set you and your dog up for success. 

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At Kindred Creatures, pet guardians learn some basic theory disguised as “guidelines for effective training”.  The single most important thing is that effective training is upbeat and fun to keep your dog wanting to train.  If you’re really paying attention to your dog while you're training, you’re going to be smiling a lot!  

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The first learning is play. The best learning is play.

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So how is it done then?

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​You’ll be encouraged to keep a ‘toddler perspective’ to help you attune to your dog’s innocence, and to his/her level of comfort and emotional experience so that you can adjust to his/her needs as you go, and...

...thoroughly enjoy your dog's personality and antics as you train. 

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We use things your dog naturally enjoys (small pieces of healthy treats, a toy, a game of tug, or that 'thing' that you do to him that he loves.) to reinforce skills that you want him/her to learn. 

 

Skills are taught by first breaking them down into small steps that gradually, and one-by-one in tiny increments, lead to the goal behaviour (the skill). 

 

For example when teaching your dog to come when called, our very first step might be to reinforce the dog for just looking at you while already right in front of you; the final step might be calling your dog from half a football field away in the presence of a squirrel. 

 

For example, when teaching leash-walking, we might start with first reinforcing the dog for just standing near us; we might finish with your dog walking loosely and happily at your side while you cross the parking lot at the dog park.  

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Progressing in tiny increments isn’t only about being gentle; it's also about being effective.

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The instant an animal becomes stressed from confusion or frustration, learning and/or motivation is negatively affected.  Therefore, the attunement to your dog while training is essential to success;  attunement will ensure that the rate at which the training progresses will always be right for your dog in that moment.

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Learning is a layered affair where success builds skill, and skill builds success.

 

When behaviour is complex, it takes more steps and time to achieve reliable behaviour change.  Think of learning a new sport or musical instrument.  Learning happens in skill clusters and then the clusters are consolidated into bigger clusters, and so on.  Success builds gradually, and sometimes imperceptibly, but

when you look back after a few weeks or months ‘from where you first started’ you are impressed!  

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[CREDENTIALS]

When you want the best from your dog, do the best for your dog...

Give you and your dog the gift of stress-free learning and watch the positive changes add up.

 

 

Learn from a Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behaviour Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP).   See the KPA pledge here.

Benefit from the expertise of a designated Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT).  See here for information on the advantages of working with a CSAT when your dog can’t handle being alone.  Learn more about the CSAT credentials here.

Tap into the 'made for families' Dial Guide resources created by The Family Dog, available to clients of Kindred Creatures.   See more about the Dial Guide here.

Lean on Kindred Creatures for help with some of your dogs more ‘challenging-to-manage’ genetic-driven behaviours.  We'll explore together to identify the do-able ways to meet your dog's breed needs when your dog needs some nurture for the nature within.  

Currently enrolled in the LEGS Family Dog Mediation program which holds pet training up to the lens of applied ethology–the study of animals in captivity (captive environments).

See more about Family Dog Mediation here. MAYBE

Attend professional development conferences and continuing education workshops and webinars covering strategies and techniques targeted to specific behaviour challenges and needs, at the rate of about 20 per year.

 

Full training member and professional advocate of Force-Free Methods with the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) an international organization committed to public education and professional development initiatives.

The Force-Free Method - Informed by Science, Guided by Empathy, Governed by Ethics" TM    Pet Professional Guild

Read more…collapsing text from the PPG about the science behind the force free method here.

 

Link to the following paragraph:

“The Force-Free Method - Informed by Science, Guided by Empathy, Governed by Ethics" TM             

PPG promotes the use of positive operant and respondent training methods, both personally and professionally, and holds that all training should be conducted in a manner that encourages pets to enjoy the process, which will, in turn, lead them to become more confident and well-adjusted pets. PPG members optimize the use of applied behavior analysis to systematically identify and resolve problem behaviors using the least aversive and intrusive methods, tools and equipment. Further, both PPG and its members actively recommend against the use of any training tools and equipment whose purpose and/or intent is to interrupt or redirect behavior using fear, force or pain. 

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