Methodology

Owners regularly find countless, and often confusing, options when researching dog training methods available to them. This over-abundance of “methodologies” can create a lot of unnecessary confusion, stress and anxiety for well-meaning dog owners who are just trying to do the right thing for their pups. Some trainers will even advise owners to pursue training with one single method without any prior knowledge of the dog!

It’s difficult to understand how any trainer can truly believe that ALL dogs will subscribe to one singular method of training. It just makes absolutely no sense to us here, and I’m sure it makes even less “sense” to the dog who finds the “stimulation” on an e-Collar to be “shocking” at best. Some trainers will even spend a good amount of their “professional capital” trying to convince owners that “their way is the best way”. To us, that is just crazy!

The BEST way is really no secret at all and is widely known by truly qualified trainers. The best way to train ANY dog is the way that the dog finds enjoyable and enriching, intelligible and interesting and is eager to work with. There’s no way possible that ALL dogs find one single training method able to fit this criteria!  This makes little sense and you don’t even need to be a dog professional to understand it.

Here’s how it works (simplified for reading):

1. First, when ANY dog arrives here for training, the first order of business is to convince the dog that they are 100% SAFE – by allowing time for natural Acclimation.  Generally, this takes between 1-4 days.  During this time, we really don’t ask anything of the dog other than to help him or her get comfortable in their new environment.  This includes helping them get to know the other dogs here as well as “understanding” the daily schedule.  Our main initial goal is to help the dog to feel safe and as “at home” as possible. We find this starts the dog off on the right paw when training begins.
   
   
2. Under constant observation, the dog is crated in a specially designed crate directly adjacent to two other balanced Pack dogs – one on each side of the dog, while the remainder of the Pack are resting comfortably nearby.  If the troubled dog begins to feel anxious or exhibit Separation Related Behaviors….well, it looks to the left and then to the right and observes the balanced dogs it met earlier showing calm relaxation and NO anxiety or stress. This can often occur very quickly and will cause the new dog to “rethink” his or her current behaviors in favor of imitating the behavior of the greater number of dogs present.  If this doesn’t work the very first day….we are quite surprised but we know, as long as we stick with it, the results will always come.
   
   

Most owners, as well as many other trainers, simply don’t believe it when I tell them that dogs do not exhibit Separation Anxiety while here in our care.  This is something I can almost always guarantee. If you have a dog that has very serious Separation Anxiety….I can almost always guarantee that at least while the dog is in our care…..his or her Separation Related Behaviors will be alleviated.  In severe cases, relief can often take a considerable amount of time but for many, this is a long-awaited break for them and their dog as well!

While it’s true that our all-natural Pack Dynamic Training process is, far and away, the BEST way to help a dog with “dog problems”, this incredible process effectively aids dogs in the total improvement of almost ANY behavioral issue. Spending time with well-behaved dogs allows the your dog to begin to establish and practice new Positive Behavioral Patterns.  Remember, there’s simply no human alive that can teach another dog about balanced behavior more effectively or efficiently than a group of well-balanced dogs.

Here’s just a short list of the undesirable behaviors we regularly address with our exclusive Pack Dynamic Training process:

• Separation Anxiety (from mild to severe)
• Conspecific Aggression (Dog/Dog)
• Human/Stranger Aggression
• Fears/Phobias
• Jumping Up
• Impulse Control
• Not Coming When Called
• Poor Canine Social Behaviors
• Obedience Command Reliability
• Hyper-Excitability/Over-Stimulation
• And many, many more
  
  All Training Programs include the following:  Impulse Control Training, Loose-Leash Walking, very solid Obedience Reliability (Sit, Stay and Recall).

Currently, they number 12.  But this could change at any time when we meet a dog that would benefit as much from joining our Pack as we would!  For more information about each Pack member, including their roles and responsibilities….please check out our Meet The Pack page.

That is a great question and one I asked myself for the first few years until I actually realized the daunting amount of work it took me to effectively develop a working Pack. Luckily, I had the foresight to set out on my own multi-year quest to get to where we are today.  The dogs in our Pack did not begin here with us as balanced dogs. Far from it.

I can’t imagine many trainers having the ability to commit to the number or years it takes to obtain and curate a balanced Pack of dogs. The time and costs involved in building a Pack of multiple dogs, caring for (food, vaccinations, Vet care, toys, etc.) and training them…can be quite daunting. Add to this, the fact that you don’t get a “day off” when you own that many dogs. These are all serious “hurdles” that many trainers would not have the ability, or perseverance, to conquer. That said, I am so very glad that I did!

Another challenge was to overcome the difficulty in actually training a Pack of dogs to be balanced enough to NOT engage with a dog that is exhibiting “high-arousal” behaviors. I guess it would have been far “easier” to press the button on an e-Collar than to work daily, for many years, training a group of dogs to be able to not only help other dogs, but often to fully rehabilitate some very severe behavioral issues. In my mind, relying on a “tool” or trick to train dogs to “do what you want” is nothing short of cheating. It doesn’t only cheat the dog….but it cheats the owners as well!

We would NEVER be able to achieve the results we are known for without this Pack of dogs that I have mindfully rescued and trained over the last 10 years. None of these dogs came “trained”….they were all either rescued from homes they were not suited for or from a Shelter or Foster home. They were ALL troubled beyond the owner’s ability to help them. Most had been through numerous “trainers” or unsuccessful programs and were either slated to be euthanized or banished to life in a shelter or bounced around from foster home to foster home.  For one reason or another, they ended up here with me and I took it as my duty to help these dogs find peace and behavioral balance. Now….they are giving back to dogs in need on a daily basis. I love them like they are my immediate family and each and every day that goes by I thank the stars for allowing me to finding these wonderful four-legged-friends.  

For more about each Pack member – Click Here!

Why? Because doing things the right way takes time. In short….it takes the amount of time it takes to do it right! To put a short, artificially imposed time-line on the successful modification of behavior, using natural means, makes no sense. Sure, if we wanted to use e-Collars or Pinch Collars on every dog….we could probably change that dogs behavior in 2 weeks too!  But, that’s not the “right” way to reach success and unlikely to produce long-term positive results. Here at CBS, we allow the dog the necesssary time to acclimate for the first few days, or longer, and want to ensure the dog is fully comfortable and feeling safe before we begin training.  As a matter of fact, in certain cases, we’ll discuss with the owner the benefit of the dog staying a little longer here in training.  And, there is never an extra charge when we request an extension!

I would say this seems to be one of the largest “hurdles” for owners to get past.  For many, the thought of sending their dog away for up to 6 weeks seems like an insurmountable sacrifice. We know it must be difficult…but we also know that from the dog’s viewpoint, who really has no clear understanding of the passing of time, it seems like just another day! Thank goodness dogs don’t come here and just wallow while “missing” their owners…..even though this is what many owners believe would happen. It’s simply not the case. Dog’s find every day here greatly enriching and wonderfully fulfilling.

• We don’t have a preconceived notion that your dog must be trained in one specific method. Our holistic training philosophy, known as Cynopraxis*, is extremely natural and organic and very “flexible” because we always allow the dog to “tell” us what will “work” best for him or her.
• We strictly adhere to the LIMA Principle as well as the Humane Hierarchy.  LIMA is an acronym for Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive.  In essence, we consistently utilize the most gentle/friendly techniques and tactics while always minimizing the level or use of aversives.  The Humane Hierarchy is a set of guidelines published by the CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) and used by trainers in their decision making process when implementing training and behavior protocols.
• We are the ONLY training company in New England with a working Pack (12) of behaviorally balanced dogs that have spent the last few years of their lives learning how to help ANY dog at ANY level of need. Our proprietary, all-natural Pack Dynamic Training Method is obviously going to be more enriching to your dog than a traditional Human Trainer Only type training program and we are the ONLY place you can find it!
• Because of the incredible abilities of our human and dog “Pack” – we also offer other highly successful Programs that are designed for dogs and situations that are not as severe in nature. Whether it’s our Basic Manners Puppy Workshop or our Private Session Training done AT YOUR HOME….we have a Training Program that fits the needs of every unique dog and owner team!