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Christy Paxton, Trainer/Instructor
 The Planning Committee for the first-ever RESCUE RAVE attempts to stay dry. First row (l-r) Rebecca Jackson, Cyndi Smith, Charlotte Heppner. Second row (l-r): Becca Riker, Sandy Smith, Christy Paxton. |
H.I.P. In the News: Read the articles:
• "Reverse Dog Training:
A Fresh Perspective for Solving Common Problems" in Sun News.
• "Trickility" in Mimi Vanderhaven's
Fabulous Buys
• "On the Job with" profile in the
Cleveland Plain Dealer
• How do you choose a trainer? Read my article
• What's different about my approach?
• Fix the home environment
• Attention: Giving, getting, going overboard!
• Proper praise and correction
• Recommended Reading
• Get HIP -- sign up now for classes!
• Testimonials
Welcome! I'm glad you've found your way to my site. That tells me you are someone looking for a different way to relate to your dog. Perhaps he has a problem that traditional classes and trainers haven't cured. Or perhaps she's started doing something new you don't understand. Or perhaps you simply believe that there is more to your relationship with your dog than Come, Sit and Stay.
I'm here to help you find your way to that better relationship. I started Hand in Paw (HIP) when I realized there were very few trainers/behaviorists who truly understood where the dog was coming from. There's a lot of conventional thinking out there in the dog world about how to train your dog that just didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And I'd had enough encounters with dogs (including my own) where I had tried and failed to connect with them using those old methods to know there had to be something better.
So I dove into studying, research and experimentation. I read everything I could get my hands on. I took a job sitting for and walking dogs so I could observe and interact with as many different dogs as possible. I brought a new dog into my own home, a stray we named Tawny, to test my theories on (oh, yeah, and to love oodles -- isn't she adorable?). And I came up with an approach that is different from most out there. It is effective, flexible, and most importantly, uses the dog's natural instincts to achieve great results.
What's different about my approach?
I've studied and worked at training most of my life, but I had never thought until recently that I had actually come up with my own way of doing it that would be an improvement over anything I had experienced to date. But I believe I have. What is different about it?
First, I don't assume one size fits all. Every dog is different, and not every dog is going to react the same way to stimulus. For some dogs, a standard obedience class is all they need. For others, that class is a waste; they "fail" the class. A dumb dog? Not necessarily (although there are some "challenged" pooches out there, to be sure). That is just not the right approach for that dog.
Most people with a "failing" dog stop there, saying, "Well, we'll just have to put up with it then," or worse, "He's not fixable. We have to get rid of him." NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Very few dogs are "not fixable." Most simply need a different approach. THIS COULD BE THE DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR YOUR DOG.
Second, I believe that proper correction of behavior problems starts in the home. Most, if not all, behavior problems begin in the home. You can teach Come, Sit, Stay until the cows come home, but if your home environment is wrong, your behavior problems will continue. So my sessions, be they classes or private lessons, I heavily emphasize changing the basic home environment so owners can begin to relate to their dogs in a way that makes sense to the dog. I call this "resettimg" the home environment.
This is where most other methods fail, in my opinion. So many owners and trainers try to force the dog to do things their way instead of communicating with the dog at his level. They do the same ineffective thing over and over again, expecting the dog to one day catch on, I suppose. This is the definition of insanity -- to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result!
To achieve the home resetting, I rely on the groundbreaking work of Jan Fennell and Patricia McConnell, plus the wisdom of my mentor, Michelle Blount-Jordan of PAWSitive Dog/Human Training regarding giving attention to your dog and offering praise and correction the right way, plus my own teaching of the proper application of Positive Reinforcement. It is in these areas -- attention, correction and positive reinforcement -- that owners typically make the kind of mistakes that allow the bad behavior to develop. Changing these areas alone will make a huge difference in most dogs. And, it can sometimes happen with amazing speed. One owner e-mailed me the day after my session with her dog to report that she and her husband were doing everything I had instructed them to do and " it's amazing how things are already working for us." Read more testimonials.
Attention: Giving, getting, going overboard!
Believe it or not, you can give your dog too much attention, and inappropriate attention (i.e. at the wrong times). Doing this can lead to a demanding dog with a false sense of entitlement, which can make the dog think he can do what he likes -- soil the house; tear up the carpet; growl, nip or bite; not come when called, and on and on and on.
All this from too much attention? Yes! I've seen it over and over again. And I have also seen, time and again, how using attention in the right way, a way the dog completely understands, turns a misbehaver into a calm, well-mannered pooch.
Everyone agrees in principle that positive reinforcement is a good thing, but it always seems to be the case that, instead of "good dog" coming out of an owner's mouth, it's forever "No! Stop it! Cut it out! Knock it off!" and my personal favorite, "Shuuuuuuuut Uuuuuup!!" It reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago where two dogs were introducing themselves to one another. One dog says, "Hi, my name is 'No No Bad Dog,' what's yours?"
Isn't it the truth? Aren't we always trying to get our dogs to stop doing something? So how are we supposed to praise them when they are always doing something wrong?
Therein lies the error in thinking about positive reinforcement. First, dogs are not always doing something wrong -- we just tend to notice the "bad" things more than the good (though remember, these are not "bad" things to a dog!). Do you ever praise your dog for laying quietly on the floor? Bet not. But should she start barking or grab your shoe, suddenly she has your full attention -- and it's all negative.
Second, if you simply tell your dog NO, you are not communicating properly with him. In fact, you are only giving him half the information he needs. That's because No only means "stop what you are doing." Once he has stopped, you need to GIVE HIM SOMETHING ELSE TO DO — a behavior you want, like coming, sitting, etc. — to replace that undesirable behavior. When he performs the new behavior, YOU PRAISE HIM FOR IT. That is the essence of the proper application of positive reinforcement, and that is what most owners never get right.
Note here I am not saying you should never correct your dog. Some behaviors are, after all, self-rewarding. But the emphasis should be on praising for good behavior. After all, you want your dog to do things for you because he likes you, not because he is afraid of being punished.
Christy giving "The 411 on Your K9" at the one-year anniversary party for the Tremont dog park.Get the ball rolling — sign up now for classes!
I invite you to experience this new wave of thinking by signing up now for one of my classes. During our eight-week Puppy or Dog Basics classes, you will learn:
• How to change your home environment so your dog will live with you calm, happy and stress-free
• How to get your dog to walk on a loose leash (not a Heel, just loose-leash, attentive walking)
• How to keep your dog from acting like a jerk at the front door
• How to stop your dog from pestering you for food
• To make sure your dog always comes when called
• How to stop jumping, mouthing, chewing, counter-surfing and other annoying things
• Come, Sit, Down/Stay, Leave It, and many other commandsTo register or check class availability, click here.
To see full class descriptions, click here.
For more information, contact me:
christy@handinpawdogtraining.com
440-263-2314Please note I return every e-mail and phone call I get, usually within 48 hours. If you don't hear from me
(and you know I'm not on vacation), PLEASE CONTACT ME AGAIN!I am available generally afternoons, evenings and weekends. My regular day off is Friday.
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