Dagny Kaspar

The bulk of my work is in-home private lessons as these continue to be the most effective. I also offer lessons hosted at my local dog training center, classes on occasion, virtual consultations, a complete virtual dog training beginner's course, and board-and-train services. I have also made some instructional YouTube videos, created one podcast episode (so far) about the science of dogs, spoken on the local radio about dog training, and been featured on our local pet store's Facebook page for training advice. As far as what I teach, I mainly work on manners, focus, recall, potty training, in-public behavior, listening skills (actually doing what their person asks of them), and making sure dogs are well-integrated into their families and know what is expected of them. Most of my work is either solving relationship issues between people and their dogs that result in problem behaviors or socialization work to address reactivity. I am passionate about helping people understand their dogs better, and vice versa. I also have taught classes focusing on puppy, beginner, intermediate, and agility for confidence and fun! But the class I love teaching the most is one I invented called "Social Skills" and we focus on dog-dog interactions and socialization.

Most of the behavioral issues I see are jumping up, demanding behavior, destructive behavior, pottying in the house, ignoring recall, separation anxiety, lack of impulse control, reactivity, pulling on the leash, chasing the household cats, not getting along with other dogs in the household, digging, eating things off the ground, and lack of confidence.

My process always starts with an introductory behavior consultation during which we discuss all questions, all problem behaviors, history, training goals, and first steps. I email various resources after the consultation to support the training plan. Moving forward, I usually see clients every 2 or 3 weeks for a couple months to check in on training progress, make sure everything is going according to plan, and adjust anything that needs changing. For my methods, I focus on positive reinforcement for desired behaviors and addressing the dog's emotional needs. We always start with a lot of treats and emotional rewards (puppy parties, as I like to call them) and then after a while, the behaviors we reward become habit and the dogs WANT to listen to us because they want to please us. I leverage the dog's natural tendencies to make big changes in their behavior in a way that makes sense to them. I make sure to explain to the humans not just how we are going to make changes but why these methods work. We go into the science of behavior and break things down into understandable concepts. I never use shock collars, prong collars, harsh corrections, "dominance techniques", or violence of any kind because it's inhumane and simply not necessary. Our dogs have a natural need to be with us and be loved by us and that requires trust. Using violence destroys that trust and leaves the dog in a state of self-preservation, which is not only wrong but dangerous. My methods always prioritize preserving the trust between people and their dogs.

I became a dog trainer because I can see all around me dogs trying to communicate with their humans, humans misunderstanding their dog's intentions, and tense relationships between humans and their dogs because of these misunderstandings and communication failures. Our dogs just want to love and be loved but they all have different needs and none of them are born with the ability to understand our language, customs, or expectations. I wanted to help people see their dogs for who they are so they could understand each other better. I believe the strongest relationships in life are built on clear, effective communication. Our relationships with our dogs are no different.

My favorite part of my job is watching the relationship between humans and their dogs grow and blossom. The dogs gain confidence and show more of their personalities. The humans start to hear what their dogs are trying to tell them. The humans also start gaining confidence and are able to solve problems as they arise because they understand their dog's motivations. Watching a dog and human form a language between the two of them and start working together is the most beautiful thing to behold. There are no other animals in the world quite like dogs and fostering that relationship is a uniquely rewarding experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Don't assume that you know your dog's motivation! We have a strong tendency to project our own feelings and quirks onto our dogs. This is almost always detrimental to the relationship because if we're not seeing the real problem, we're not able to fix it. If you think your dog is doing something to make you mad, to get back at you, or out of jealousy, you're probably heading down the wrong path.