About the practiced Paw

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At Practiced Paw we are dedicated to the health and well-being of our Canine companions. We believe there are few things in life that can compare to the bond held between a dog and their handler. Deepening that bond is a privilege and it’s a privilege we are honored to participate in. Our goal is simple, to deepen the bond between human and canine so both may experience a rich and rewarding life together.

We believe in a holistic approach to canine health and wellbeing. Nutrition, disease, congenital conditions, environment, personality, intelligence, breed, physical health, psychological health, and many others are important factors to consider when caring for and training a companion. We will always take non-behavior related factors into consideration when serving our clients and direct our clients to services we are not able or qualified to provide. 

Behaviorism is a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, and conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment.  Generally, behaviorists tend to believe actions are shaped by environmental stimuli. This field is called Behavioral Psychology and it’s what we at The Practiced Paw study and implement.

Behavior modification is defined as the use of operant conditioning, biofeedback, modeling, aversion conditioning, reciprocal inhibition, or other learning techniques as a means of changing behavior. Thus, all training is behavior modification of some form. 

The Practiced Paw provides canine behavior modification services. Our training techniques are based on modern positive reinforcement methods. Positive reinforcement is the introduction of a desirable or pleasant stimulus after a behavior.  The desirable stimulus reinforces the behavior, making it more likely the behavior will reoccur. 

In obedience training, one is essentially teaching their dog “tricks” to preform when solicited by a handler, a specific environment, or a specific situation. For the most part obedience training takes place through operant conditioning, a type of associative learning, and is well supplemented with positive reinforcement.

Sometimes obedience training and positive reinforcement are not enough to help our companions overcome their fear, aggression, or excitement. Cases of overly excitable dogs may respond well to aversive conditioning.  Cases of moderate to severe aggression may require a more complex reciprocal inhibition behavior therapy using counterconditioning and systemic desensitization. Such cases take time to overcome but will likely see rewarding outcomes with due diligence.

No doubt about it, behavioral conditioning and behavior modification can be complicated and overwhelming. That’s why we are here to work closely with you and your companion to achieve realistic and enriching results for all parties involved!