What is Holistic Dog Training?

You probably won’t find an accurate Google category for holistic dog trainers on the web. There are very few of us who describe ourselves this way. As a human who has been concerned with holistic treatment for myself for many years, I took the same path as a dog trainer. It seemed natural and logical for me to take my dog’s physical, emotional, environmental, and spiritual concerns and make sure that they all are treated equally and with care. When the training goes beyond behavior, and includes nutrition, safe health care, your dog’s environment and family life, then I call it Holistic Dog Training.

Traditional/old fashioned dog training often only focuses on behavior and beliefs that animals don’t have emotions or feel pain. The methodology used is often rough and creates correct behavior from fear. Unbelievably as it seems, it is still a popular route for dog owners. It’s 2014, and many of us are training differently now. While taking into account the whole dog and not just behavior, we are still training with science, but with emphasis on positive reinforcement, partnership and trust. We now know that animals do feel pain and have emotions. Haven’t we always known this?

One of the main components of being a holistic dog trainer is being able to make a commitment of “doing no harm” and being a peaceful, gentle, guardian/partner in your dog’s life. Whatever you call it, the goal is to foster a kind and gentle whole environment for our dogs.

What does holistic dog training look like in real life?

In real life a holistic trainer would do an assessment and put together an entire comprehensive protocol for your individual dog. Not all behavior issues begin with behavior. That’s just the best way our dogs can tell us important things. Often behavior issues can come about from pain, fear, under-socialization, and many other reasons. In real life, it means we can help if he has separation issues, if he’s afraid to ride in the car or gets sick or thunderstorms send him to the bathtub. We can help if your puppy isn’t eating, even if it’s just to tell you to call the vet. We can set up your house for a puppy proof safe environment, or set up gates and play areas for your new un-house trained older dog from the shelter.

It’s no longer about “sits and downs” and “stays and heels”. We find out if your dog is afraid of your son, or just kids with hats, and we teach you to manage or fix it. We want to know why he won’t go in the scary yard anymore. We are interested in your dog’s every behavior, especially the ones that upset you or are not healthy for your best friend.

I don’t want to shut down my dog’s personality, so I don’t want training. Why train, if my dog is just fine?

That is the idea we got from old fashioned training. Now it is very different. With looking at the whole dog and with positive reinforcement training, your dog’s personality is no longer shut down with training. We teach with science based reinforcement plans and the dogs LOVE it. It not only does not shut down your dog’s personality, but allows him to thrive. When reinforcing behavior, whether with food, play, toys, praise, or touch, your dog will love to do more. It helps him to lead a secure, happy life with many things to do and achievements to pursue. It helps with destructive behavior which often comes from boredom. If you give them a full life, they are usually too busy resting when you’re not around, as opposed to breaking the house rules. Many dogs are fine with just laying around the house, but imagine giving them activities to learn and some challenges to follow. Your dog will love you for the chance to use his mind.

What are other things I can do with my dog?

This is a great time for this question because there are so many great activities that you can do with your dog. My dogs’ favorite is Nosework and it’s a great sport for all dogs. My 2 year old dog goes and my 10 year old fearful dog goes and they are both getting exactly what they need in their different periods of life. The puppy is learning safe life experience and is having a blast sniffing around the North Shore. The 10 year old Beagle is not only in her element, but she is thriving since she started Noseworks at 9 and learning that the world isn’t such a scary place after all, as long as she’s using her nose. There is dock diving for water loving dogs and Rally for those who want a less formal obedience challenge. There are cart pulling events for those big strong pullers and freestyle dancing for those who want to show off their and their dog’s personality.

Herding, lure coursing and tracking, are also wonderful choices available for you and your dog. Some require more human partnership, some are a little more focused for the dog to use his natural talents. If you’re the couch poato type, there are interactive games and puzzles that your dog can play by himself. Just remember to choose a sport that treats both the human and canine compassionately, fairly and with safety for all of the participants. What we in holistic dog training do is to let you know the choices and how to pick the appropriate activity. Physical, emotional, environmental, and any other matters that affect your pooch will be taken into account to find the best activity for the whole family, not just the whole dog.

What about food?

It’s only natural to talk about food when we talk about holistic dog training. Our body, minds and spirits are very dependent on how we nourish ourselves. It is the same with our dogs. The good news is there are so many healthy choices for dog food these days. Yes, it’s basically the same theory as it is with humans. Your pet can live his whole life on food equivalent to a fast food diet, 24/7 every day. At the other end of the spectrum are foods of the highest quality with fresh proteins, vegetables, vitamins and supplements. A better quality diet is best for the ultimate chance of a healthy active brain and increased physical power. Just start with treats with very few ingredients and skip the ones with numerous words you don’t understand. Try to pass on “by-products” and anything“-meal” oriented.

What about vets?

Vets are the same as Western medical doctors. Some are very strict old fashioned doctors who never think out of the box. Some are aware of alternative treatments and they educate themselves to work more effectively with their patients. It’s the same with vets. It’s important to interview your vet, on the phone or in person. These are some things to look for: find out if they offer or refer to different modalities of treatment, and make sure they are comfortable working with other vets. Ask them if they are willing to work with you in helping your pet to feel safer at the office. Find out if they will let you be involved with treatment. There are many wonderful vets who specialize in holistic treatment or who incorporate holistic modalities into their treatment program. Trust your gut reaction, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Always advocate for the safety of your dog.

What Modalities of healthcare are available for dogs?

Acupuncture, Reiki, Chiropractic, Hydrotherapy, Massage, Herbal medicine, Heat and Cold therapy, Flower Essences, Laser therapy, and Massage therapy. There is Physical therapy, Nutritional therapies, Aromatherapy, Muscle Testing, Crystal and Color therapy, and many other options both in conventional and alternative medicines available for our pets. There are some specialized training classes for dogs focused on stretching and core work, and many Dogma classes are popping up at yoga centers and dog training facilities which feature human yoga with your dog.

What about vaccines, I’ve heard many different opinions.

Currently, vaccinations are a hot topic both in the human and dog world. Only it’s even more complicated because often dogs are given vaccines every year for their whole life. There are many vets and vet behaviorists doing major studies trying to slow down the vaccination protocols for dogs. It’s the law in most states if not all, to give your dog a rabies shot every year. Some states allow a three year vaccination. In most states for the other vaccines, titers (see below) are now being allowed. This is starting to help to eliminate over vaccinating. Talk to your vet about tittering. If your vet is opposed, or not knowledgeable you may not have a vet that is educated or believes in newer, safer, modern techniques that are being used widely by many vets.

While we as trainers are very careful and advise about options and speak up when we hear red flags, we aslo need to make sure we leave the medical decisions up to the vets. For an explanation on titers, I refer to one of the premiere authorities.

Dr. Jean Dodds, an expert in vaccination protocols, explains:

“A titer test is a simple blood test that measures a dog or cat’s antibodies to vaccine viruses (or other infectious agents). For instance, your dog may be more resistant to a virus whereas your neighbor’s dog may be more prone to it. Titers accurately assess protection to the so-called “core” diseases (distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats), enabling veterinarians to judge whether a booster vaccination is necessary. All animals can have serum antibody titers measured instead of receiving vaccine boosters. The only exception is rabies re-vaccination. There is currently no state that routinely accepts a titer in lieu of the rabies vaccine, which is required by law.

There are commercially available vaccine titer tests for dogs that can be performed in a laboratory or also in the veterinarian’s office for faster results. Several commercial and university veterinary diagnostic labs and Hemopet offer reliable titer testing for dogs, cats and horses.”

What new areas are being studied these days?

The list is too long to put down here. There are major studies going on in many universities all over the world. To name a few, there are neutering/zuetering, laser surgery, safer flea, tick and parasite treatment, vaccine studies and many studies about dog’s emotions (yes, they do have them,) and how stress affects their brains. There are cognitive studies about how your dog can learn and how he thinks, which are huge. There are potentially stress related behaviors like licking or pacing which are being studied to help get to root causes of those particular behavior issues. All these will potentially change how we relate to our canine best friends. Exciting changes are happening so fast these days. The ability to acquire good quality health care and training is readily available. It is important to take your time, do serious research, ask the hard questions and be able to make informed decisions for the safety and humane welfare of your dog’s life.

How Do I find a Holistic Dog Trainer?

Do your research. Ask many questions, find out if a trainer is force-free, hands off and equipment off, (prong collars, choke collars, electric and e-collars). Ask specific questions about training techniques. Use the information above to help guide your questions. Ask us at kona’s touch and we will refer you to a holistic trainer in your area. These days it’s often hard to get the right advice. Everyone has a great idea, or something that worked perfectly for them. It may not necessarily work for you. It’s so hard not to take a neighbor’s or sister-in-law’s advice, but it’s okay not to.

The current and next generation of dog training allows for scientific humane work with our companion animals. There are many very credible schools teaching gentle dog training. To look at the “whole dog” and everything going on in his life is absolutely the most important method of assessing and finding answers for your dog’s issues. Sometimes fixing your dog’s new, every morning barking pattern can be just a matter of “oh my goodness, you moved the flower pot”.