METHOD

The goal of our work is to make your dog’s life better. This, of course, often comes with a happy owner. Every dog is different, and every family is different, and effective long-term solutions must be tailored to each household. This starts with a comprehensive understanding of the dog and its context through an initial Behavioral Assessment.

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A dog is not a product that can be left at the shop to be fixed and picked up later. A dog is a complex individual that responds to its environment and whose behavior requires a healthy relationship with its group. Our approach is focused on transforming the dog–owner unit. We empower the owners to meet the dog’s needs and to provide the guidance that, in turn, will help the dog meet the owner’s needs and navigate city life.

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Most techniques are based on Steven Lindsay’s “Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training” series. Further developments come from other professionals, the scientific literature and, particularly, from the close experience with urban dogs over the years.

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We work with a systematic hypotheses-testing framework of “Problem > Hypothesis > Treatment > Response” that balances theoretical rigor with practical flexibility. Guiding the choice of techniques is the “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” (LIMA) approach. This framework provides a hierarchy of humane and effective tactics likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective. Please find more details about LIMA here.

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It is part of the trade to apply what works until it doesn’t. The occasional case will appear that will not fit any known hypothesis, requiring us to dig deeper, review what we know, and develop new testable hypotheses until we find a solution. This dynamic nature is the challenge (and the beauty!) of the work.

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We are interested in helping you. We are not as interested in your dog behaving in a certain way by a given date as we are in empowering you to provide what your dog needs and the guidance to navigate life in the city with you. If you are willing to understand your dog, respect them, and help them learn, then we are here for you.