MISSION
The Allegiant Canine motto is "Training Dogs Together." What this means is that we are going to equip, empower, and edify you as the owner to create a solid understanding of dog behavior so that you can carry the things you've learned onto the next dog or even to teach your friends and family! Once you learn the most accurate, effective way of reading, shaping, and progressing your dog, it is stored in your muscle memory, and you'll be able to create a relevance, relationship, respect, and redirection like you've never seen. Our goal is to show you how to use tools, timing, and techniques appropriately and to coach you on connection, communication, and correction in ways other trainers can't or won't.
METHODS
There are so many dog training approaches out there that it can be overwhelming to choose how to train your dog. At Allegiant Canine, our goal is to make the simple truths of canine obedience and behavior available to everyone who is searching.
It's about what is humane and what works, not what is politically correct. It's about how dogs actually learn, not how people think they learn. And ultimately, it's about what the average dog owner can apply on a daily basis, not the complicated antics of mystics and gurus.
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Staying away from extremes, exercising moderation, and focusing on what motivates each individual dog is what we are all about. Over the last 15 years working with dogs, I've seen trends and fads come and go, and I've learned a lot - and changed a lot. The following progression is how a dog should go through training in order to produce clarity, speed, and precision.
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1. Education happens through a process called "shaping" where we use positive reinforcement or the adding of something good to increase the occurrence or likelihood of a behavior. Most would call this rewarding or paying the dog. This can be done through treat, toy, or touch and has been proven highly effective for the creation of behaviors, so long as the handler is aware that the payment needs to be faded out eventually. We can't pay a dog treats forever for pooping in the grass instead of in your bed...this should go without saying, but a dog must be progressed past the point of wanting payment. The relevance they place on the handler becomes the ultimate reward for both parties.
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2. Expectation is communicated through "structured walking" through use of negative reinforcement, removing something desired temporarily to increase the likelihood, speed, or accuracy of a behavior. Physical, Social, or Spatial Pressure are very powerful and nuanced elements of conditioning. Use too much, and you're taking out all the brain work for the dog. Use too little or turn off too soon, and you'll risk confusing them or teaching them you're an impatient sap.​ We will show you through a three step process how to utilize pressure effectively to create a nice loose leash walk in under 10 minutes. Through this process, you will learn how to gain trust for the dog, and the dog, for you. Patience is the key here. That is the number one tool for dog training. We will be as patient with you as we need to show you how to be patient with the dog. We'll allow you to make mistakes, and we will give you the freedom to learn from them.
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3. Engagement allows us to create boundaries with the dog via negative punishment, as we remove something desired through "stimulating games" to decrease an undesired behavior. Working with the dog's natural drives, we can show them how to channel their primal desires into something that we want, meanwhile removing the decoy, or stopping the game when the dog misbehaves or cheats. For example, turning away when a dog is jumping and biting for our attention during a game of fetch or tug. These are usually coping mechanisms and should not be used independently, nor should any of these operant conditions.
4. Enforcement involves proofing or locking in behaviors through "special targeting" where we must positively punish the dog for dangerous target behaviors, adding an undesired condition to decrease a behavior and the likelihood of it being offered in the future. A knee bump when a dog persistently jumps on us is a good example of this. Correction is the immediate, instantaneous interruption of patterned misbehavior by applying an effectively aversive and subtle stimulation or sensation to discourage said behavior from occurring again. Aversive does not have to mean painful, and punishment does not have to mean retaliatory, but it is indeed not to be confused with a nagging, persistent pressure like we would use to help a dog into a position accurately.
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We like to start shaping as soon as we walk into the evaluation because first impressions are important between dog and trainer. After reviewing the concepts of operant conditioning and behaviors, markers, and rewards, we show you how your dog learns by beginning some very simple shaping exercises.
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Socialization and Exposure are emphasized in our program as part of the larger picture of a dog's experience set. If you have a dog that offers really nicely through obedience exercises but likes to act out toward other humans or dogs when distractions present themselves, the dog has not struck that balance quite yet. We can get them there.
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Dogs need the following three things in order to thrive in the world:
1. Physical Exertion through exercise & drills
2. Mental Stimulation through structure & discipline
3. Emotional Fulfillment through exposure & affection
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Our goal is to help you to check all three of these boxes by reviewing the dog's routine and misbehavior of the past. Many times there are a couple of boxes checked before we come into play, but there is almost never ZERO boxes checked. Many of us know a part of the equation, but don't understand what is missing. That's where we can really help.
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Following a board & train, we hand deliver the dog to your home and show you how to get the same results that we did. If we did not do this, what would be the point? If the dog is not offering at the same level with you as with the handler, you might as well watch YouTube videos and "DIY" it.
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Finally, we are always in touch with clients, even months after their board & train to follow up and answer questions that will inevitably arise. Our clients are family. We are allied in shaping the best behaviors for our dogs and are loyal to our clients. For us, it's about personal responsiblity and ownership.
If you have any questions, the best way to begin the process is by filling out our Training Questionnaire on the next page so that we can reach out to you directly and schedule a free evaluation.
We love each and every dog like our own and hope you'll be a part of the Allegiant Canine family!
Matt Burnett
Owner, Allegiant Canine
Training Director, Rural Animal Rescue Effort