Confident Canines LLC

09/23/2025

Unexpected visitors are very stressful for dogs, and especially if accompanied by sirens and flashing lights from vehicles. Many animals may attempt to protect the home, which could result in police, firemen or bystanders defending themselves against the pet. Any dog can become aggressive in a situation that is new and frightening. Even if the pet is not aggressive, an unnecessary and dangerous confrontation could still occur if someone feels threatened and the dog is not under the owners' control. This could cost a pet their life. Install a gate around the front door and/or backyard gate to keep animals from slipping out if left open. Always have a plan in place such as a gate, leashes by the front door that the owner puts on the dog before opening the door, etc -- and backup measures -- in place to maintain possession and control of your dog in unexpected situations.

Dog shot, killed by Henderson police officer | Henderson | Local

A Henderson family whose dog was shot and killed by a police officer is disputing the officer’s claim that the dog was being aggressive and was about to attack.

09/18/2025

I will be presenting my snake avoidance methodology again in Corona, CA! This is perfect for trainers who want to teach their own rattlesnake avoidance classes in their local areas. Hope you can make it!

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09/17/2025

Integrative behavioral solutions belong in dog sports just as much in pet behavior consults. Dogs in high arousal emotional states will have more difficulty dealing with unclear communication between them and their handler and also appropriately coping with the arousal/excitement that comes with the sport. Those emotional states are usually brewing before the dog sets foot in the agility ring.

In the recent case of two sibling agility dogs, they had separation anxiety from each other and also from the female owner. When one dog was on the course running, the other one would be stressed in the crate - even if the other owner was present. The dog running the course would run out of the agility ring to go see the other dog. This was worse if the male owner would run a dog who would then be away from both mom and the sibling. The running out of the ring occurred every time and was worse when there were external stressors like noises or unclear communication from the handler because the two dogs were heavily reliant on each other to cope with these situations. To many, it looked like the dogs being naughty and wanting to play with each other instead of doing agility. Unfortunately, that leads many people to start punishing these unwanted behaviors instead of actually addressing what is underlying the surface behaviors. Naughtiness and lack of interest in agility were not the problems at all -- the issues were separation and their hyperattachment with each other and mom, combined with some nervousness with external stimuli.

We met for two appointments outside of agility classes to work on desensitization with the separation issues and building comfort with independence. Now, we have had two agility classes and the dogs are displaying far less anxiety in response to external stressors, and there is no running out of the ring regardless of who was running the dogs -- even when we heard someone set off fireworks during class. The focus from these dogs in the ring is phenomenal. Looking at the "why" behind the problem to address emotional states will lead to lasting, longer term solutions and happier dogs and owners.

09/14/2025

Does your dog play jokes on you, laugh, or have a sense of humor?

Mine undoubtedly do. Two of my dogs have had very witty personalities, playing different jokes on me and my husband over the years.

Sometimes, pets can do some things that are a bit annoying, but there is nothing tangibly beneficial for the animal when we examine the objective of the behavior. These may be practical jokes or a bit of teasing, like what we might do to a friend, sibling or parent.... (continue below to the article)

By: Eileen Koval, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, MScDoes your dog play jokes on you, laugh, or have a sense of humor? Mine undoubtedly do. Two of my dogs have had very witty personalities, playing different jokes on me and my husband over the years. Dogs undoubtedly have distinct personalities, but they ar...

09/13/2025

***FULL***Our next beginner agility class starts soon! Classes will be held at a competition-sized private outdoor arena near Floyd Lamb Park on Mondays at 7:30 PM, starting Nov 3rd.

Limited slots available, max 6 dogs/handler teams. Geared toward AKC style competition agility, but competing is optional. Students in our agility classes are eligible to rent the arena for private practice.

Eileen competes heavily in AKC Master's agility with her current Kooiker Gilgamesh. She has competed and titled her Kooikers in both AKC Master's and NADAC Elite agility. Eileen is an independently accredited and certified behavior consultant and trainer (with IAABC and CCPDT). She is also finishing a Master's of Science degree in Animal Behavior at Husson University (2026).

Come learn in our friendly and supportive environment from an instructor who will help you and your dog reach your fullest potential.

Dogs must be physically healthy for agility, have completed basic obedience ( or equivalent), have a good recall, and be comfortable with both dogs and people (no growling, lunging, barking at people or dogs).

Reserve your spot now:

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21547046&appointmentType=50999633

I hope you can join us!

09/13/2025

BetterSportingDogs has decent practice quality displacing bar jumps, durable tunnels, and weave poles for agility practice at home. Receive 10% off using code "confident" at checkout.

FYI -- the hoop does not break apart like the tire that we have at class or competitions. Those are available at many online agility retailers and I do not recommend buying or using those unless they break apart, which is important for safety.

09/08/2025

Super excited for agility classes to start back this week!!!
The weather is cooling just in time.

09/08/2025

Most dogs are overweight, and it, unfortunately, impacts their welfare, quality of life and longevity.

NOTE: I consider myself an aggregator, meaning I dig into topics that interest me, find information that is helpful and interesting, pull resources together and then present everything to you while sprinkling in my own colorful commentary.

09/05/2025

Positive reinforcement Snake Avoidance for the win!!!

This photo was sent to me today by someone who attended one of my snake avoidance workshops in California. Their spouse (who was not present during the training) was hiking with the dog when this occured, so there were ZERO human cues/commands offered to avoid the snake. The dog did it on her own due to the training.

We have a mini workshop 2 hour avoidance coming up later this month here in Las Vegas. Go to our website and reserve your spot!