Lakota's Legacy Behavior & Life Skills Training

Lakota's Legacy Behavior & Life Skills Training Science-based behavior modification & dog training
IAABC-Accredited dog trainer
AbsoluteDogs-PDT The training is then customized based on the dog's needs.
(19)

Accredited Dog Trainer (ADT) with IAABC (International Association for Animal Behavior Consultants)
Pro Dog Trainer Certified Concept Training & Certified Geek by AbsoluteDogs, LTD
Control Unleashed student
Aggression in Dogs Master Course Completed & Passed
1st year Puppy Development Course completion

Aggression in Dogs Conference 2020
Control Unleashed conference 2020
The Lemonade Conference 2

019, 2020
Member of Shock-Free Coalition https://www.shockfree.org/

I focus on the why"-not the "what" -the dog is doing, in order to change the behaviors. Where dog trainers teach a behavior like sit, down, stay, I go beyond to help find out they "WHY" of the dog's behavior when they are struggling with issues in their homes. Science-based means I am looking at the individual dog in front of me-like their breed, age, s*x, environment, nutrition, hormones,...all the various things that impact canine behavior. It is deep, lasting & fun. I can help you with you with your new puppy integration too & even help you prepare with management, training help & education before the pup arrives. A terrific way to set you both up for success. We use food, toys & you to train in an optimistic, supportive way. No prong, chokers, shock collar, intimidation, dominating. I look for the least stressful way to help your dog or puppy. Training has changed over the years and I am constantly studying & learning the best & kindest methods. Call me a canine geek. Call me your canine coach because I am here to help guide you. I have had dogs that were difficult and dogs that left me stressed out, exhausted, desperate, confused, feeling like a failure and broken hearted. I have been there. I am here to help you and your dog from going down or staying on that same road. Most dogs I meet have a yearning to be understood, so a lot of what I focus on is educating their owners. This puts the owner in a place of confidence with the ability to know what to do to help their dog. It’s time we move away from words like “command”, “obedience”, “dominate” & focus on “understanding”, “relationship”, “trust”, “acceptance”, “friendship”. Sending a dog off for training removes the vital part of the equation with the owners,....the journey of growth, discovery, understanding and learning together. This is what makes those relationships deeper and helps you to work with your dog instead of against them. You can be the you your dog wants you to be! You can start today! I try to have training solutions for every budget: from virtual sessions to fun online challenges and deeper, more intimate private sessions with myself via virtual or in person. Check my Services, or PM me.

$15 travel fee for private in home sessions within my 10 mi radius
Not local? No problem. I offer remote sessions!

Honoring the brave who gave their lives for our freedom. This Memorial Day, we pay tribute to their sacrifices and remem...
05/29/2023

Honoring the brave who gave their lives for our freedom. This Memorial Day, we pay tribute to their sacrifices and remember their heroic deeds. Please take a moment to reflect on all those who have stood before us & with us. With our gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice, salute! Be safe everyone 🇺🇸🎖️💙

This is definitely me & Puffy 😆
05/27/2023

This is definitely me & Puffy 😆

This about sums it up…

Have a great weekend everyone & thank you for supporting my mom’s business!! Woof! ~~Anabelle ❤️ 🐾 🐾
05/26/2023

Have a great weekend everyone & thank you for supporting my mom’s business!! Woof! ~~Anabelle ❤️ 🐾 🐾

Don’t let your past define you. Wherever your path began doesn’t mean your path hasn’t/won’t/can’t change.  Each set bac...
05/26/2023

Don’t let your past define you. Wherever your path began doesn’t mean your path hasn’t/won’t/can’t change. Each set back is an opportunity to learn, even if the lesson was a bitter one. Take time for yourself to reassess, breathe. Focus on where you’re going, not where you’ve been. Believe in yourself, even when no one else does. Keep moving forward. ❤️

05/26/2023
This is Lexi. She is a 1.5 yr old Am Staff. Her mom has contacted me for help with her reactivity, fear aggression and i...
05/25/2023

This is Lexi. She is a 1.5 yr old Am Staff. Her mom has contacted me for help with her reactivity, fear aggression and improve her quality of life.

Unfortunately Lexi lives in a world with a load of anxiety. Her “normal” is spent being nervous & afraid of so many things. She was brought into the world during covid and this has impacted her social skills and development window (lockdowns locked us ALL down. I have a lot of clients with similar issues because of Covid, I call them Covid puppies).

This lack of skill and confusion about how to handle situations caused her to behave, or "react", a certain way. Not knowing Lexi was struggling with how to handle the situations, her guardian simply wanted to "stop" the dog from doing X, Y, Z,...pulling, barking, lunging and aggressing. As you can see she is a stout dog with a lot of muscle and size. This made her guardian even more nervous so she did what so many others do to stop the behavior. She added aversive tools: prong collar, shock collars, electric fences.

The trouble with that is that both the human and the dog were actually both nervous and anxious when certain events were happening which caused a cascade of effects like dominoes falling. And everything got much worse!

It's not what you do when an event happens, but what you do after that counts.

Lexi's guardian is now educated about the use of aversive tools and understands why Lexi is struggling with anxiety at the levels she now is.

NEVER USE AVERSIVE TOOLS ON DOGS! ESPECIALLY DOGS WITH FEARFUL OR AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR!

When dogs are struggling with this kind of issue, what they need is to have their guardian control their environment, and allow the dog to feel SAFE by allowing distance from the worrisome thing, and learn new skills to be able to cope with stress effectively and know how to respond appropriately when faced with socially confusing events.

Her mom was in tears after our consult because she understood so much more about her Lexi, and she now has HOPE to turn things around with her instead of feeling Hopeless!

Stay tuned

Had the best time playing,… errehm,… “training” these pups today. It’s never too early to start puppy’s learning as they...
05/25/2023

Had the best time playing,… errehm,… “training” these pups today.

It’s never too early to start puppy’s learning as they are already learning 24/7 with or without us! Today we focused on building confidence & optimism! They had fun, their humans had fun & if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!

She’s so content with her chew, she’s gone sideways 😆
05/21/2023

She’s so content with her chew, she’s gone sideways 😆

Making assumptions about our dogs & their relationships with each other
05/20/2023
Dogs Who Love Each Other (Or Don't) - eileenanddogs

Making assumptions about our dogs & their relationships with each other

Humans love hugs, and we get particularly excited when it looks like dogs are hugging. But how often are dogs really expressing affection that way?

05/19/2023

Oh how I wish those who weren't professional dog trainers would stop giving professional dog training advice! Especially when they tell others to use shock collars! 🤬
All that horrible, poor advice is going to cost those dogs more than just horrible, poor advice. It will impact their emotions, thinking, stress responses and other behavioral issues down the road!

05/17/2023

Just completed over 100 hrs of webinars on Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) Grisha Stewart Academy and Empowered Animals, LLC. This type of training empowers dog, is especially helpful and effective for all dogs, but especially dogs that struggle with reactivity, aggression and trauma.

I am always skilling up and educating up to bring the best from the training world to my clients both in knowledge and a plentiful toolbox in which to draw from. I am excited to be able to bring these skills to the ones I feel will benefit the most!

🤓🐾🐾🐕

Photos from absoluteDOGS's post
05/17/2023

Photos from absoluteDOGS's post

Sometimes ya gotta hit those dirt back roads & go get lost awhile 😊
05/15/2023

Sometimes ya gotta hit those dirt back roads & go get lost awhile 😊

Happy Mother’s Day 🌸 🌺 🪴 ~~Ana & Eros 🐾 🐾 ❤️
05/14/2023

Happy Mother’s Day 🌸 🌺 🪴

~~Ana & Eros 🐾 🐾 ❤️

This dog ❤️ 💜 ♥️ Indigo!! She is a special one to me. Her parents came to me with help for her aggression & reactivity. ...
05/13/2023

This dog ❤️ 💜 ♥️ Indigo!! She is a special one to me. Her parents came to me with help for her aggression & reactivity. Just about everything triggered her-people, cars, other dogs, birds, wind,… she would respond with barking, pulling, lunging, aggressing & would feel so frustrated she would nip!

This week she has continued to make new friendships with people, she is learning a better way to process the environment & has more control over what happens to her.

It might sound counterintuitive to give a reactive dog more control (& by no means am I saying the dog should not be managed. Absolutely should be), but it actually empowers them in a positive way.

By listening to our dogs, having two way conversations instead of one-way transactions, and giving her choice instead of force, Indigo was able to walk right past her triggers, observe them from a distance with much less frustration and reactivity. Her guardians are also learning how to read & understand her better, & today, teaching her new leash skills.

She has come a long way since I first met her. I find her to be very affectionate, willing, brave & gritty. She didn’t need a heavy hand-she needed to be understood & taught that she has a voice, and she will be heard.

Super, super proud of this team! 🏆 🙌 💜 🐾 🐾

05/12/2023
From two crazy out of control young boys to two chillin well mannered young gentlemen ❤️ 🏆 🙌 They are both in the middle...
05/12/2023

From two crazy out of control young boys to two chillin well mannered young gentlemen ❤️ 🏆 🙌
They are both in the middle of major teething! This is what life skills training looks like! Their mom is doing a fantastic job implementing their training! 🥳

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong 

Stogie ❤️ 💜 ♥️ such a handsome boy 🐾 🐾
05/10/2023

Stogie ❤️ 💜 ♥️ such a handsome boy 🐾 🐾

Puppies need exercise. Without getting that energy expelled, their “training” is super difficult because they’re just no...
05/10/2023

Puppies need exercise. Without getting that energy expelled, their “training” is super difficult because they’re just not in the thinking state of mind. They are much easier to work with without all that energy. I don’t mean they need to be worn out entirely, but just enough to work with.
Sometimes I need to be creative with solutions based on my clients needs.
Today we started working on teaching Shannon how to use a treadmill.
***Do not try to do this without the help of a qualified positive reinforcement trainer.

With flea and tick season upon most of us, people are looking for natural ways to help their dogs.  Personally, I do not...
05/09/2023

With flea and tick season upon most of us, people are looking for natural ways to help their dogs. Personally, I do not use toxic oral or topical chemicals on my dogs but I am not a vet and don't play one on tv.
I use alternative topical solutions such as essential oil sprays and Effective Microorganism (EM) collars. Other things we do are keeping brush and debris cleared away, and keeping the grass cut down. One of the best ways to help is internally. A healthy host is a poor host for parasites.

I have used several of the A-Ok9 products on my dogs over the years and trust their products so much I have partnered with them and am able to offer their products to you.

If you are struggling to find a solution for your dog and ticks this year, this might be just what you are looking for. Please be advised, this product will be shipping from England so please keep that in mind when you order!

Check it out here!: https://a-ok9.com/products/bug-k9?ref=Lakota&variant=42875338424519

“I’m looking for a cheap dog trainer” are words that make me cringe.  In fact, I won’t even respond to them.  The dog tr...
05/09/2023

“I’m looking for a cheap dog trainer” are words that make me cringe. In fact, I won’t even respond to them. The dog training industry is one that is currently unregulated. That means that “I know how to train dogs because I have lived with them my whole life” can be a dog trainer. Google is the best free worst dog trainer you can find. Social media groups are ripe with undereducated, misinformed, erroneous advice. There are a million ways one can screw up their dog and it is all “cheap”. Ask me how I know. How much is it going to cost to fix all that mess? It won’t be cheap and it's going to take time.

When I hear those words, it tells me where the human’s priorities are. Would anyone send their child to a “cheap” teacher for help?

I want a client that is seeking “quality” help for their dog. A client who treats their dog like a prized part of their family. One who can look at the big picture and wants to have a deeper understanding of their dog in order to help them – not force them – when they are “not listening”. I want clients that like the geeky stuff, that are looking for a better relationship with their dog, and a happy life with them. A client who understands that dogs are animals, not robots, and as such, have feelings, a nervous system and a brain.

I am not trying to “sell” anything. I am providing a service. This was a tough concept to grasp at first. This is where a lot of people place their value on their own self-worth and not the service they are providing.

My service includes my time, my individual focus, my education, my professional network, my experience, my skills, my materials & support-both written and through messaging. It includes private one on one sessions, customized plans for your dog, personalization, convenience, placing myself in danger in certain situations, analyzing reports, preparing material, discussions with my peers when necessary, going over in sessions when necessary, educating and skilling up both the human and the dog successfully.

I have a lot of people that call me up in crisis, just to unload on me in tears and stress, who I never hear from again. It is mentally taxing at times, can be very emotional – from stressed, frustrated, and sad to happy, excited and in awe! It can be deeply rewarding. Highs and lows and all points in between. There is a huge mental cost to this job. There are some days that I just want to tap out and catch my breath from it all.

This is also my bread and butter. I am a small business. I have to pay for supplies, food, gas, treats, insurance, materials,… and my bills. This is not the career to become rich in LOL This is a passion-driven career!

So, “cheap” is a word I scroll on past. It’s not that I don’t understand times are tough, I DO!, believe me. It’s that when it’s the first word that comes out of one’s mouth, it tells me where their priorities lie. I think my rates are reasonable and affordable. That is my goal anyway.

The best thing a guardian can do is get in front of any behavior troubles by not dropping cash on frivolous things that will wind up in a garage sale, but in putting that money into quality training for the dog they will live with for 10-15 years, so that their dog doesn’t end up in trouble later. It isn’t just cheap training mindset that impacts one’s wallet. Cheap training has a heavy price to pay for the dog it is put upon. That’s not the client I want, and I have no problem saying it. The majority of my clients come from "cheap dog trainers".

All of you accredited trainers out there busting your ass to improve your skills and education from QUALITY positive reinforcement organizations, academies, instructors, and mentors, KNOW YOUR WORTH and don’t settle! Those after “cheap trainers” won’t see your true value. It will only put you into burn out quick, fast and in a hurry.

My mental health is not cheap. My education is not cheap. My time is not cheap. My skills are not cheap. My training style is not cheap. My self-worth is not cheap. My value and what I put into each and every one of my clients and their dogs, is not cheap! Those looking for “cheap trainers”, I am not the one for you, please keep scrolling.

Unapologetically,
Me

Sometimes it goes like this 😆I have a hard enough time with people who do this to me 😅, I can't imagine what our poor do...
05/08/2023

Sometimes it goes like this 😆
I have a hard enough time with people who do this to me 😅, I can't imagine what our poor dogs have to go through!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to my AMAZING clients! Thank you for supporting my small business, and thank you for the op...
05/08/2023

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to my AMAZING clients! Thank you for supporting my small business, and thank you for the opportunity to help you with your dogs! 🥰

Do you have a dog who barks at everything?● Other dogs - bark bark bark!● A knock on the door - bark bark bark!● Visitor...
05/08/2023
Stop Barking Mini Course

Do you have a dog who barks at everything?
● Other dogs - bark bark bark!
● A knock on the door - bark bark bark!
● Visitors - bark bark bark!
● Strange noises - bark bark bark!
● Unusual objects you encounter on walks - bark bark bark!
● Strangers - bark bark bark!
If your dog thinks everything is their business and likes to tell you all about it or responds to things that worry or excite them by barking, you may be feeling a little frazzled.
Restore peace to your household! As an AbsoluteDOGS Pro Dog Partner, I’m excited to share AbsoluteDOGS BRAND-NEW Stop Barking mini-course!
https://game.absolute-dogs.com/stop-barking1653996642857?prod=stop-barking-mini-course&ref=76
For just £27 GBP / $36USD, this course is small but mighty! Discover…
● Everything you need to crack that barking struggle and restore peace and quiet to your household.
● Fun, practical games to help your dog become less vocal and prevent inappropriate barking.
● Lessons which dive deep into your dog’s psychology in a fun and accessible way, to help you understand what might be motivating your dog’s barking and learn how the magic of games can make unwanted barking a thing of the past.
● Top tips and strategies you can start implementing right away.
● Lifetime access.
● Video captions.
Are you ready to help your dog access their inner calm and turn the volume down on your barking struggles?
Jump into the Stop Barking mini-course here!
https://game.absolute-dogs.com/stop-barking1653996642857?prod=stop-barking-mini-course&ref=76

Did you know that you have the ability to transform your dog’s barking struggles through the power of specific, targeted training games?

The boys didn’t jump on me when I walked in this morning!!! 🙌 🥳 Do you know how hard for them that was to do?!! 5 mo old...
05/07/2023

The boys didn’t jump on me when I walked in this morning!!! 🙌 🥳 Do you know how hard for them that was to do?!!
5 mo old Golden brothers ❤️ Having self control is not a puppy’s best trait! And having the social engagement with people is super, super rewarding for them, so jumping up can feel like a good way to accomplish that! It takes learning an alternative behavior to help them make different choices!
Good job boys! 🏆

Beautiful day to be out at the vintage fair with Anabelle ❤️           Sassys Food Truck Tennessee
05/06/2023

Beautiful day to be out at the vintage fair with Anabelle ❤️

Sassys Food Truck Tennessee

Love, love, love to get such great feedback from my clients! My goal for BOTH guardian & dog is to succeed! Rose is a 3 ...
05/05/2023

Love, love, love to get such great feedback from my clients! My goal for BOTH guardian & dog is to succeed!
Rose is a 3 yr old rescue tripod but you’d never know. She pulls like crazy on her lead, jumps like she’s on a trampoline & can run fast enough to catch a 🐿️! 😮
We are teaching her how to pump her brakes & bring it down a notch so that her guardian can take her back out on walks again.

Woohoo!!! This is great news!

Boom 💥
05/05/2023

Boom 💥

Is little Sugar not adorable??? 🥰 This little one is struggling with grass! It feels weird, she’s not a fan, but how is ...
05/05/2023

Is little Sugar not adorable??? 🥰 This little one is struggling with grass!

It feels weird, she’s not a fan, but how is she supposed to go potty? 🤔 She is struggling with her potty training and part of that is because of that inevitable green stuff she has to step through.

Sometimes we have to think outside the box and pick our battles!!  Have no fear, solutions are here!! We came up with a few ideas to try. Let's see what Sugar thinks about them. 🙂

Hearts for Sugar ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

05/04/2023

Ohhh this girl keeps me on my toes. Miss Shannon is a 7 month old Golden & let me tell ya, she’s got the wild energy! When I met up with her today, she lost her mind! 🥳 Jumping, biting, running like a wild child. It would be extremely difficult for her to try to learn in that state of mind. It would be a complete set up for failure. What I had to do was use that information that she gave me as insight as to how she was feeling at the moment.
I had to match that energy & bring her back down so that she could listen & learn.

The other struggle this youngster has is,… erehmm, self-control. She just can’t help herself jumping on people, tables, stealing things & running off. What a naughty girl she is 😈 but it’s typical normal puppy behavior.

Today we worked on her ability to think in that excited state of mind and exercise a little self-control, with this game.

She got a confidence booster, chose to stick around with me instead of running off, got some learning in AND had FUN! 🙌 🥳

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong!

Love ❤️ this! 🐾 🐾
05/02/2023

Love ❤️ this! 🐾 🐾

Amen!
05/02/2023

Amen!

Some important news during Dog Anxiety Awareness Week (DAAW) here at Pet Remedy

Andrew Hale, Pet Remedy's dog behaviourist comments,
"The banning of shock collars next year (Feb 2024) in England is amazing news, but the hard work starts now to reach out to all those who have been convinced they were the solution.
These dogs need us to show their caregivers what really lies beneath their behaviour and a way forward that does not rely on punishment and suppression.
It would be a shame if some of these dogs just end up being subjected to a different form of punishment in replacement."

Please share this important news...

Graphic by Denise O'Moore at Mighty Dog Graphics.

This girl is my happiness project. Is she actually smiling? Dogs (actually all animals except humans)  typically view th...
04/30/2023

This girl is my happiness project. Is she actually smiling?
Dogs (actually all animals except humans) typically view the baring of teeth as a type of communication to warn off a threat or in other aggressive behaviors, so it would seem our smiling at our dogs would send a very different message!
However, dogs also look at our faces for information & can mimic certain things we do.

We have to look at the context in which we see the behaviors. In this case Ana is just now seeing her friend whom she hasn’t seen in awhile. Her body was relaxed, her tail relaxed & waving & it looks like she is indeed smiling in an affiliative way. You can see her eyes squint & cheeks tighten with curved lips. Def not an aggressive posture & is usually followed with a friendly vocal greeting.

Does your dog “smile”?

It’s good to take our breaks from all the stress and chaos in our lives. A lot of us are so busy taking care of others, ...
04/29/2023

It’s good to take our breaks from all the stress and chaos in our lives. A lot of us are so busy taking care of others, or dealing with our troubled dogs, that we fail to take care of our own self.

What do you like to do that allows you a good mental break? I’ve been getting into gardening this year—vegetables, herbs & flowers. It’s extremely time consuming & you must understand the different plant needs & be sure to give them what they need. I guess it’s like taking care of another living thing but this one gives us some quiet, peace, beauty & bounty. A beautiful garden is a sight for sore eyes. By nurturing it, we nurture our spirits.

Today I found the most beautiful rose. Out in the rain the colors just popped. And for just a few minutes, I stood in awe just admiring it.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Address

Lawrence, KS
66044

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Lakota's Legacy Behavior & Life Skills Training posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Lakota's Legacy Behavior & Life Skills Training:

Videos

Share

Category

Turning Struggles to Strengths

When things go wrong with our dogs, many people focus on fixing the behavior instead of looking inside the dog to find out “why” the behavior is happening in the first place. When we look at the dog as a whole and the behavior as a small part of that whole, we begin to look at the dog in a different way. So we are looking at the dog’s health, how the dog thinks, how the dog learns and how they feel. Cookie cutter training doesn’t work on every dog as dog’s have different needs, just like we do. I work on the dog in front of me without force or punishing tools like prong collars, electric collars, intimidation, or force.

When a dog is struggling with life, when a dog doesn’t have the skills to get to the next level, that’s where I come in. I am here to help you and your dog build your relationship, understand each other better, and coach you so that you can teach your dog how to make the right choices in life. Some dogs just don’t know how to handle this human world we put them in & we wind up putting expectations on them that we wouldn’t expect our children to meet.

I am super passionate about dogs. I have had the dogs that were super easy and dogs that were so challenging, I spent nites crying over in frustration and hopelessness. I have made enough mistakes in the past using out dated methods, and now have made it a mission to keep myself educated on the latest and best training, so that I can put you and your dog on the path to success, avoiding all the pit falls I have already fallen into. My mentors are some of the best trainers in the world, with a veterinarian behaviorist or two thrown in there too!

Out of all the years I’ve been around dogs and all the kinds of training I have used, I have found the deepest, most effective, long lasting training comes by playing games strategically chosen to shape the dog’s brain. Playing games really does work! Please let me know how I can help you turn your dog’s struggles into strengths!!

Nearby pet stores & pet services


#}