Canine Cooperative

Canine Cooperative Providing humans with a complete education in dog.

We have all been there... our dog is doing something inappropriate & we end up yelling commands at them, to no avail. Th...
08/17/2025

We have all been there... our dog is doing something inappropriate & we end up yelling commands at them, to no avail.
The problem is owners try to direct their dog once they have entered an over aroused state of mind. Your dog is amped up by the environment, you are amped up yelling & the entire interaction is one BIG mess.

It is very difficult to communicate with an over aroused head space. Asking for a “sit” when your dog is already jumping up on your guest will likely do little to help your cause. However the root issue is NOT the fact your dog isn’t sitting. It’s the manner of the greeting... the energy & mental state which accompanies it. Instead of using obedience to address behavior problems, use obedience to affect levels of energy & state of mind. This will in turn help your behavior issues.

Back to our example of greetings. If we address our dog at the sound of the doorbell by sending them to “place”, it will immediately minimize arousal. Now you can answer the door without your dog repeating the unwanted behavior. Once your dog is calm, you can allow them to greet your guest & ask for a “sit” prior to receiving affection.

The root of the original behavior was never one of obedience. It was about lowering levels of arousal in order to make your dog successful. So the next time you find yourself yelling commands at your dog, ask yourself about your dog’s state of mind & how you can impact levels of arousal first.

“Structure” may as well be a four letter word. When dog owners hear it, emotions have them recoiling! Many owners strugg...
08/06/2025

“Structure” may as well be a four letter word. When dog owners hear it, emotions have them recoiling! Many owners struggle with this part. They think it’s too hard , will take too much time or their dog won’t be able to have any fun. ⁣
⁣
𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗘! ⁣
⁣
Implementing a predictable routine in your home based upon behavioral expectations will build good habits with your dog. Ever heard... dogs are creatures of habit? Yup! It’s true! In fact the lack of structure can create feelings of anxiety for dogs that manifest into unwanted behaviors for you. ⁣
⁣
So let’s break down “structure”. ⁣
⁣
𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 are the things you want to see in your relationship with your dog. ⁣
⁣
𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 allows you to monitor these expectations. ⁣
⁣
𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 helps to build the long term application of your expectations. ⁣
⁣
𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗘 helps to develop patterns of behavior by repeating the same cycle daily. ⁣
⁣
𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗦 are eventually born out of patterning a routine & become normal day to day behavior.

CHANGE does not happen without intervention. If you are looking for better behavior from your dog, you better start refl...
07/27/2025

CHANGE does not happen without intervention.

If you are looking for better behavior from your dog, you better start reflecting upon your own.

Your dog will not create good habits by themselves. They also will not stop bad habits either. If your current situation is not working between you & your dog, it’s time for YOU to CHANGE.

Providing a structured environment helps to give your dog a routine they can follow. Routines build expectations that allow you to ask your dog for their accountability in following them. Leaving this all to chance, your dog will pick what suits them each & every time. As I have said time & time again, the odds are you will not like their choices. So intervene! Teach your dog what you expect from them & hold them accountable for this behavior. The pathway to a better behaved dog starts & ends with YOU 🙂

Do you know your dog’s love language? If not, it’s time to figure It out! ⁣⁣Your dog most likely finds all of these lang...
07/14/2025

Do you know your dog’s love language? If not, it’s time to figure It out! ⁣
⁣
Your dog most likely finds all of these languages rewarding, but there is one that they find 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 rewarding. Knowing your dog’s love language is so important when It comes to training. Using their love language as reinforcement will keep them motivated & eager to learn more!⁣
⁣
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀- Food, Toys⁣
⁣
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻- Praise⁣
⁣
𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵- Affection⁣
⁣
𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲- Attention⁣
⁣
𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲- Play⁣
⁣
⁣

Aversive & Abusive are NOT synonymous. Yet there seems to be a ton of confusion surrounding this terminology. Aversive c...
07/05/2025

Aversive & Abusive are NOT synonymous. Yet there seems to be a ton of confusion surrounding this terminology.

Aversive consequences create a negative association with unwanted behavior. EVERY living being is subject to this consequence. Both nature & society set boundaries for behavior. We AVOID events which cause us discomfort.

Human Perspective-
Nature- Shake a hornets nest, get stung.
Society- Rob a bank, go to jail.

Canine Perspective-
Nature- Put your face in a porcupine, get stuck with quills.
Society- Cross an underground fence boundary, feel stimulation.

These consequences keep behavior in check based upon the laws of nature & society. The only difference when discussing training a dog is the societal consequences are manipulated by the owner.

Abusive means engaging in habitual violence & cruelty. There is absolutely NO place for this in dog training (or anywhere else) EVER. Period.

I hope this clears up any confusion.

Ever had that bad start to the day lead to an even worse part of your evening? You know, you overslept. In a rush got up...
06/23/2025

Ever had that bad start to the day lead to an even worse part of your evening?

You know, you overslept. In a rush got up & stepped on your dog’s chewed Benebone (ouch! if you know, you know). No time to shower or eat breakfast. You get to work; cranky & hungry. You take a deep breath, go to the break room to get a cup of coffee. As you walk out, Linda from accounting rushes by & causes you to spill your coffee all over your shirt. Work day over, you head home.
Too exhausted to make dinner, you call for delivery... they don’t have a driver tonight. You go OFF on the person who answered the phone, telling them how unprofessional it is to not have a back up driver & hang up in a huff.

THIS is trigger stacking. While maybe none of these events separately would not cause you to needlessly explode, all of them compiled together take you way past your threshold of tolerance. The end result is blowing up at an event which normally would not illicit a response by itself.

Dogs operate similarly. Stressful events which stack themselves on top of each other cause our dogs to unnecessarily explode or have less tolerance for events that seemingly caused not reaction at all. Be aware of all the stressful scenarios your dog experiences through out the day & have realistic expectations for their reactions.

Leash Walking... there is an ocean of options for WHAT to use when walking your dog.Let’s break down how to choose what ...
06/18/2025

Leash Walking... there is an ocean of options for WHAT to use when walking your dog.

Let’s break down how to choose what is right for you & your dog.

1st Dog training tools are simply aids to help you,
• gain leverage over strength.
• influence behavior change.
• communicate more effectively.

2nd Are your specific goals to
• stop leash pulling?
• control leash reactivity?
• walk off leash?

3rd Does your dog
• slip out of collars or harnesses?
• have a collapsed trachea?
• have neck or spine issues?
• freak out when you apply leash or collar pressure?

Each tool provides different support based upon the above considerations. Learning how to properly USE these tools, will AID you in communicating to your dog. Remember they only help with leverage, they are not quick fixes. However if what you are currently using is not suiting you & your dog’s needs, there are plenty of other avenues to try!

Address

West Milford, NJ
07480

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Canine Cooperative 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 Canine Cooperative:

Shortcuts

Share

Category