The DogSmith Mission
The DogSmith exists to enhance the lives of pets and their owners by improving their relationship and the quality of the life they share, through;
- providing professional support and training to Pet Dog owners.
- supporting and assisting animal shelters and rescue organizations to minimize the number of unwanted animals.
- offering affordable and professional care to family pets so that pet ownership is never a burden.
The DogSmith Vision:
Every DogSmith will work toward a world where people and their pets live together to the mutual benefit of each. Through our efforts, skills and training, we can significantly reduce the number of unwanted pets and provide abused, neglected, and abandoned pets an opportunity to find their “forever home”.
The DogSmith Key Values:
- Do no harm.
- Emphasize a ‘holistic’ approach to dog training and pet care by attending to the physical, emotional, and environmental wellbeing of pets in our care.
- Support, through our Canine Rescue Resources programs, humane societies, animal shelters and rescue organizations.
The DogSmith® Behavior Consulting Case Management Philosophy
Here at the DogSmith are Training and Behavior protocols, methods and philosophies are founded in the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. They are also governed by our ethics and managed through our ”Guiding Principles".
Applied behavior analysis is the science of controlling and predicting behavior.
- As behavior analysts we reject the use of hypothetical constructs and focus on the observable relationship of the dog's behavior to its environment.
In scientific theory, particularly Psychology, a hypothetical construct is an explanatory variable which is not directly observable. For example, the concepts of intelligence and motivation are used to explain phenomena in psychology, but neither is directly observable. A hypothetical construct differs from an intervening variable in that it has properties and implications which have not been demonstrated in empirical research - By functionally assessing the relationship between a problematic behavior and the dog's environment we can effectively and efficiently change unwanted dog behaviors while improving the relationship the owner has with their dog and their joint quality of life.
How your DogSmith training expert will work with you
The DogSmith works with each client to develop a behavior change program that meets the clients goals. The behavior change programs are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and have set time-lines.
- When training dogs we need to ensure that they are actively involved in the learning process.
- When the dog is actively participating, rather than passively observing, greater learning takes place. This applies to both the dog and its owner.
- Newly acquired skills need to be repeated frequently in a variety of contexts to ensure they are fully learned. This means the skills you and your dog learn will be effective in and around your home and out and about town.
- When practicing new behaviors frequent repetition in various scenarios ensures the skill is truly owned' so the dog can not only generalize its behaviors in new situations but can also discriminate when appropriate.
- Most importantly when training your dog remember to positively reinforce correct behaviors. Rewards for accomplishing skills successfully are an effective method to ensure learning takes place. Rewards used when you begin training, such as food and toys, can be quickly replaced by life rewards, such as attention and petting.
Call us today! Let's get started and positively impact you and your dog's life. 1-888-Dog-Smith (364-7648)
The DogSmith Proudly Makes Publicly Available Our Best Practice Operating Policies on
The DogSmith is proud to announce they are a founding member of Pet Advocacy International having applied for and been accepted as an Organizational Member.
All PIAI Organizational members promote a code of professional ethics, honest and transparent operational practices to support consumer protections and are committed to working towards the “Gold Standard” for professional competency.
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