KIBA K9s, New York, NY Videos

Understanding pressure & feeling 🤌🏾 This is one of the areas where science fails to aid us in comprehending what is actually going on in the field … In contrast, the language/system I describe in this video is much more nuanced way to understand pressure & feeling. And it is still simple enough for the average owner to comprehend and practically observe Much of the terms I use with clients (e.g. correction) is “jargon” when it comes to scientific literature. But on the field, it allows us to train and speak with much more clarity, opening up a whole world of possibilities beyond what scientific literature can currently explain The truth is, science is always playing catch up Learn more by subscribing to our Exclusive Content ——— Deeper background for those interested: In cognitive behavioral science, the intensity of stimuli is divided into three categories: (1) neutral, or indifferent (2) appetizing, or positive (3) aversive, or negative Their relative thresholds are broken down into: (1) sub-threshold: stimulus is not consciously recognizable by the subject (2) threshold: subject is aware of stimulus (3) supra-threshold: stimulus causes emotional or behavioral response It’s important to understand that science generally views the simplest explanation as best While this is great for creating good paradigms for complex topics, it doesn’t cut it for an applied field like dog training. Distinguishing between the various types of pressure and emotional/behavioral responses in the dog is crucial for modern dog trainers and owners As a dog trainer, I effectively utilize each of these “levels of pressure” for different purposes … As a human teacher, I need my students to understand when to use what kind of pressure and how to accurately interpret the response of the dog To be perfectly clear, I am not advocating to do away with science. I am saying there is much more to it ✨ #DogTraining #Science #Communication #NYC

The lion who has the gazelle by the neck does not waste energy fighting nor does he get frantic … He is determined in his objective, confident in his bite, and calmly annihilates his prey with focused aggression To compete at the highest levels of IGP (shutzhund), Jegna must master the art of focused aggression Deep, full, grips. Untroubled by chaos. Even as the enemy escalates, trust your grip & just bite harder I want Jegna to put all of his energy into sinking each tooth deeper into the grip. No fighting. Just winning #IGP #Sport #Bitework #Protection #Malinois #Focus

Dog parks … I like em 🤯🫢 The truth is, I LIKE DOG PARKS There is such a thing as a healthy dog park, and it’s an AMAZING option for owners that live in dense, urban areas like where we are (NYC) The key to understand is that a healthy dog park is defined by its activity (how the dogs and humans are acting), not by its amenities (pool, bridges, built-in jumps and tunnels, etc) It’s YOUR responsibility to observe the environment before deciding to enter Are the dogs displaying healthy behaviors? Boundaries, communication, social attitude … Are the humans present and aware? Off their phone, attentive, relaxed … If so, that dog park at THAT TIME is an excellent option. But of course, different time, different crowd, different results. Pay attention!

This is the FIRST TIME my #puppy is presented a nail to hold. Zero pressure … 100% commitment. Build good foundations, and nothing will phase your dog. #kibak9s #nepopo #moderndogtraining #hold

A lot of people simply don’t understand the versatility of the ecollar. Even educated folks. & historically … SCIENCE PLAYS CATCH UP If you agree, like & share. If you disagree, comment and let’s discuss ******************** So I see a video on Instagram by Kerri Norman (PhD, Canine Behavior & Cognition) that basically says “an ecollar stim is ALWAYS aversive to the dog no matter what” … Definition of aversive: “causing strong dislike or disinclination.” Cool. Here are my thoughts… ******************* Disclaimer: long post, but worth it 🧠💡 TLDR: I go into the applied science of WHY AN ECOLLAR IS NOT NECESSARILY AN AVERSIVE Theory is great. But it’s 🚫 enough If you skip the read, your loss Also, watch the video first for context (or don’t) ******************** My response: The ecollar / stim is NOT necessarily an aversive stimulus. You CAN make the stim a positive reinforcer through classical conditioning if you so wish (we in fact do this for dogs that are deaf). And not only that, you can also use it as a negative reinforcer or positive punisher! A lot of people — from top trainers and scientists to average owners — carry a default assumption that any electrical stimulus is "unpleasant" and "will always be unpleasant." But this is wrong. Yes, it is true that classical conditioning requires a “neutral" stimulus ... but the ANIMAL decides what is neutral/positive/ negative, not you. & the "intent" behind the ecollars creation is pointless lol. The application is what matters That said, an electrical stimulus can 100% be used at a low enough level to be physically perceived by the animal but not induce *any* negative emotional response. It would instead TRULY be a neutral sensation to the animal To be clear, the level at which an animal can perceives the stim is *not* when YOU see that they perceive it. If you're looking for some visual cue from your dog that they have felt the stim (ear twitch, change in gaz