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How We Train!

     When you have found yourself stuck at a CrossRoads with your dog and have tried everything you know, we want to help provide a safe, stress-free place for your dog and you to learn together. We want to get to know your dog and you to help get to the root of any training issues that you may both be struggling with.

      We believe in creating a strong relationship with dogs, as we train, by using positive reinforcement and following the guidelines of LIMA.

 

     There's NO one way to train a dog! Every dog is different, in their own way, needing their own training plan. We pride ourselves in developing a custom training plan that works for the dog and you.

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     In this day and age, training a dog has become so confusing for many people when they see so many corporate training franchises popping up all over offering quick fix dog training using harsh, unnecessary methods. Many of these corporate giants are out to simply make money off of you and your dog with no real long term solutions. Many more are too quick to just slap an E-collars on a dog, that may not be used properly, and most are not the right tool for the dogs' behavior, which all can have a multitude of very severe behavior repercussions and in the end create more severe training issues that could have be avoided.

     Sadly, when people reach out to someone online for help, they are not getting the help they need or they are misinformed. The market is being flooded with training equipment and quick fix tips that may not work for every dog. It all can be pretty overwhelming for anyone.

     We want to help you navigate down the right training path! We not only stay up to date with the latest training research from industry leaders, we also keep up with the most up to date scientific data of dog behavior from around the world.

     We look at the whole dog and not just the training side, when there's so much more to consider when training dogs. All of these items below must be considered before developing a training plan for each and every dog:  

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  • What is the health and nutrition of the dog?

  • What is the physical shape of the dog?

  • What is the dog's emotional state?

  • What are the dog's genetics and what were they breed to do?

  • How were they raised? 

  • What environment did they or do they live in now?

  • What has the owner already tried?

  • Are all of the dogs needs being met?

  • What are we missing?

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There are many things to think about when we talk about the dog's mental, physical, and emotional needs before we can develop a training plan. This is why we are different than most, we look at all the details, no matter how minor, when we work with a new training dog to develop the very best plan!​

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What Is LIMA?

LIMA is an acronym for the phrase “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive”.

LIMA describes a trainer or behavior consultant who uses the least intrusive, minimally aversive strategy out of a set of humane and effective tactics likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective.

LIMA adherence also requires consultants to be adequately educated and skilled in order to ensure that the least intrusive and aversive procedure is used. 

LIMA does not justify the use of punishment in lieu of other effective interventions and strategies. In the vast majority of cases, desired behavior change can be affected by focusing on the animal’s environment, physical well-being, and operant and classical interventions such as differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior, desensitization, and counter-conditioning.

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At CrossRoads we have trainers that can teach and evaluate each one of the these AKC Classes and Titles. AKC has done a wonderful job creating each one of these programs with step-by-stop guides of what a well-mannered dog should easily achieve with their owners. Each one of these programs has a list of behaviors that must be performed in order to achieve a title from AKC.

Any dogs, including mixed breeds, can earn these titles and the different levels.

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AKC FitDog Instructor 

We are AKC FitDog Instructors and follow the set guide lines that AKC has written for not only fitness in mind, but to make it fun and safe for all dogs. We have taken the time to become certified instructors because we want help get your dog into shape or increase their performance in any sport that they may want to compete.

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AKC Temperament Test Evaluators 

 As AKC Temperament Test Evaluators, we can test your dogs temperament against the AKC written breed standard. If you have a mixed breed dog, they can do it too and will be tested on their mix of breeds. This is a great way to earn a title on your dog and understand how they handle things in the world.

AKC Trick Dog Evaluator 

We have trainers that can teach and evaluate your dog for the AKC Trick Dog Program. There are many levels in the trick dog program that your dog can learn and also achieve AKC titles. 

Show off your tricks to friends and family all while building a strong relationship with your dog.

 

Any dog breed, mixed breed, and dogs of just about any age can participate in the AKC Trick Dog program and have fun! 

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We can teach you dog and you during private lessons or teach your dog while they stay with us! 

 

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