About the Trainer
Llyr Lauderback, CTC (pronouns: they/he) has been working with dogs and their humans for over two decades.
They owned and operated a dog walking company called Ruff Riders K-9 Adventures in San Francisco for 20 years. In 2008, Llyr completed their certification in training and counseling at the world renowned Academy for Dog Trainers at the San Francisco SPCA and added training services to their business. Using science based methods that revolve around building a fluid and trusting relationship with our pet dogs, Llyr has helped hundreds of clients to achieve their training goals through humane, reward based, positive reinforcement strategies. Llyr believes that equipped with an expansive “training tool bag,” any dog owner can have an emotionally healthy and well-mannered dog in both urban and rural environments.
Why Positive Reinforcement?
Research has proven that the most effective way to teach dogs is by rewarding good behavior and not reinforcing undesired behavior. While punishment based techniques often appear to quickly correct undesired behavior, we at Paws Up! VT have found that punishment techniques actually create more long-term behavioral problems and unnecessary anxiety.
How can we reduce the frequency of undesired behaviors without the use of “corrections” like shock collars, prong collars, choke collars, or other painful correction techniques and equipment? The use of punishment is often not timed appropriately with the problem behavior(s) therefore not having a long-term effect on decreasing undesired behaviors. These types of methods create anxiety in dogs inhibiting the learning experience.
The overall benefit of using toys, food, and access to desired resources to encourage and motivate more desirable behavior is much more salient for the learner. It also lays the foundation for a bond filled with love and trust between you and your beloved companion.
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) published its new position statement on humane dog training. The statement was written by veterinarians and doctoral-level animal behaviorists. It provides guidance on the best way to train dogs which are both humane and fun.
“Evidence supports the use of reward-based methods for all canine training. AVSAB promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence. Based on these factors, reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner’s welfare.” Click Here to read the full statement.