Training Philosophy
How We Train and Why
RolloverU believes training your dog should be fun. When you make training a game, both you and your dog have fun which makes training enjoyable instead of a chore. Playing with your dog and allowing them to make decisions allows a deep bond of love and respect to develop. This bond makes the behaviors more reliable and dogs want to perform the requested behaviors because they are having fun.
When dealing with problem behaviors, RolloverU trainers believe there is a trigger or cause for every unwanted behavior. We strive to find and treat the cause of the behavior problem instead of just treating the symptoms. Treating the cause instead of the symptoms eliminates the behavior instead of just managing it.
We use and teach positive training techniques that are based on the latest science. We believe that while every tool and technique should be available they are not necessarily good for every dog. There should be consequences for bad behavior, like a timeout or the removal of something desired. We follow the guidelines set forth by LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) approach when training. LIMA is based on Susan Friedman's Humane Hierarchy and has been adopted by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and CCPDT (Certification Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers) as the best approach to dog training and behavior modification. By using this approach you start with consequences that are meaningful but don't scare or harm the dog. An example would be the removing an excited jumpy dog when new people come to the house. We then teach the dog the proper way to greet people coming into the home. This guideline understands and allows room for more drastic measures for worse behavior when all other means fail, especially when there is a concern for safety.