More animals are euthanized each year due to behavioural issues than for any other reason. The main objective of Animal Antics is to educate people and correct behavioural issues in all companion animals, so that euthanasia rates for behaviour can be greatly reduced. If your pet is showing unwanted behaviours, please contact us and see how we can help, before opting for re-homing, surrendering to a shelter, or euthanasia. Your pet deserves it.
In addition to training dogs and their people, we are educated in all companion animals, including cats, horses, birds, pocket pets, and reptiles, and their behaviours, including urine marking or aggression in cats, cribbing in horses, feather picking in birds, and biting in pocket pets. If your pet has a behavioural problem, we can fix it!
Animal Antics only believes in positive training and will not use aversive training methods. Problem behaviours cannot and should not be solved over night. It takes time and patience to properly correct unwanted behaviours and create new, appropriate behaviours.
We follow the guidelines set out by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) who all promote positive, non-harmful training and behaviour modification.
The following publications by AVSAB explain:
Canine group classes for basic obedience began in March 2012. We now offer a variety of training group classes and behavioural consultations. See our Training Classes page for more details. Click here to contact us and set up an appointment.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1.What makes Animal Antics different from other trainers?
There are dog trainers and then there are animal behaviourists. Animal Antics is owned and operated by Kelly French, an animal behaviourist. Animal behaviourists guides humans, train animals; helping them communicate effectively with each other, correcting a multitude of behaviour problems in a variety of species. Dog trainers teach dogs basic and advanced obedience, agility, and other command-based skills. While Kelly and Jayden also teach these basic skills, their expertise and education is focused on minimizing/eliminating unwanted behaviours by replacing them with alternative behaviours. Unwanted behaviours may be normal behaviours that the owner does not like, or abnormal behaviours that are harmful to the animal, humans, or other animals. We do not discriminate between breed and believe that all dogs are trainable and sociable, if properly trained. We are strongly against Breed Specific Legislation and believe that there are no bad dogs, only uneducated owners.
2. What methods do you use in animal training?
Animal Antics believes in the use of scientifically researched positive reinforcement based training methods, using motivation to train, instead of force and dominance methods. Animal Antics will NOT use corrective collars (chokers, prongs or e-collar), instead focusing on training on flat collars, martingale collars, no-pull harnesses or if needed head collars. Following LIMA (least invasive, minimal aversive) it may occasionally be necessary to use a mild aversive in certain situations, depending on the animal's individual behavioural problems and response to the various correction methods but only after other less invasive approaches are attempted first. No method will EVER injury an animal or cause them physical or emotional harm, as these methods only lead to further behavioural issues.
3. Can you fix my cat's behavioural issues as well?
Animal Antics is experienced and knowledgeable in feline behaviour, in addition to canine behaviour. We are also educated in avian and equine behaviour, as well as reptile and small animal behaviours. If we don't know the answer, we know someone who does and will find a solution to your pet's behaviour problem. Whether your cat is urine marking, your horse is cribbing, your bird is feather picking, or your hamster is biting, Animal Antics can help solve your pet behaviour problems!
4. I've owned this breed before, so I don't know why I am having trouble with this dog!?
Just because you know the breed doesn't mean you know the individual dog. Every dog is unique and you may have lucked out with your first dog, such as having a lab who listens to every word you say, never causing you a problem. Your new dog is not the same as your old dog, and even the most experienced pet owner can struggle to train a new dog when they've been use to an angel. Animal Antics can show you ways that your individual animal can learn to behave.
5. So, you are like the Dog Whisperer, right?
Yes and no. We are like the Dog Whisperer and similar training programs in that we come to your home and work one on one with your family and your pet to correct behaviour problems. However, we vary considerably when it comes to the methods we use. We will not use the method that you may have seen on the Dog Whisperer or At the End of My Leash. We do NOT believe in using dominance methods, scare tactics, or force and painful tools and collars to train dogs and other animals. We believe in using motivation (treats, toys, praise) and positive reinforcement to train and correct behaviours, because it has been scientifically proven to work with great effect and it does not harm the animal in any way. Motivation and Bribery are NOT the same thing. The methods that Animal Antics use are similar to the techniques and methods seen on Victoria Stilwell's Animal Planet show, It's Me or the Dog. Look to this show for examples of positive training techniques and contact Kelly and Animal Antics to help you put some of these techniques in place in your own home.