Member Insight #37 Ember Leash

Positive Reinforcement = Positive Results 

Sit, speak and if I added roll over, you would immediately know the demographic that I am going to be talking about today…...our precious dogs!

By Kim Wybenga, Membership and Business Development Director

Go to any local place in the South County of SLO and you will encounter someone walking their best friend on four legs scampering next to them with glee on their faces. That is of course unless their dog is triggered by something unforeseen. UGH! At that moment, your blissful walk with your pup can easily become as chaotic as a herd of running bulls in Spain. Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic… But I think all pet owners have dealt with their dogs becoming hyper focused on a behavior that can seem difficult to break.

For the love of our dogs and compassion toward their owners, I chose to highlight this week Skylar McClellan, owner of EMBER LEASH, a positive dog training service. Though Skylar has a relaxed demeanor that instinctively calms down even the most anxious of pups, he is far from passive when it comes to his efforts to help change the negative behaviors of our dog. With a desire to be a standout in this field of work, he became a fully Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a title few hold here in our Central Coast community. 

I like to refer to Skylar McClellan as our very own,  “Local Dog Whisperer.” 

Skylar’s motto and style of training could be summed up with these few words, “If we want them to listen, we must be willing to listen first.” There’s a lot that can be gleaned from the bold statement. I see it as a call to action for us as dog owners. His philosophy is simply this, when we empower dog owners to gain the listening skills to have a well-behaved dog, not only will they enjoy their pets more fully, but their pets will enjoy each moment with them in return. That sounds like a beautiful scenario to me.

This is especially important when we want our dogs to have control of their natural canine instincts when faced with a potentially precarious social situation. Sometimes all it takes is the sight or smell of another animal for the leash to yanked and the owner to get an unexpected work out as they strive to gain control their dog’s desire to chase or express some level of aggression. Unexpected triggers can create internal chaos for a dog and an immediate challenge for its owner, if not handled properly and promptly.... leaving both exhausted! 

Hearing Skylar’s motto sounded unique and hopeful, so I asked him,” How can a dog owner LISTEN to their beloved pet when they can’t speak a language that can be audibly understood?" His answer was unique and rich in its context. He confidently stated, “We must be willing to meet them halfway.“

Yes, teamwork at its best! Skylar explained that dogs have the cognitive level of a two-year old toddler. Though their behaviors are visually obvious, what is not understood at times is how they innately process the world around them. Their inability to properly communicate their needs, fear or anxieties verbally only complicates things when we are trying to gain ground on their challenging behaviors. Like most small children, dogs tend to be motivated by praise and reward.

Skylar’s successful training method of POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT was developed by intently observing what causes a dog to exhibit naughty or uncontrolled negative behavior and motivates them to display good and compliant behavior. He says that dogs will always do what works best for them! Why? Because they are driven by instinct and repetition. That means that whatever they must do to get their needs met ...they will do! But what about the need of the owner for their obedience?

Skylar’s training methods speak to that in a very comprehensive way. By consistently using good things to reinforce good behaviors, a dog will instinctually want to repeat the good behavior. The key is to recognize what motivates them, so that we can infuse that knowledge into our training practices.

So, what is our call to action? We need to learn how to HEAR what our dogs are saying to us by PAYING ATTENTION to their behavioral responses. When we do, we can use those responses as a type of language that they are speaking to us. Like children, our dogs instinctively want to please us. That’s the good news!  

Skylar became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer with two main goals in mind, to enrich the lives of both the owners and their canine companions. His years of working at Woods Humane Society and specializing in animal behavior gave him the patience and skills necessary to know how to change the dynamics between dogs and their owners. 

Skylar has taught me that POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT truly does lead to POSITIVE RESULTS! Skylar’s McClellan’s intuitive, compassionate and professional approach gives him a special ear to hear what our sweet pups are trying to say to us. With his CPDT-KA (Certified Dog Training & Knowledge Assessment) as his calling card, you are guaranteed to have the support you need to enjoy every moment with your beloved dog.

Please submit an inquiry on Ember Leash's website or call Skylar at 805-439-9696 for assistance with any negative social behaviors that are keeping you both from living your best life together!