At Instinct Nashville, all dog training is handled by experienced and certified professionals in the industry. While the business offers a full range of behavior therapies from life skills and manners to puppy development and senior dog behavior support, the trainers’ main goals are to ensure dogs and their families can live together in harmony and happiness.
One thing that can often dramatically change the family dynamic is bringing a (human) baby into the home, but with proper guidance and education, the child and dog can become best friends.
“Kathi O'Malley and I are certified behavior consultants who have additional certifications through Family Paws,” says Ayelet Berger, who co-owns Instinct Nashville with Julie Farris. [Family Paws provides specialized programs for parents with dogs.] “We do a lot of prep to prepare the dog for the baby, and one of my favorite things to do is teach parents how to properly introduce the dog to the baby.”
Also, because moms and dads literally will have their hands full caring for the infant, Ayelet and Kathi teach the dog how to respond to verbal commands so the parent doesn’t have to get up or point to, say, a dog bed or crate. Other times, when a toddler or a small child runs past the dog and/or makes a lot of noise, the dog may become startled or scared and act out.
“We do some behavior modification where we help the dog learn to acclimate to some of these new behaviors and noises. We never want to isolate a dog, so we do everything in our power to keep everybody safe.”
Family Paws states that children grow and dogs age. “If we're talking about a senior dog, we know there might be some aches and pains that are unpredictable that could make a dog jumpy,” she says. “We help children learn how to safely interact with their dogs, and we teach parents how to guide their children in different exercises. So again, they're integrated. We don't want the dog to just be kept away from the child.”
Ayelet became acquainted with Family Paws when her first child was still a baby. “I wanted to understand what I needed to know, so I had a colleague take me through the presentation and it was incredible. I knew I had to get certified!”
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InstinctDogTraining.com/Location/Nashville.com