Training Statement
Faith Small is proud to be a positive reinforcement LIMA trainer. LIMA stands for Least Invasive Minimally Aversive. This is the kind way of saying we believe in teaching dogs through positive reinforcement creating happy and confident dogs. We are here to restore your faith in paws!
Training Methods We Use
Positive Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement means that we chose to use treats, toys, and petting to create a positive training environment for your dog. This creates a training bond with the dog teaching them that it's fun to listen and do what we ask! If a dog does not perform "Franky Sit", we simply walk away, reset, and try again. When Franky finally does sit, we celebrate! This creates a confident dog who is ready to listen!
B.A.T
Behavior Adjustment Therapy is used for fear, frustration, and aggression. During reactivity class, we very slowly introduce dogs the stimulus that causes the reaction. We create a positive association with the trigger with a rewarding game of Peek-A-Boo! If a dog is dog reactive, Peek-A-Boo, we introduce a small glimpse of a Demo dog, then quickly take the Demo dog away. We give the reactive dog a treat or toy before they have time to react after seeing the glimpse of dog. We then slowly build up a tolerance building exposure.
DRA's
We love to use the Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior technique. This means replacing a bad behavior with a good one! If your dog is displaying an undesired behavior, we will teach a new one that is desired and reward to replace it! Ex: My dog is jumping on me! So lets teach him to sit where he is rewarded with attention for sitting.
Meet Faith
Faith found her love for training in 2013, after successfully working through advanced obedience and trick training with a Shih-Tzu named Frank. She felt a strong affinity for the field, and began working with local doggy daycares. After gaining experience working with many breeds, behaviors, and temperaments, and providing many pet parents with useful training advice, Faith decided to take the leap to make training a full-time venture.
Faith is proud to have worked with a large variety of breeds, and is the proud owner of five of her own dogs. Her breeds at home consist of two German Shepherds, one Pitbull, one Golden Retriever, and Shih-Tzu Frank. The business Faith in Paws is dedicated to her German Shepherd "Lydia" who has crossed the rainbow bridge.
Meet the Demo Dogs
Demo Dog is short for Demonstration Dog. A demo dog is a trainer's personal dog trained to demonstrate specific skills and behaviors. If you happen to book a Canine Good Citizen class, or a reactivity course, you will get to meet these trained professionals!​​​
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Meet Branch, Faith's main demo dog. Branch is a 5-year-old German Shepherd Dog who only pays attention to Faith. Branch has a natural instinct for ignoring dogs and their behaviors (including reactivity.) Branch's natural disposition is to ignore other dogs, although he is friendly with all animals and all people. Branch is used in Faith's reactivity exposure therapy for this reason.
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Meet Bingo, demo dog in-training! Bingo is a Golden Retriever rescue who is still building confidence. Bingo is being trained to interchange with Branch for reactivity. Bingo is currently taking baby steps to work with reactive dogs and is only used at a great distance, while Branch is trained for close encounters. You can meet Bingo through Canine Good Citizen!
Accreditation
Faith earned her training certification after two years through Animal Behavior College, based in Santa Clarita, California. She currently uses the LIMA method, a reward-based system that uses operant and classical conditioning for those seeking training without a prong collar or E-collar. She specializes in animal behavior and advanced problem solving, including barking, jumping, biting, resource guarding, and reactivity desensitization.
She is the owner of Faith in Paws, based in Sinclairville NY.
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After meeting the credentials required by the American Kennel Club, Faith earned her Evaluator title from AKC. Faith is an evaluator and trainer for Canine Good Citizen, S.T.A.R. Puppy, Urban CGC, and Trick dogs.
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Faith is constantly pursuing new knowledge and staying up to date with training methodology and animal behavior cognition. Faith is proud to be a behaviorist who solves problems by way of dog psychology understanding how behavior and gene come together to create problems and solutions.
Why Private Training?
In home training is the most effective method of dog training.
Private training allows owners to be involved in the learning process, equipping them with the knowledge to reinforce training at home. Overall, this approach is more effective and creates lasting results in your dog's obedience.
Having the pet parent present for each class ensures the bond is being created between the owner and their dog, not the trainer and the dog.
With tempting options like board and train, there leaves a large room for error. During board and train lessons, the training bond is created between the trainer and the dog, not the owner and the dog. Confusion can also be created by training in a facility because the dog becomes accustomed to preforming in a specific place by a specific person creating an attachment to the facility itself. This often leaves dogs and owners confused and needing recurring lessons due to indirect transference of knowledge.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
716-456-1579