Force-Free Dog Training In Waco, Texas and McLennan County!
Check Out Some Of Our Confident Hounds!
Happy Thanksgiving from our turkey to yours 😍
🐾 Mia the Mini Aussie
❤️ We got to see this precious girl today. Mia was fearful the first time she met us, but after just an hour of building positive associations we became her best friends. Since then, we've been greeted by big smiles, high fives, and kisses.
🐶 It has been a month since our last visit, so we were expecting she would need a reminder of who we are. Instead, she was SO excited to see us! She couldn't get to us fast enough when she saw our car pull up.
💪 These are the moments I am reminded how powerful positive reinforcement is. It creates lasting change that makes everyone feel happier, safer, and more confident.
👅 The stuffed dog food toy people typically recommend the most is a Kong, but have you heard much about or tried Lickimats? They're wonderful! Lickimats are flat silicone molds.
🧠 Licking some treats and mushy human food like pumpkin puree, peanut butter, or unsweetened applesauce off of a Lickimat can stimulate your dog and fill that emotional cup.
❄️ You can also freeze them just like a Kong! I recommend using cling wrap you can stack them in the freezer to take up less room. Lickimats also come in a "tuff" line with hard bottoms for dogs who might want to nibble a piece of the silicone off.
🚘 We made this one today for a training session with Ralphie who likes to bark at lots of things from inside the car. This can give your dog an activity to enjoy in the back seat that makes it less likely they'll be concerned about what's going on outside the window.
This is a training motto we say to nearly every client. Dogs and humans alike can neither learn nor perform their best under a negative emotional state. In our philosophy, we always prioritize helping dogs feel better first, then work on changing behavior. Here are some common mistakes we see:
🚫 Asking a dog that is nervous to sit or lay down in public only makes them feel more vulnerable and gives you a false sense of security.
👎 Asking a dog that hasn't been exercised or enriched to relax around guests is an unrealistic expectation on your part.
🙅🏻♀️ Asking your dog to heel when they are barking and lunging at another dog is like pissing into the wind.
➡️ Swipe to see ways you can help your dog feel their best so training can focus more on learning fun new things.
Friendly reminder: Reinforcement Drives Behavior.
Want your dog to sit more often?
🥩 Reward them.
Want your dog to walk with a loose leash?
🍪 Reward them.
Want your dog to lay on a mat while you're cooking?
🍓Reward them.
Only rewards can BUILD behavior.
Punishment just suppresses it, meanwhile chipping away at your dog's confidence, enthusiasm for training, and bond with humans.
👕: @woofcultr
🐶 Meet Remington
😍 Remy is a 6 month old Doberman puppy and we're in love. He's working on basic manners and all the typical puppy problems like mouthing, jumping, and dashing out of doors.
🧠 He's as smart as he is handsome and has awesome owners who practice daily, so he will be a star in no time!
👂We're also so glad he'll be keeping his floppy ears. They fit his goofy, cartoon character personality!
🎖️Happy Veterans Day! We are grateful to all veterans for their service and proud to be a veteran-owned business.
🇺🇸 If you didn't know, Mike is not only a co-founder and trainer at The Confident Hound, but also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Mike served from 1999-2005 as a Rifleman (0311) in the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR). He was deployed to Iraq in April 2003 for 7 months.
❤️ Here is Mike at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington VA with our first dog Artemis. Swipe to see a less salty and younger Mike fresh out of boot camp.
💩 Mike has many USMC/Veteran t-shirts, but his favorite is the one that honors his service at the burn pits. He says this experience prepared him to be a dog trainer, as no dog could ever make a poop that smelled worse than burning feces.
🤝 His time in the Marine Corps also taught him that true leadership doesn’t rely on using fear, punishment, or exerting dominance. The leaders he respected showed respect in return. They gave their subordinates choice and freedom when possible rather than micromanaging their every move. Good leaders rewarded their subordinates efforts and hard work.
🐶 Mike chooses to be this kind of leader by using force-free methods. In this industry, it's rare to find dog trainers with a military background who choose force-free methods. Today we'd like to spotlight other veteran-owned businesses that use force-free methods: @thedomesticateddog and @atattentiondogs. Please check out their socials and show them some support!
🥰 Politely Requesting Interaction
😂 Jedi is a recently adopted Fuzzy Friends dog who has an adorable way of letting you know he would like you to continue petting him. He nudges his nose under your arm to flip your hand back onto him for more scritches! He even taught it to his sister Maggie!
🐶 Dogs often try to engage us in affection/play in ways that is unpleasant, like barking at you, mouthing, or doing anything to get us off the couch.
🔨 Our dogs are using whatever tools they have in their tool belt to communicate. It's a hammer in search of a nail problem, and the solution is to give them more tools!
🤝 Think about what you would consider a "polite" way for your dog to communicate that they need something. It could be things like sitting in front of you, making eye contact, offering a paw to shake, or nudging your hand. If your dog already does something like Jedi, you simply reward that behavior with your interaction (affection, play, walk, brain game, etc)!
🐕 Lovely Luna holds the current client record for Waggiest Tail.
🥰 We love seeing her tail go because it lets us know she's becoming more comfortable about her harness. Plus, she enjoys sitting on her "spot"!
🐾 Luna is a rescue dog who we fell in love with when she was at Fuzzy Friends and now we get the pleasure of training with her, her doggy brothers, and awesome family.
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🎃 Halloween time can be fun for humans, but also confusing and even scary for your dog!
🗣️ Join us LIVE on Wednesday (10/21) at 7PM CT (8PM ET) to learn about how you can make this spooky holiday more enjoyable for your dog.
🐕 Whether your dog barks at every doorbell ring or wants to befriend every trick-or-treater, we've got you covered with some helpful tips.
🍬 What plan does your neighborhood have for trick-or-treating this year? Let us know in the comments!
🎉 Doggie Language Book has finally arrived!!!
🐾 We can't wait to use this cute book to teach our clients how to better understand their dog! If you are a dog trainer, dog owner, have kids & dogs, work at a doggy daycare, shelter/rescue, vet or groomer, I highly recommend picking up this book.
👏 Thank you so much to @lilita_yaya for continuing to provide wonderful canine education resources.
🐕🦺 Oct 1st-7th is National Walk Your Dog Week!
🎉 To celebrate, we'll be going LIVE on Instagram Wednesday at 7 PM (CT) / 8 PM (ET) to talk about walks. We'll cover what equipment to use, our favorite products, what to bring with you, how to maximize your walks, and more. So mark your calendars and we will see you then!
🤓 This weekend we are attending (virtually) The Aggression in Dogs Conference to continue our education by learning from experts in the field. About half of our cases involve dog aggression, so we know we'll learn something new to help us continue serving our community.
🥰 Thank you to all our current clients for understanding why we needed to take this weekend off! We are ethically committed to ensuring we provide high quality training and these types of learning experiences help us achieve that standard.
👉 TIP: Whether you work with us or not, we always recommend seeking a certified trainer who prioritizes professional development opportunities like this. A trainer who believes they know everything and doesn't think they have room to grow should be avoided.
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#Repost @thelooseleashacademy
😂 We had a good laugh last night with Nala. Mike has been training her how to use the ArfPets Food Dispenser. Nala's job is to press a button which makes a BOING! sound, which makes the dispenser release food. (To start, Mike is just throwing the food into the tray).
🐶 Well it seems like Nala was enjoying the sound the button makes SO much that she just kept pressing it over and over before going to get her reward! Working with this 8 month old puppy has been awesome and she has come a long way.
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #choicebasedtraining #powerofchoice
#clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #goldendoodle #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
Anyone else feel like their dog is an expert at NOT swallowing pills? We've gotten a lot of practice giving pills between going through canine cancer and now having an aging dog with mental health issues. Do you want to hear our tips for successful pill administration? We're going to be doing short Facebook/Instagram Lives more regularly and can add it to our list of quick topics. Let us know in the comments what topics you want us to cover!
🥰 REMINDER: Please handle your pet with care!!
🙅🏻♀️ That means not using force, fear, pain, intimidation, or coercion.
🐶 Instead focus on giving them choice, control, and opportunities to succeed.
😜 We had some Torani syrup bottles delivered and I couldn't resist this photo opportunity. Outtakes are in our stories!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #germanshepherd #gsdofinstagram #forcefreegsd #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐶 Meet handsome boy Ace
🐾 You may remember Ace from previous videos when he was at Fuzzy Friends Rescue (fka "Hank"). We had the pleasure of introducing him to his new family and the joy of working with them in his new home.
🐕 A couple months ago, Ace was struggling to calm down and leave his new sister JoJo (also an FFR alumni!) alone around bed time, keep his mouth to himself, and keep his paws on the floor when guests come over.
🏅 This good boy has come so far and really *ACED* his training 😜. He's learned how to gently touch and kiss hands, wait at doors, sit to request affection, come when called, settle on a mat at night, and not be bothered by neighboring dogs at the fence.
🚪His mat skills are super impressive: he can stay when the front door opens and when his humans are working in the kitchen!
🥰 Best of all, he's learned that snuggling with JoJo is the best way to end the day. Way to go, Ace!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #muttsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #fuzzyfriends #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐾 Happy National Dog Day! 🐾
🐶 We're obviously passionate about dogs and love spending time with them. But we want to know what YOU love about your dogs and what makes them unique. Do they have a special quirk that always makes you laugh? Do they have a favorite activity that you love to watch them do?
🐩Tell us about your canine companions, share a photo in the comments or tag us in your stories.
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#nationaldogday #theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐶 This very good boy is named Cooper and he shares our enthusiasm for dog training.
🍗 He's particularly enthusiastic about the part where we give him chicken when he relaxes. He says it's a win-win!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
✨ The Treat & Retreat Game ✨
We love playing this game with dogs who are nervous/fearful of new people. It's super simple:
1️⃣ Throw a treat in front of the dog's feet (Treat).
2️⃣ Throw a treat behind the dog (Retreat).
✅ That's it! Rinse and repeat. By throwing a treat away from you, it gives the dog a breather from socializing. Then the dog gets to *CHOOSE* to come back to the stranger and that earns them a treat as well.
👍 Once the dog gets more comfortable, you can try throwing the treats closer to you or even offering them in your hand.
🐾 Fuzzy Friends Rescue dog Snoopy is learning how to be brave around new people thanks to this game. Let him know what a good boy he is in the comments!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #fuzzyfriends
About The Confident Hound
Our mission is to build confidence in dogs and their humans so they can make the most of their precious time together.
We have approximately 8 to 15 short years with our dogs. Things like stress, anxiety, fear, frustration and insecurity can take a toll on health and happiness, shortening that time and diminishing your memories together. We want you both to worry less, so you can spend that time enjoying life instead. You both deserve peace of mind, to feel in control, and to have predictability and harmony in your home. We can help make this a reality. We are passionate about helping dogs feel confident in their environment, which in turn helps owners feel confident in their dog and strengthens the human-animal bond. We achieve this through force-free, positive reinforcement-based training methods.
Your Trainers
Lisa Corcoran, VSA-CDT
Lisa is a lifelong lover of dogs, learning new things, and solving puzzles. Her background is in Psychology (B.S., Virginia Tech; M.A., Catholic University of America) and she currently works in the veteran mental health research field. Lisa is a graduate with distinction of the prestigious Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training & Behavior and has been granted official status as a VSA-Certified Dog Trainer (VSA-CDT). Since 2017, Lisa has volunteered weekly at shelters and rescues to rehabilitate dogs looking for good homes.
These experiences help Lisa understand why both her canine and human clients do what they do. Lisa’s detail-oriented nature helps her to identify the cause of your dog’s behavior problems, and her creativity leads to a solution that works for both you and your dog. If you’re looking for a total dog nerd, Lisa is the trainer for you.
Mike Corcoran, CSB-D
Having grown up with dogs that displayed fearful and aggressive behaviors, Mike made it his mission to specialize in helping dogs like these be more confident and content in their surroundings.
Mike’s educational background is in Computer Science (B.S., Mary Washington College; M.S., George Mason University), which gives him a unique perspective of dog behavior problems as being similar to bugs in computer software. Combined with his experience as a rifleman in the United States Marine Corps, where he learned that true leadership doesn’t rely on using fear or punishment, Mike brings a systems-based approach to dog training.
Mike is a Certified Shelter Dog Behavior Consultant (CSB-D) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and recently completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs course.
Get In Touch
Use the social media links above or the form below to contact us!