Force-Free Dog Training In Waco, Texas and McLennan County!
Check Out Some Of Our Confident Hounds!
We advocate for EVERY DOG to be muzzle conditioned. Your dog could get hit by a car and bite someone who is trying to transport them to safety amidst the pain and terror. Whether it's an emergency situation, a regular trip to the vet, or your dog reacts negatively to a trigger, a muzzle is a safety precaution that allows your dog to otherwise act normally. We are experienced in muzzle training and would LOVE to help incorporate this tool into your dog's options for safely living their life. #muzzleup
#Repost @canineengineering
Credit to @summitdogtraining for the image
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Muzzles are not just for "vicious" dogs and they aren't torture devices. Seeing a dog wearing a muzzle means seeing a responsible dog owner taking steps to keep everyone safe. Give them smile and then move along!
Thanks to @summitdogtraining for this page.
#canineengineering #dog #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogadvice #dogowner #positivedogtraining #loveyourdog #dogsofinstagram #dogs #fearfreetrainer #professionaldogtrainer #positivereinforcement #muzzletraining #responsibledogowner #bekind
🎉 Today is National Mutt Day!
🐶 If you’ve got ‘em, show ‘em off – drop a picture of your mutt in the comments or tag @theconfidenthound in your post. Use the hashtag #NationalMuttDay and let the world know how much you love your mixed breed pup!
🥰 This is our beloved first dog Artemis, who was the mutt that made us fall in love with dog training.
#theconfidenthound #muttsofinstagram #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog
✨ Start your walks off on the right foot! ✨
🤯 If your dog is already overexcited before you open the door, then they will not be calm outside on leash.
🚪Training leash manners starts inside, before you even grab the leash! Here you see 30 seconds of nice door manners from Ace. But, we took the time to break his training down into:
1️⃣ Sticking his head through the harness voluntarily
2️⃣ Standing still while we put the harness on and leash him
3️⃣ Waiting at the door as we open it
4️⃣ And finally walking through the door at a human pace.
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#theconfidenthound #leashreactivity #leashtraining #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
🎉 Happy Friday! We will occasionally throw #funfacts at you because when we know better, we do better!
💛💙 You may have thought your dog's vision was in grayscale, but they actually can see blue and yellow! This is why dog sport equipment (like for agility) is blue and yellow.
🧸 Does your dog have any toys that are blue or yellow?
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#theconfidenthound #caninecognition #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
😍 Is there anything cuter than an enthusiastic flop into a "down"?
🧠 Nala learned how to lay down with just a finger point (no food lure) within minutes!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #goldendoodle #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🚨 Cute Puppy Alert 🚨
🐶 Nala is a 6 month old Golden Doodle pup. We're implementing our puppy curriculum:
1️⃣ Addressing common problems like mouthing/nipping, jumping on people, counter-surfing, etc.
2️⃣ Learning basic cues for laying down, dropping a toy, making eye contact, etc.
3️⃣ Teaching manners that make your life easier like loose leash walking and going to a mat/bed.
4️⃣ Acclimating your pup to being touched so it doesn't make them afraid or overexcited. Nala is getting groomed this week, so this has been an important focus!
5️⃣ Proactive, positive socialization to help them grow into a confident dog who can handle novelty in stride.
🐾 As expected, Nala is friendly, playful, energetic, affectionate, and smart. But, these traits can be difficult to handle when they become excessive or happen at inappropriate times. Plus, a smart puppy will find ways to entertain themself in ways you may not like!
📚 But with some strategically placed enrichment and by channeling these tendencies into appropriate activities, you can have a well-behaved pup too!
🎥 Check our follow-up posts to see more of Nala!
✉️ Drop us a message or email if your pup could benefit from our puppy curriculum!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #giveyourdogajob #canineenrichment #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #goldendoodle #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
Yesterday was the 1 year anniversary of our first dog, Artemis, passing away at the early age of 5 from an aggressive, terminal cancer. Her struggle with fear and anxiety led us down the path to learning more about dog training and to eventually opening The Confident Hound. In her memory, we wrote the story of the hound that started it all.
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🔗 LINK IN BIO
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🧠 The most important knowledge we can provide to dog owners is how to read dog body language. Dogs use every part of their body to communicate with other dogs and with YOU! Plus, they're paying attention to your body language.
🗣️ Learning how to read and speak 'dog' is truly like learning a new language and every dog has their own *dialect*.
📗 We can't wait for this fabulous book to arrive in October so we can keep teaching our clients how to understand their dogs better!
#Repost @doggielanguagebook
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Hi everyone! We are slowly approaching October. I cannot wait. I have added some preview images to doggielanguagebook.com (viewable on a computer browser only for now) Check these out!
#doggielanguagebook #dogbodylanguage #howtolistentoyourdog #dogcommunication
🐾 Meet Lady Bird 🐾
😭 Do they make puppies cuter than this??? Lady Bird is one of the sweetest, smartest, and chilliest 4 month old puppies we've ever met.
🐐🐐 We were called because Lady Bird has an important job to do: Guarding two goats named Rose & Sophia. Except Lady Bird thought they could be good playmates and tried to chase and nip them instead.
🐕 This is a case like we've never taken before and it has become one of our favorite experiences! As a German Shepherd/Lab mix doing a job typically suited to a Great Pyrenees, we weren't sure if she'd be able to fill this position.
📚 But she surprised us with how quickly she learned, proving once again that ✨BREED IS NOT DESTINY✨ In 3 sessions, this little girl has learned to make eye contact, calmly watch the goats, come when called, go lay down on a mat, play fetch, and follow the goats without chasing them.
😲 Did we mention her amazing handler is only 14 years old?!
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#theconfidenthound #puppytraining #livestockguardiandog #clickertraining #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐾 Allow us to introduce to you Mr. Major Thunder Beauregard McKenzie Kunz. His name is fitting of the gentleman and scholar that he is.
🐶 It's also no surprise that he's a MAJOR sweetie, MAJOR smartie, and MAJOR hunk. I mean, who could resist such a boopable nose?
📚 Major and his owner have been doing an amazing job on their at-home practice. We're focusing on Major feeling more comfortable with his new roommate, calmly noticing things around him, making great eye contact with dad, and bringing his already awesome library of cues to more distracting places. Plus he learned a new 🤝 trick!
👏 Between his dad's excellent timing with the clicker and Major's enthusiasm for hot dogs, this team is rocking it!
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@majorthunderkunz @boopmynose
#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #reactivity #clickertraining #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐾 We had the pleasure of training with Americus today. She's a Chihuahua/Terrier mix being fostered through @fuzzyfriendsres. She may be small, but she has the personality to match such a big name.
🐣 At only 3 months old, she is still getting used to ALL the things in this weird human world. We focused on building positive associations with strangers, other dogs, cars, and other sounds around her temporary home. This is a critical time for socialization and we want her to walk into adolescence confidently.
🐶 Americus loves to show how smart she is by sitting and looking up at you with that adorable grin!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #clickertraining #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #fuzzyfriends #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐾 Meet our newest clients: Remi & Denver!
🤘Remi & Denver are on session 2 and already rocking it. We're focusing on building Denver's confidence, teaching Remi to have calmer walks, and helping them both have more positive roommate interactions.
👫🏻 Most importantly, Remi & Denver's pawrents are doing fantastic! They have kept up with their homework and are engaged during training. You get out of your dog what you put into your dog...and they are proof of that.
📞 If your dog is in need of similar help, contact us!
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#theconfidenthound #reactivity #clickertraining #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuedog #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
👨🏻🏫 We're back at it this weekend with #continuingeducation! We are attending (from home) The Lemonade Conference hosted by @iaabcbehavior and @fenzidogsportsacademy 🗣️ Right now we're learning about treating #separationanxiety. Later we're looking forward to presentations on "Anxiety: The Whole Story", "Ideas That Should Die: Myths and Misconceptions", "Dog Bite Interpretation", "Modifying Resource Guarding Behavior", and "But My Dog Isn't Food Motivated!".
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#iaabc #fenzidogsportsacademy #lemonadeconference #theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining #positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
👏👏👏 THIS is the podcast episode I've been waiting for.
⁉️But doesn't my dog need to learn obedience?
👂Hear me out: 'Sit' is the most overused behavior I see owners ask their dog for - and I used to be that owner too. I started to realize that I was asking for 'Sit', but in my mind I really wanted my dog to do something else. I wanted my dog to not move, to focus on me, or stop being a nuisance. But that's not what Sit actually means, so that's confusing and unfair to my dog. Moreover, it shed a light on holes in my training. If I wanted him to stay, I needed to teach a rock solid Stay - not Sit. It became a crutch and it was holding us back from having a common language.
🪑 Let's still teach Sit. But let's not use it to mean everything other than Sit. It's like asking a hammer to be the nail.
🎙️"Because while we want our dogs to listen to us, while we want our dogs to behave and be acceptable in our society, the most important thing we need our dogs to be for themselves - and for us - is emotionally balanced. And a focus on obedience is not going to cut it. It can be a component, but the most important thing centers on teaching dogs how to cope in our domestic world." @victoriastilwell 🔹
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
📖 Check out our guest article on the Cold Nose College Blog, "Working with Fearful Dogs – Part One" by visiting the linktree in our bio.
🔹 Excerpts 🔹
"We understand how draining, frustrating, and defeating life can be with a fearful dog.
It is important to remember that being afraid is an emotional state - not a personality trait. Any dog can feel fearful or stressed in one context and very confident and comfortable in another. Whether you have one of your own or you encounter them in your profession, this series of articles will cover useful information to know for working with fearful dogs."
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #fearfreetraining #fearfree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining #positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🧠 Ace is getting some #canineenrichment while we get some human enrichment! The 2020 International Dog Behavior Conference has been amazing and we can't wait to improve the lives of our clients with this new knowledge.
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#dogbehaviorconference #dogconference
#theconfidenthound #continuingeducation #forcefreetraining #forcefree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #germanshepherd #gsdofinstagram #forcefreegsd #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
✨Have you heard of Clicker Training? ✨
🤔 Ever wondered what it is and if it works?
🔤 It's as simple as you see here: Dog looks at you, You *click*, Dog gets reward.
👍 And yes, it WORKS! The communication is clear and your dog's 🧠 processes the *click* much faster than your voice.
👀 That Click/Treat combo is why Holly keeps looking at Mike and wagging her tail.
🐕 Want your dog trained as well as rescue dog Holly? Message us to get started!
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#theconfidenthound #clickertraining #forcefreetraining #forcefree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx #fuzzyfriendsrescue #fuzzyfriends
☀️ It was a beautiful day in #waco for some dog training! We took two of our favorite @fuzzyfriendsres adoptable pups, Bear & Betsy, on a field trip to Brazos Park East.
🐶 They had a great time sniffing everything, handled the car ride well, and calmly observed the many people, dogs, and bikes go by.
👏 Bear & Betsy both have reliable Sit and Stay cues when we work with them at the rescue, but this was a whole new environment with lots of distractions. They were able to generalize that knowledge to this new location and it made for some gorgeous pictures!
🥰 Either of these dogs would make an excellent companion. They're smart, affectionate, and enjoy life's simple pleasures!
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #fuzzyfriends #fuzzyfriendsrescue #wacotexas #wacotx
👍 Good Dog Training looks *BORING* 🥱
🔊 Behind us was a nice family walking their THREE dogs with two kids riding LOUD toy trucks. For their privacy, I didn't film them.
🤔 So what exactly are we training here?? It's subtle, but everytime Ace looks at the family he was rewarded.
😨 Since overreactions sometimes come from a place of fear and anxiety, this helps him associate yummy food with the sight of dogs, strangers, and loud children.
🥩 Because Ace continued to sit and stay near Mike with a loose leash, this also taught him that this combination of choices is the recipe for more rewards!
🐕🦺 #Quarantimes has meant more dogs being walked, which means more opportunities to work on Ace's exhuberant reaction to other pups. We also love hearing our neighbors complement Ace on what a good boy he is! 🥰
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#theconfidenthound #forcefreetraining #forcefree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #ditchthedominance #reactivity #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining
#positivedogtrainingmethods
#clickertraining #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #dogsofinstagram #germanshepherd #gsdofinstagram #forcefreegsd #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
🐶 At our home office, Ace currently holds the title of Snack Consumption Assistant. Today, he was promoted to Floof Production Manager! Please congratulate him on his promotion as it comes with a raise in snackos in his bark account.
💼 What is your doggy officemate's title? Were they recently demoted or promoted? Share a photo, tag us and use #caninecoworker so we can see!
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#forcefreetraining #forcefree #trainwithoutpain #youdonthaveto #positivereinforcement #dogtraining #positivedogtraining #havefunwithyourdog #sciencebaseddogtraining #snackleadernotpackleader #rewardyourdog #payyourdog #dogsofinstagram #pupsofinstagram #wacotexas #waco #wacotx
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!