No matter what goals you have with your dog, Old North Dog Training relies on three fundamental principles: Communication, Activities, and Trust. Or C.A.T.

Go figure.

• Communication

  • Dogs have been bred for generations to communicate with humans. People are pretty good at understanding dogs too. However, like any thorough relationship, fluent communication takes a bit of work. Luckily for the dog/human relationship, once the ball gets rolling, communication is easy. We get that ball rolling by introducing a vocabulary that allows each dog to navigate a human-run environment. At the same time, we instruct owners on how best to understand their dog as an individual of a different, but eloquent, species.

• Activities

  • We love dogs for the way they interact with us. Whether we are snuggling together for a Netflix binge or hiking the Appalachian Trail, the interactions we share with our dogs formulate how they view us as compatriots in a relationship. At Old North, we thrive on expanding a dog's repertoire of activities so that they can get out and do more things with their human. We have found that no matter what breed of dog you have, they are always happy to explore the world with you; we just have to find what activities you BOTH enjoy, and can do so on a regular basis. However, we have to teach them a few necessary skills to be a responsible furry member of society. Because we are also practicing our fluency of communication, we help the dog apply these skills in any given activity, assuring that they get invited to do more with you.

• Trust

  • For communication to work and for you to want to bring your dog along on field trips, the relationship needs a substantial amount of trust. For a dog to act in a cohesive way reliably (a.k.a. LISTEN), they need to trust how you are going to respond to their behavior. This means you have to be consistent with your answers, whether they be a reward or a punishment. Dogs love when their predictions of your next move are correct. You also need to trust how your dog is going to respond to the stimuli that comes at them. This way, you can avoid putting them in a situation that they are not ready for. Or you can set them up for something highly rewarding. We can help you build that trust, that predictability, between you and your dog.

These fundamentals are all connected. The better we communicate with our dogs, the more we can trust each other in any given situation. If we increase those situations, the more activities we can share. If we are interacting regularly through such activities, communication becomes fluent. And on it goes.

We take advantage of the unique and inherent skills dogs have for collaboration with us. We help you access skills that are just as inherent, deepening the relationship you have with your dog. Once you understand and live out these fundamentals, stopping unwanted or creating desired behaviors becomes more straightforward.