WHAT IS A PUPOLOGIST?

IT'S WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

We live in an era where Americans have created a multibillion-dollar industry for dogs. Much of this is made up of average dog owners believing their dog to be nothing more than a furry, tiny human who would rather be overindulged than provided structure, rules, and boundaries However these beliefs couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact,  on average owners are likely to reinforce the exact opposite behavior they intended to. 

The trouble is that over time we have come to believe ourselves to be dogs’ most omnipotent companions. A lack of information coupled with misleading media has most of us believing we know exactly what our pups are thinking, feeling, or wanting. 

   This almost blind application of human characteristics on our beloved furry companions clouds our vision and we end up stuck in Pandora’s box of Anthropomorphizing. We move throughout our day, prescribing particular thoughts and feelings to our pups, never stopping to think,  "Wait, this is not a furry human. It is a whole other species, one that lacks the fundamental way we humans interact and learn-  LANGUAGE! 

So, pretend for a second you have been tasked with teaching someone how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, The only rule is that you cannot utilize language in any way. No writing, talking, pointing to words, or anything else that relies on language.

 How would you do it? Give yourself a minute or two to put yourself in that situation. Take time to also Imagine the feelings that may accompany it. 

Not so simple, huh?

Welcome to life for our dogs. That exact situation is what a human’s best friend finds himself in daily. Burdened not only with determining expected/acceptable behaviors but with wading through information riddled with constant mixed signals. Today you can jump on me, tomorrow, "How dare you jump on grandma".  Or I spent the past six months reinforcing a behavior but now it's not so cute and I am upset when you do it. With dogs, we don't get to backtrack, start over, or have exceptions, caveats, or loopholes. There is no opportunity to give Buddy, “the talk” once he reaches a certain age.

Here at Simply Balanced K9, we specialize in helping owners truly understand who their dog is and what he/she needs to be happy. We have spent much of the last decade focused on developing a new way of working with human’s best friend. Instead of just focusing on training the same ‘ole commands (don’t worry, we cover those too we just call them cues). Our mission is to help owners co-exist with their pups and live out their best lives together.  This begins first in understanding who dogs are and what they require to be happy and then breaking the human-canine communication barrier putting everyone on equal ground, In short, our goal is to teach owners how to be their best friend’s best friend. Which, let’s face it is something long overdue.

That’s where a degree in animal science, a master’s degree in clinical psychology extensive research on dog psychology plus our belief in a better way multiplied by two headstrong women led us to go rogue. We started developing a program not only dog-centric but people-centric as well.  The problem is many of us fail to consider that dogs have no conception of language and are incapable of understanding it. For those of you out there who are shaking your heads right now, believing your dog knows what you are saying to him, he doesn’t, and vice versa. This is why living with our canine companions is not just about teaching a few commands. To truly coexist you have to understand who dogs are, what drives them, and what makes THEM happy. It is through this knowledge you’ll learn how to give your pup just as much as she gives you. You and your pup can both be happy and neither one of you has to compromise anything to achieve it. Finally, we truly get to have our cake and eat it too!