EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Katherine Skiles, a K9 trainer, helps pet and owner come to a long-lasting subconscious obedience stage together. When training is completed, the owner feels confident enough to practice the tips they learned along the way, with their pet.
Skiles says, “depending on the case, because I really dive deep into their genetics, their relationship with their family. Their families give me notes on a daily basis on how things are going, and I am constantly updating their training.”
Skiles, tells KTSM, she’ll have about five clients once a month, while it takes eight months of training, depending on the dog’s situation.
According to Skiles, desensitization and counterconditioning are important for them to understand, because if you don’t know why you’re doing it or how it works, then you’re not going to be as successful. Especially, teaching owners a psychological way of training their dogs.
For example, Skiles’ client, Bianca Torres, tells KTSM, when she hides her dogs treats in a towel, her one-year-old Havanese, Maddie, is worn out by the time she finds them.
Adding if it weren’t for Skiles, she wouldn’t know what Maddie’s behavior meant.
“If she’s stressed out, I know immediately because Kate taught me the signs. Like licking of the mouth and stuff. I never knew that before, yawning, I never guessed it was a sign of stress.” Torres states.
Skiles says, that a psychological way of thinking can have effects by inducing reverse psychology, to have them think negatively, can result in something positive. When it comes to training, Skiles also makes sure mental stimulation is equivalent to a 30-minute walk.
Skiles mentions, there are many signs that dogs show when they are stressed.
- Dog is looking away
- Dog’s eyes get big
- Licking their mouth or other people
- Ears go back
- Mouth gets tight
- Different tail wags and positions
Client, Jennifer Del Rio, tells KTSM, since getting stationed at Fort Bliss and meeting Skiles, she has seen a remarkable change in her two-year-old German Shepherd, Stella.
“I got so emotional because it was so great to see her on her first official play date. That didn’t end with her tail between her legs and her barking, or you know so stressed,” Del Rio said.
Del Rio says, she can always tell when Stella stresses out when another dog barks. Using the mental stimulation method of licking a mat has helped Stella self soothe and relax.
For the training, Skiles prefers to meet pet and owner at the park or in the comfort of their own home. Making sure the dog is as comfortable as possible is important, which is why she does this with every client.
If you would like to learn more about KK9 Private Training, click here. You can also check her out on Facebook or TikTok. So, what are you waiting for? Get to know your dog better than ever before.
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