So... what does LIMA actually mean?

You are likely aware that there are many types of dog trainers with all different sorts of philosophies. I believe the best term for my philosophy with dog training is LIMA, which stands for Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive.

This means that when I train dogs, I am always looking to give the dog as much autonomy as possible (least invasive) while also using as little fear, intimidation, and coercion as possible (Minimally Aversive).

We don't live in a doggy paradise world, and we all have limitations on our time, energy, and money. This means that sometimes things that are aversive to the dog must and will happen, but I work to minimize that as much as possible.

Practically, that means that I:

• Always start a training program by addressing as many of the dog's base needs as possible. This includes giving the dog as many opportunities to just "be a dog" as possible. This is why all programs begin with the enrichment plan as a dog that has their base needs addressed will be much more receptive

• Make training as much like play as possible - not only is it proven to be more effective, but it's also just more fun!

• Ensure the dog, human, and the general public are safe

• Create strong and clear communication between human and dog. This looks like:

  • Teaching humans dog body language

  • Teaching dogs how to ask for things from humans

  • Creating and maintaining consistent and clear boundaries

• Use rewards of to increase wanted behaviors without using the rewards as coercion

  • This line can be a bit fuzzy. For example, a common suggestion is to not feed your dog their meals before a training session. For some dogs, that is not at all coercive. For others, it can be extremely coercive and they can be frantic and stressed in trying to

• Teach appropriate alternative behaviors when decreasing an unwanted behavior

  • I do not want to simply suppress "bad behavior". Instead, I teach the dog what they can do to meet the same needs they were attempting to fill with that behavior.

  • Basically, I don't just say "don't do that!". Instead I say "hey, not that. Do this instead."

• Asking for consent from the dog when possible

  • This can be a formally trained "opt in" behavior, or interpreting the dog's body language

  • When direct consent isn't possible, making the experience as minimally aversive as possible

• Set the dog up for success as much as possible. This means:

  • Teaching the behavior I want the dog to do in easy circumstances before asking for the behavior in harder scenarios

  • Break new behaviors down into steps that the dog can learn quickly, and then gradually increase the difficulty

  • If a dog does fail or make a mistake, I do not punish them. Instead, I just don't give them their reward and on the next rep, I adjust the environment or the behavior so the dog can succeed and then gradually increase the difficulty to continue making progress

• I do not recommend e-collars or prong collars as part of my training and work to lessen the aversiveness of any equipment I use

  • That being said - the dog is the authority on what is actually aversive. I have met dogs that found a body harness more aversive than a prong collar.

  • In some instances using a prong collar or similar is the only way you can currently meet your dog's enrichment needs while still keeping them and the public safe. It can be a balancing act as we all have limitations we are working in

  • If you are currently using this equipment, that is totally ok! My long-term goal will always be to decrease their use, but depending on your situation, your dog and how aversive they find the equipment, it may not be the first priority. If they do find the equipment very aversive however, it may be necessary to change it out to make progress in training.