Introducing the ‘What We’re Working on’ Series

We think YOU are awesome! And we want to share that awesomeness with our #TOCFam! We had so much fun when we did a TOC weekend training project called #WhatWereWorkingOn, where people shared little clips of training they are doing with their dogs, that we want to create an ongoing series on our main feed! 

So if you are working on something (big or small, at the beginning stages or near completion), we want to hear about and potentially share it to offer ideas and inspiration. To submit content to potentially be featured, please click the “SUBMIT CONTENT” button below. Before you click that button though, be sure to keep scrolling below for the criterion to follow to be considered for the series.

What You Need to Know Before You Submit Content Through Our Form

  • These videos do not need to be tutorials (they can simply be a clip of you working on something with your dog in real life), and you do not need to be a professional dog trainer! 

  • You and your dog do NOT need to have done everything perfectly in the videos you share! In fact, we hope some of you will share some of the moments that didn’t go perfectly because there is a lot to be learned from watching normal people work with their dogs and learning how to adjust. 

  • We welcome videos on a huge range of topics (settling, tricks, sports, cooperative care, reactivity, decompression, enrichment, obedience, play, manners, confidence building, relationship building, etc.). For this series, we specifically and only want videos using procedures one through four on the Hierarchy of Procedures for Humane and Effective Practice: 

    • 1. Wellness: Addressing your dog’s wellness to make sure they are healthy and that their basic physical, mental, and social needs are being met (e.g. going to the vet or adding decompression walks to your routine)

    • 2. Antecedents: Changing the environment to help your dog succeed (aka putting up window film so your dog doesn’t bark at people outside the window).

    • 3. Positive Reinforcement: Using positive reinforcement (aka rewards) to increase your desired behavior (e.g. giving your dog treats when they walk near you). 

    • 4. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior: Rewarding incompatible behaviors to decrease unwanted behaviors (e.g. teaching your dog to “hand target” to say hi to people to prevent jumping).

Pssst…we know that sometimes there is overlap. For example, if you are working on counterconditioning with a fearful reactive dog, you are likely giving treats around triggers (stimulus pairing and positive reinforcement), but you may also be backing up and creating distance from the trigger (which is technically negative reinforcement). That is great training and absolutely something you can share. If you aren’t sure, feel free to email or DM us.

We have seen the power that sharing your journey can have on others. You have the ability to inspire and remind them that they aren’t alone. We are incredibly grateful for your desire to share. If you want to share something, remember to scroll back up to that button above to access our form!