Our leadership team of certified behavior consultants, board-certified veterinary behaviorists, and business and technology specialists are working hard every single day to bring you and your dog a learning experience like no other.
Walk with the dreamers,
the believers, the courageous,
the cheerful, the planners, the doers,
the successful people
with their heads in the clouds
and their feet on the ground.
Let their spirit ignite a fire within you
to leave this world
better than when you found it.
–Wilferd Peterson
We’re SO proud of Ruth and Helper Dog Rosie!
Ruth, an Irish Setter / Golden mix, is seen here going on a peaceful walk with Trainer Claire’s helper dog, Rosie, but the session didn’t look this way at first! After a few sessions of taking time to reinforce and reward calm behaviors, our trainers worked towards these two walking calmly together after practicing across the street.
Introducing dogs slowly and surely is something we take very seriously at Instinct. Our professional dog trainers and behavioral consultants look at days like this as a HUGE win for our clients, especially when a walk ends with happy smiles like these two.
Does your dog struggle to be around other dogs? We know how challenging that can be. Learn more about how we can encourage peaceful walks like this, and more, at instinctportland.com
When was the last time you got creative with how you reward your dog? Changing up the contents of your treat pouch is one way, but there are other kinds of positive reinforcement that don’t involve food. Trainer Kaysha shows how safe and structured play works as reinforcement with her Camp + Coaching clients.
There are benefits to switching rewards up for your dog: keeping training more interesting, decreasing reliance on food, creating stronger behaviors, and learning about your dog’s preferences are only a few.
How do you introduce variety into your training routine? Let us know in the comments!
💤 Relaxation is a skill we all benefit from 💤
“Whether we’re working with a fast-moving dog who needs to learn to slow down and take a breath, or a slower dog learning to trust the environment around them, working on relaxation is my favorite skill.”
Settling and finding comfort in stillness is a great foundation for encouraging calm and environmentally-appropriate behaviors with dogs. Creating space and time for rest also allows us to attend to our dog’s needs with calm and clarity. Since our human world is always moving and changing, relaxation can sometimes be difficult for all of us.
We can help you:
👀 interpret when your dog is trying to tell you they need more rest
🔎 identify behavioral patterns of overstimulation or arousal
😌 reinforce calm behaviors and manage transitions better
Learn more at instinctportland.com
🐱 Did you know that we work with cats too? 🐱
Cats are also highly intelligent mammals, so it makes sense that we would add mental enrichment to their lives just as we do with dogs. In this video Kaeto, Dr Pankratz of Animal Behavior Clinic’s cat, is turning off the lights near his cat tree. This is a fun skill to teach and gives Kaeto more access and agency in his world!
Learning new skills opens an animal’s world, and we can help you explore those possibilities in ways that promote harmony in your home. Find out what your pet is capable of at instinctportland.com.
💡 Why don’t dogs like phones?💡
“Dogs are incredibly attentive to our behavior patterns, including where we’re looking, how we’re moving, and whether we’re available to interact” says Dr. Chris Pachel.
“When we pick up our phones, our attention shifts, often quite abruptly, and some dogs find that change frustrating or confusing. They may have been anticipating interaction, or they may have learned that nudging, barking, pawing, or otherwise interrupting us is an effective way to regain our attention. If barking or nudging makes us put down the phone and respond, even if we tell the dog to stop, we may have inadvertently reinforced the behavior.”
And it makes sense! Dogs don’t like to be left out. Bruno has been working with the Instinct team for a while, and we’re so proud of how far he’s come letting Trainer Jennifer check her phone during a training session.
We tailor training sessions to your needs, and we’re here to provide creative solutions to unique challenges, without judgement!
💬 Why is it so important to have a training plan? 💬
According to Dr. Pachel, DVM, “having a training plan is so important because it allows us to anticipate some potential outcomes, hurdles, and do it intentionally to minimize mistakes and confusion a dog might experience.”
We couldn’t agree more, and our team of professional dog trainers are here to help craft a training plan that fits you and your dog’s individual needs! From basic manners to managing challenging environments, our job at Instinct is to create individualized plans that give humans the confidence to teach their dogs with science-based guidance.
Learn more about our variety of training packages and offerings at instinctportland.com
🐾 MEET THE TEAM - CLAIRE GIESIGE, CPDT-KA🐾
Claire offers in-person and virtual coaching, as well as homeschool training. She specializes in helping clients self-train service dogs, navigate puppyhood and adolescence, and teach adult dogs everyday manners and life skills. Claire focuses on practical, accessible strategies that build strong human-canine relationships.
Claire’s dog training journey began as a volunteer guide dog puppy raiser and evolved into more than a decade of training guide dogs with Guide Dogs for the Blind and Occupaws. Before joining Instinct, she worked with pet dogs and service dog teams through City Dog Country Dog.
Claire holds a BS in Psychology from Oregon State University, along with her Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CCPDT) credentials, Karen Pryor Puppy Start Right certificate, and Guide Dog Mobility Instructor qualifications. She is a Professional Member of APDT and a supporting member of IAABC.
We’re a better team with Claire among us. Thanks, Claire, for your dedication to helping dogs and humans live better lives!
Schedule a discovery call at instinctportland.com
Is your dog easily overstimulated in public?
Adding a variety of locations to your dog’s training plan can be a great start to building confidence in the world. Not only does variety provide enrichment and healthy challenges for your dog, taking the time to observe them in different environments can help paint a bigger picture for your dog’s needs. Greta has been working with Trainer Claire for a while, and even at 2 years old she is adjusting so well to the big world around her.
At Instinct Portland, we aim to help you and your dog adjust to home or public environments with safety and wellbeing at the forefront. Whether it’s a parking lot or your own front yard, we design our Homeschool, Camp + Coaching, or Private Training sessions specifically for you and your dog’s goals.
Are you curious about how we can work with you and your dog to adjust to new environments?
Learn more at instinctportland.com
💬 What’s an important piece of advice you have for humans training their dogs? 💬
“One of the most important things about working with dogs is to show up with kindness,” according to Dr. Pachel, DVM. “We all make mistakes. Grace, humility, and kindness go a long way.”
This is a BIG guiding principle for us at Instinct Portland. We love our dogs, and they deserve the best from us. It’s our honor to help Portlanders live healthy and happy lives with our dog, and that means showing up with positivity and an open mind with our clients.
Our well-rounded and knowledgeable trainers are here to assist you on your training journey. Learn more at instinctportland.com
How do we work towards awesome recall in puppies and adolescents? By balancing hard work with play, of course! Check out Instinct client, Daisy, who has been working on calm greetings and safe playtime with Trainer Jennifer and Helper Dog Keely. We’re grateful for our puppy clients who keep us young at heart 💙
Want to learn more about how we incorporate structured play into our training sessions? Go to instinctportland.com!
