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Unlock Your Dog’s Natural Talents

The Ying Yang Dog is licensed as a Family Dog Mediator and uses methods based on the L.E.G.S model of understanding dogs, as developed by renowned dog expert Kim Brophey.

What is a Family Dog Mediator?

As technology advances and lifestyles change, many dogs find themselves confused by modern living, unable to perform the instinctual behaviors they were designed for. This can cause all sorts of behavior challenges in the home.

A Family Dog Mediator is not just another trainer; we are experts at identifying underlying issues that may be causing frustration for your dog. By evaluating your dog through L.E.G.S.®, we can pinpoint areas where improvements can be made to enhance harmony among all family members.

What does L.E.G.S.® stand for?

Learning

Understanding how dogs learn helps identify effective ways to teach them new behaviors. Like humans, dogs are always learning, and not just in training sessions. Through learning, all animals learn to adapt to new situations.

Environment

The environment is everything an animal interacts with, and we humans can control it to promote a safe environment for our dogs. Examining and adjusting environmental factors helps promote positive behavior from your dog.

Genetics

Recognizing the unique characteristics of your dog’s breed/s reveals your dog’s natural instincts. Each breed has its own set of genetic instructions that affect their behavior, such as herding instincts or protective tendencies.

Self

Understanding your dog’s unique personality is crucial for successful mediation between you and your furry friend. Age, gender, nutrition, health status, and reproductive status all contribute to developing an animal’s distinct character and behavior.

What is the Difference Between L.E.G.S.® and Traditional Dog Training

In traditional dog training, we use classical conditioning and operant conditioning (you can read about it in my blog here) to modify behavior deemed undesirable by us humans. We use the A-B-C model, which accounts for antecedents, behavior, and consequences:

Antecedent: events or stimuli that occur immediately before a behavior takes place. This could be a verbal cue like “sit” or a hand signal in dog training.

Behavior: the observable and measurable response of an individual (or, in our case, our furry friend). For example, your dog sitting when given the cue.

Consequence: The outcome following the behavior, which can either reinforce or punish it. If you reward your dog with praise or treats after they sit on cue, you’re reinforcing that behavior.

This A-B-C model focuses on HOW to modify a behavior, whereas L.E.G.S.® focuses on WHY the behavior happens. This isn’t about replacing dog training; L.E.G.S.® helps to connect the WHY with the HOW so we can better understand why dogs do what they do – and create a tailored plan to reach your training goals.

Graphic with blue background and the letters ABC on top. Under the letters there are the words, antecedent, behavior, consequences.

Join the next generation of dog training

Whether you’re welcoming a new family member, working on basic training, or have a behavioral challenge that needs to be addressed, Yin Yang Dog Training will help you decode your dog and live your best life together.