Canine Game Theory™

Canine Game Theory™ is not just training a behavior in a new way, but changing the entire training ethos in a world that only marginally supports it, and that support was in child education, not dogs. I knew in my heart it was the way forward and along the way I questioned myself if I'd made the right decision. As time goes on I get confirmation (from results) that I most definitely made the right choice. It still feels uncomfortable at times, especially those times when a potential client choses another trainer, but now I love creating new games, games that teach a dog how to solve problems; games that teach a dog and its human how to think, to reason, to explore, to communicate, and to be creative.

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Master the basic principles of Canine Game Theory, with a focus on the fundamentals of structure games and how it fits in today's methods of training.

It takes courage to seek out new methods and be okay with what others may think….be it the positives or the negatives.

Those basic components are the same no matter what game is being played, your role in the game or whether you even know you're playing a specific game. Those components appear to be:

How energy is used
Choice and its relationship to winning the game
How barriers and frustration can teach more
Knowledge and how to gain it within the game
How to turn failure to success
How to start, change or stop any part of a game
How to analyze situations and deal with confusion

By helping a dog obtain or enhance their natural abilities, you create a dog that can observe and interact with the environment with confidence and certainty and thus has less and less need to "fight" anything.
These components are the same and govern the training and education of our dogs. Your role is one of guidance and example. You are the one who is aware of the game and its rules and purposes. That awareness allows you to bring your dog to being aware of those rules and purposes and his role in your human world.

Training should not be about finding what is wrong with a dog and attempting to change that, it isn't even really about teaching new things. Training should be about making a dog better at being a dog. Using the dog's abilities and instincts and aligning them to our understanding of life and the world around us.

Games can literally be applied by anyone.

Games provide a platform of training that covers all the necessities of life. Games enhance observation and the ability to make informed decisions. Games increase confidence in dealing with novel and unique experiences, understanding the rules and how to live without stress. Training with games teaches that failure is just another way of learning and not something to be avoided. Training with games gives control to the dog, understanding to the dog, and less and less need by the human to be constantly alert. So rather than concentrating on the elimination of problem behavior, your choice as a trainer or owner should became a decision to increase a dog's abilities which, in turn, handle problems as a matter of routine.

Chaos Theory

Here is the essence of chaos theory:

Life is unpredictable, disorderly
It is an essential process of renewal and revitalization
That small changes in initial conditions create enormous consequences
That similar patterns take place across layers
As this theory is applied in training, it creates an atmosphere of cooperation and communication
Information is the primary organizing force
Embrace vision as an invisible field
Beings have similar needs and corresponding responses
Working together is a source of meaning and purpose
Establish a shared sense of purpose

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