We believe in, and strive to follow, the LIMA (Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive) principles.
We believe in setting dogs up for success, and increasing difficulty only when the dog is ready.
We believe anthropomorphism (attributing human characteristics to an animal) is a huge problem and we aim to educate owners about the true nature of a beast.
We understand that every dog is an individual and must be approached as such.
We do not oppose the use of any tools and we’re always trying to improve our skills in the use of tools.
We understand the need for pressure in dog training, but also that training must always be fair to each individual dog.
Beautiful Beasts Training Philosophy
Over thousands of years, man and beast have lived side by side. Many animals have found security and easy access to food, through tolerating a human presence. Birds of prey, cats, sheep, cows… the list goes on.
But one of these beasts stand out – the canine.
Not only do dogs tolerate our presence, they crave it. They desire our companionship, our touch and our attention, and in return, they will do most everything we want from them. They will sit quietly next to us at a café, enduring the excruciating boredom and the frustration of not being able to share our food. They will run for hours in the scorching sun – without food or water – to help us move livestock from one paddock to another.
Their unwavering strength, endurance and loyalty is a marvel to behold. One that raises the hairs on our necks and increases our pulse. Our love and understanding for these beasts, is bar none, and the fact that we can communicate clearly with a species so unlike our own, is a true miracle in my eyes.
But sometimes the language barrier between man and beast becomes to great, and our mutually beneficial relationship breaks down, and this can lead to a wide range of problems.
Where we use words and cognitive reasoning, dogs use body language; heckles, snarls and teeth. And unless we can find a way to translate between these two languages, relationships suffer.
That’s where we come in.
Beautiful Beasts seeks to find the balance between man and animal, through training, behaviour modification, enrichment and a deeper understanding of how dogs learn, and think. While we love their dedication and desire to please us, we also accept the fact that dogs are not like we are, and should not be treated as such.
We often see that anthropomorphism is an enormous barrier between owners and their beloved pets. Therefore we educate both human and canine, teaching them to understand each other and to restore their Yin and Yang.
