Cynthia has always been drawn to animals and knew from a young age that she wanted to work with them. She joined the assistance dog training program and graduated with a new understanding of the enormous and diverse capabilities of dogs. Over the next few years, she gained experience in many canine training situations. She worked with a second chance shelter program to help dogs learn skills to give them a better chance at being adopted. She even tried her hand at retail training. She wasn’t satisfied with that position and craved something with more depth and creativity. In 2015 she decided to open her own business. In 2017, she teamed up with a new non-profit service dog organization. She completed their thorough training program and officially became an Atlas Assistance Dogs Certified Trainer.
Over the past few years she’s seen an increase in reactivity and aggression in dogs and it seems to be a nationwide trend. Since these issues require a deeper level of understanding than traditional training can offer, she began to broaden the scope of her work. She sought out experts in the field and discovered a robust trove of educational materials and coursework focusing specifically on aggression. She completed Michael Shikashio’s Aggression Master Course and studied under Dr. Amber Batson, Veterinary Surgeon and Behaviorist, completing her phenomenal year long Professionals in Aggression course.
Training Philosophy
Cynthia believes that choice-based learning is beneficial to the dog/human relationship because it builds and promotes trust in ways that other methods cannot. When you give your dog a choice, you are telling him that he has the freedom to choose not to participate in something that is scary or unpleasant. She emphasizes that dogs depend on us to guide and coach them through a sometimes scary and confusing world. Her job is to provide structure in a way that helps dogs make sense of the environment in order to feel safe and confident. It’s not about control. It’s about helping them learn by providing clear information, teaching and marking behaviors, motivating and reinforcing them in ways that promote active engagement. Force has no place in a healthy relationship.
Services
Incredible Canines offers a variety of services, including:
- Private in-home training
- Puppy Prep Program
- Canine Enrichment
- Assistance Dog Training
- Cooperative Care Training
- Aggression Assistance
- Consulting services for shelters and rescues
Certifications
Cynthia D. Wilmot is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants – Accredited Dog Trainer (IAABC-ADT), Fear Free Certified, and DogNostics Canine Enrichment Technician.
Specializations
Cynthia specializes in mitigating aggressive behavior and has studied under some of the world’s foremost specialists in the field. She also offers assistance dog training and enrichment services.
Training Methods
Cynthia relies on science-based, positive and ethical practices that put the dog’s physical, emotional, and mental welfare first. She uses choice-based learning methods and emphasizes clear communication and building trust between dogs and their owners.
