Welcome to an evolved understanding of dogs.
Where you’ll discover that good behavior is a natural consequence of improved welfare.
As Charleston’s first Licensed Family Dog Mediator®,The Dog Talker is Charleston’s leading expert in Dog Behavior.
Our expertise includes in particular:
Dog Aggression in multiple dog households
Resource Guarding
Reactivity (Visitors & Leash Reactivity)
Noise Phobia
Fear/ Anxiety/Stress
The human-canine relationship
Welfare
The Dog Talker’s expertise and specialized knowledge of dogs is derived, in part, from the industry leading course on Applied Ethology and Family Dog Mediation®
As a dog parent, you can get a better understanding of your dog, and dogs in general, by watching the 60 mins documentary, The Dog’s Truth below from the founder of Family Dog Mediation®, Kim Brophey.
The documentary is FREE to watch on YouTube.
We highly recommend watching this documentary prior to seeking help for your dog!
Service Area
For in-person consults, we proudly service the following Charleston SC areas:
Summerville, Moncks Corner, Cane Bay, Ladson, Summers Corner, North Charleston, Hanahan, West Ashley, Downtown Charleston, Daniel Island, Mt. Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, John’s Island, James Island.
- And the WORLD via Zoom consults.
PLEASE NOTE: For other locations in the LowCountry, a TRAVEL FEE will apply for in-home sessions.
Ultimate Behavioral Wellness - the no.1 goal for our captive dogs:
Behavioral wellness is more than having your basic needs met. Behavioral wellness is essential for the overall welfare of any living being…..you, me, and our dogs, who are living in a very unnatural environment as domesticated, captive pets.
Behavioral wellness means having your ALL your needs met:
Physical
Psychological
Social
Emotional
Biological
Nutritional
Being allowed to BE who you were designed to be.
The solution to your dog’s problematic behavior is: Improved welfare… (not ‘dog training’)
Your dog’s behavior is influenced 24/7 by his: 4 L.E.G.S.® =
LEARNING - ENVIRONMENT - GENETICS - SELF
That means your dog’s behavior is also influenced by your behavior, your emotional state, your lifestyle, and the choices you make on behalf of your dog.
NOTE: If you are here because you are experiencing concerning behavior and you have been told that your dog needs training or behavior modification, you have been misinformed.
What your dog really needs is:
To be understood and allowed to BE WHO HE IS
For his humans to acknowledge and understand the implications of living as a captive animal.
For his human family to be willing to change their world for him - not change his behavior to suit their world.
It’s that simple. Truthfully.
The Dog Training industry has never really examined WHY behavior problems are occurring in the first place and on such a large scale…..
But things are changing, the dog training industry is EVOLVING and the focus is shifting…
Family Dog Mediation®and the scientific field of Applied Ethology has the answer…
Simply put:
Behavior problems are, by and large, a consequence of living in CAPTIVITY + being MISUNDERSTOOD.
Our dogs are finding themselves living in restrictive environments for which their Genetics don’t fit.
To help them, therefore, we need to make changes to their environments in a way that meets more of their needs and:
Allows the dog
to BE a DOG.
The Dog Talker’s approach is different
-We teach you how to ‘unplug’ everything you have ever been told about dogs and start from POINT ZERO
(= seeing your dog in a new light and connecting on a whole new level).
Fun fact:
“Once you understand the dog in front of you, there is no turning back. You will never again look at a dog the same way. ”
-Vivi Myslik Jorgensen
Are you ready to learn how to navigate life
on a whole new level with your dog?
Then let’s get started.
A better life with your dog is achieved through
3 simple steps = the 3 W’s:
1W+ 2W: Getting an understanding of the WHO and the WHY
3W: Taking action to Improve your dog’s overall Welfare
Fun fact:
“Good behavior is a natural consequence of improved welfare”
-Vivi Myslik Jorgensen
❋ Step 1:
WHO is your dog?
Do you fully understand WHO you are sharing your life with?
Do you know what your dog’s breed specific needs are?
Your dog is a SOCIAL BEING, just like you. He mirrors your behavior and anyone else he is living with (both now and in the past)
His current behavior is 100% influenced by his 4 L.E.G.S. : All the variables that has shaped him into the unique individual he is right now.
This includes his: (past + present):
Learning
Environment
Genetics
Self
L.E.G.S.® is a scientific model which helps us understand the ROOT of a given dog’s behavior.
L.E.G.S.® is an acronym for Learning - Environment - Genetics - Self. It is the model I work from as a Licensed Family Dog Mediatior®
With this framework, we leave no stone unturned and examine all the variables that contribute to a dog’s behavior problems before deciding WHAT needs to be done to change things for the better.
The L.E.G.S.® model was created by Kim Brophey who is also the founder of Family Dog Mediation®, an Applied Ethologist, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and worldwide sought-after speaker and expert on dog behavior.
Kim’s life-long work with dogs has culminated in thousands of dog professionals (dog trainers, veterinarians, shelter staff, etc.) taking her very extensive course on Applied Ethology and Family Dog Mediation® to become Certified (with the option of applying for Licensure) Family Dog Mediators®.
Family Dog Mediation® was founded in 2020. It is the EVOLUTION of Dog Training and it is reshaping how we view, interact, and live with dogs.
We are currently more than 3000 (and the number continues to grow) Family Dog Mediators® around the world, the majority here in the US.
What is L.E.G.S.®?
❋Step 2:
WHY is your dog
exhibiting problematic behavior?
Do you understand WHY your dog is barking, growling, snapping, etc.?
Without understanding your dog’s WHY, how can we really know how to help him?
The answer is we CAN’T.
In fact, we can do a lot more harm by implementing training without first understanding the reasoning behind the behavior.
Therefore, we need to start with an evolved understanding of your dog’s 4 L.E.G.S.:
- In other words: We need an in-depth examination of all the factors that influence his behavioral patterns to get to the core of what is really going on for your dog - before we can decide on HOW to help and teach him (and you) new patterns.
This thorough examination includes his:
Learning
Environment
Genetics
Self
Imagine if YOUR needs weren’t met.
To function as a living being (human or animal), it is important to have basic needs met (access to food, water, shelter).
But to thrive behaviorally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically as a living being, it is absolutely essential to have as many needs met as possible met…..to FEEL safe, to have healthy and fulfilled social interactions, to explore, to be able to make your own choices, to be allowed to do - and BE - what you were designed to do.
By domesticating dogs and attempting to turn them into PETS (which they are NOT) - we have handicapped them in so many ways, isolated them, taken away their agency, manipulated their behavior, turned them into training monkeys, taken away their freedom and free movement, etc.
On top of that, most breeds were bred to work OUTDOORS for many hours and many of those working breeds now find themselves indoors for way too many hours, some locked in crates for up to 8-12 hrs a day leading to all kinds of welfare issues, like boredom, destructive behaviors, stress, aggression, anxiety, separation anxiety, etc.
Imagine if all of the above was done to you. If you weren’t allowed or able to BE WHO YOU ARE. If you had no choice in what happened to you.
What would that DO to you?
How would it make you FEEL?
How would it affect YOUR behavior?
As humans, we often have very unrealistic expectations for our dogs’ behavior - because we have had the wrong end of the stick for far too long.
The time has come to GIVE BACKto our dogs, to take the time to understand them, and to
let dogs BE DOGS.
Are YOU ready to EVOLVE?
Fun fact:
“When a dog’s needs are met, behavior problems are greatly reduced or non-existent.”
-Vivi Myslik Jorgensen
❋Step 3:
WELFARE
Did you know that the KEY to better dog behavior is improved welfare?
“What about training?”
Training can provide both you and your dog with helpful tools to navigate life - but training can also be harmful depending on HOW we train and WHY we train dogs.
It’s important to understand that dogs don’t need training - and that training quite often does more harm than good (depending on methods and equipment used, etc.)
- What they need first and foremost is….
Fulfillment of the 5 domains of welfare
Our Services
Step 1
All services START HERE (REQUIRED):
Initial Consultation/L.E.G.S.® Assessment on ZOOM.
We start by getting to know your dog and turn every stone to figure out WHY you are experiencing behavior problems.
And then we decide HOW to help.
Help takes place in the dog’s HOME ENVIRONMENT - see our Behavior or Puppy Packages.
Step 2
Behavior Packages:
All sessions take place in your home or on location
After the Initial Consultation on Zoom, your option for help with behavior issues like aggression, fear, anxiety, etc. is:
A Behavior Package for 1 dog
or a Behavior Package for 2 or more dogs.
If you need more help after a package, continue with Single Add-on sessions
Step 2
Puppy Packages:
Puppy Packages are for puppies aged 8 wks - 15 months.
All sessions take place in your home or on location
For puppies, after the Initial Consultation, you have a choice of two Puppy Packages:
Basic
Or Intensive
If you need more help after a package, continue with Single Add-on sessions
Step 3
Single Add-on session:
If you need more help after a package, choose single sessions.
Each session is 60 mins
Purchase 1, 2, or 3 sessions
Takes place in your home or on location
About The Dog Talker
Vivi Myslik Jorgensen, LFDM-T, KPA CTP is the owner, CEO, and founder of The Dog Talker LLC and the host of The Dog Training Unplugged Podcast.
As Charleston’s first Licensed Family Dog Mediator® and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, Vivi has 9+ years experience of working with behavioral issues like Aggression, Fear, Anxiety in dogs.
She works from a holistic approach called the L.E.G.S.® model (only used in Family Dog Mediation) as well as her own UmbrellaFramework (Dog Training Unplugged).
Vivi uses 100% Fear Free, science and evidence backed methods and Positive Reinforcement.
Vivi was among the first line of Certified Family Dog Mediators® in 2021 and as such, she is a L.E.G.S.® Association Founding Member and a Family Dog Mediation® International Ambassador!
In 2022, Vivi became a Licensed Family Dog Mediator®
