What is the Motivation Behind Family Dog Mediation?
Two species. Two sets of needs and wants to consider for good evolutionary reasons. Two sides of the story to tell. One exceptional dog professional in the middle, helping to sort it all out on the table for everyone’s best outcomes – a Family Dog Mediator.
Family Dog Mediation connects modern animal welfare science & standards with the distinct professional roles pet pros play in meeting the complete needs of their canine customers. Training, veterinary, sheltering, & support service providers each do their part in a collaborative ecosystem to support the wellness & behavior of today’s struggling pet dogs, all contributing to the “good life” standard of welfare our canines need to be the “good dogs” we desire in our lives.
Family Dog Mediation extends this essential welfare education and important inter-species relationship counseling to dog families through over 3000 industry leaders in over 25 countries who have completed the L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation Professional Course. With over 6500 students enrolled in FDM Education Center courses worldwide, this educational grassroots movement is making waves for dogs and their families that are rippling into every corner of the pet dog world.
Family Dog Mediation is a concept born out of an urgent necessity to evolve the way we live and work with dogs in the modern world
As a model, FDM aptly flips the script on human supremacy in the relationships we share with dogs, and the antiquated models of “obedience” associated with it. As a practice, FDM levels the playing field to value the sentience and experience of both sides of the street by practically mediating any conflicts, misunderstandings, or problematic dynamics between dogs and their people as the needs of both parties are acknowledged and met.
Working from established animal welfare principles and models, Family Dog Mediators are well positioned to help families fully appreciate the natural struggles that modern pet dogs are commonly experiencing in the 21st century, and to shoulder their respective responsibilities to meet the complex needs of their dependent canine companions through curated environments, experiences, and lifestyles.
The best news? Living with dogs from a welfare-first model of care is easier, more fun, and more enriching for us modern humans than many ineffective, exhausting, and technical dog training exercises can be. When people see themselves as helpful guides, protectors, advocates, and educators of their dogs as they are (rather than what they want their dogs to become as pets), everything shifts.
The magic that happens when canine needs are understood and well met is simply remarkable, when behavior problems melt away as dogs experience better lives.
We can control and restrict less, and revel in the good life with our dogs when we finally discover how to truly let them “dog” more.
Our Mission
Family Dog Mediation is a concept born out of an urgent necessity to evolve the way we live and work with dogs in the modern world – one firmly rooted in modern animal welfare science so critical to our canine companions.
That’s the motivation for all that we do, and the reason that the FDM Education Center is leading the charge in the evolution of the international pet dog marketplace, shattering outdated molds & introducing game-changing solutions for our most cherished animal friends. Through education, research, collaborations, & the development of revolutionary new resources, programs, & services that solve problems at their source, the FDM Education Center is ensuring a better future for pet dogs… & the people who love them.
