My Journal.
Ideas and Articles that help to enrich the relationship between dogs and people.
I want my dog to play with other dogs….?
It is very “human” of us to want to see our own dog happily romping around with other dogs while we stand by and think..”how cute”! We want to chat with other dog owners while they do the same…aren’t they cute”! But is this realistic? Is it realistic for all dogs...
Let the right equipment do the work for you.
Having the right equipment for walking your dog can make this valuable and enriching time more pleasant for both of you. While it is always important to teach a dog to walk on a loose lead regardless of equipment, this can take time. In the mean time, try changing up...
Breed Behavioral Traits and Severe Aggression.
Humans are “lumpers”. We to want to find commonalities in groups to determine whether they fall in the dangerous column or the not dangerous column. We are animals to. This can lead to the often confusing “Correlation versus Causation” question and humans often get...
Dogs on the Furniture?
I don’t recommend allowing domestic dogs to get up on furniture in the house…unless they are invited up….and asked to get down. These are necessary rule structures that dogs need regarding any location in the home that gives them height. Height matters to dogs. ...
The Case Against Using Aversive Training methods.
Fallout from Aversive Training Methods. Why punishment is not longer used by educated trainers. What is an “aversive” when used in the context of dog training? An aversive is something unpleasant that is applied to the dog “to stop or suppress a particular...
Park and Train.
How to get focus and response from your dog in any environment. This is not hard to do. You just have to do it! If you do this with young puppies and continue to do it throughout their development, you will have a confident dog who can go anywhere with you....
The Recall Trap.
Many of my new clients complain that their dog does not respond when they call them. The “recall” is the most important cue that any dog should learn. In training lingo, “recall” means the trained behavior of the dog coming to you when called. All behavior is...
Reward versus Bribe.
How to use food correctly when training your dog. Food works very well as a primary reinforcer for training dogs. Wolves, the ancient ancestors of domestic dogs, were predators and hunting, foraging and acquiring food is very important to the canine species....
Should I Get Another Dog?
I have always had two dogs at any one time. When the senior dog is 10 or 11 years old, I get a puppy. The older dog teaches the puppy how to be a dog, what behavior is appropriate behavior with other dogs and what is not. This works very well for me. But I am a...
Tips for Changing Common Behavioral Problems in Dogs.
Tips for changing common behavior problems in dogs. 1 - Counter Surfing. Dogs are opportunistic animals. If they can do it…they will! Good sense and management are the most reliable ways to stop counter surfing. Push back all food items on your counters...