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We set a lot of dogs up for failure by building unrealistic expectations about our dogs and in our dogs. An anticipation is a learned,

What have I seen regarding the differences, other than physical, between puppies and adult dogs? When I evaluate a puppy, or any dog, I am

It isn’t unusual for a particular theory to use a hypothetical X to account for factors that the researcher doesn’t wish to isolate and examine

Does dog behavior operate according to recognized rules or laws? I would say this. While dog behavior can be described and often predicted in a

How do you build a well-behaved dog?  Most dogs are getting shortchanged. Current programs are still stuck in 100-year-old dog training models.  The available tools

Competition obedience is judged upon accomplishment of a stylized routine of precise exercises according to organizational rules in predictable situations. Real world obedience is judged

PoochMaster is my daily blog. I started this blog back in 2005 to write about current, daily topics on dogs. If you follow the link,

Do dogs have significant seasonal changes in behavior, especially in mood state, like people? I was asked this question recently, so I figured it was

I was speaking with a new student yesterday who was trying to understand why so many trainers use different approaches. In her case, she has

It is important to define and choose the appropriate physical and emotional boundaries you will enforce when people interact with your dog. Some things are

I’m currently reading an article from the Journal Of Experimental Analysis Of Behavior regarding stimulus control experiments, especially those of Guttman and Kalish (1956). This

Every year, after Thanksgiving, we have the Black Friday sales. Consumers have wads of cash, and they are ready to spend. A lot of these

Occasionally, a carefully planned dog training lesson… will turn out to be a mess. That is because every dog has a vote in terms of

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I believe larger shelters and professional boarding kennels can accommodate cage free areas for pets. The keys to success are a.) proper and continuous supervision

I had a lesson today with a new student. The appointment was to deal with his dog’s separation anxiety. However, it wasn’t that. This situation

“Some people prey upon other people. Whether we like it or not, this is one of the facts of life. It has always been so,

What is the difference between classroom dog obedience and real-world dog obedience? Yesterday, I was working with a student who has a service dog puppy

Many TV and social media training gurus advocate purposeful and focused intimidation, coercion, and other negative influences to attempt to fix dogs. Is that OK

I was hired a few years ago to train a young female pointer. She was about a year old when the husband took her out

There was a dog that was very aggressive towards humans. The owners enrolled the dog in a board and train program, but it didn’t work

A happy dog is easier in every way. That is why I make happiness a priority in all my dog training programs. When a dog

I have encountered and worked with dogs which exhibit abnormal behaviors at night. Here are some examples. 1.) Midsized dog, otherwise normal in every way.

Many people don’t understand why we train dogs. For some, they just think it is a bunch of tricks, and just want a dog that

There are times I must tell students that what they are doing is causing more harm than good. Sometimes that is taken in good spirit,

I’m currently working with a dog that has been shutting down during lessons. This was one of the issues I was hired to address. Imagine

A dog owner’s mindset can be a roadblock for making gains in training. I have heard many new students tell me that their dog “knows”

As I write this article, it is now the peak heat part of summer in Arizona. Every year, at this time, I encourage all my

Hello, Sam I just had a question about your opinion on certain dog collars and methods to prevent dogs from pulling while on a leash.

In the past 20 years, a lot of new people have come into the market as dog trainers. I remember when I first started out,

Dogs can be significantly harmed by unexpected traumas. For example… I did a lesson a lesson with a couple who adopted a Miniature Schnauzer a

A while back, there was a rescue dog that supposedly was not good around other dogs. This dog was being housed by a foster family.

More and more, I see articles and advertisements regarding “reactive dogs”. These are dogs that tend to bark and lunge at strangers or strange dogs.

Working with dogs typically involves changes in three areas: Behavior Modification, Changes in Owner Management, and Skill Development. Each part interacts with the other, but

One of the questions I ask new students is what they want out of the training. Since each dog and owner are unique, the amount

There is a certain “look” that I work to obtain from every dog. I call it “The Face”. It is that happy, affectionate, stress free,

I have used behavior modification techniques in combination with veterinarian prescribed medicines since the year 2000. When I started this combination treatment, the use of

I work with a lot of pet dogs which are afraid of humans and animals. In addition, I work with their owners to attempt to

Many dog owners, too many, rely on luck instead of wisdom. In addition, they fool themselves by lying to themselves, and surrounding themselves with enablers

I am very careful introducing corrections to dog owners, not because the dogs at that point don’t need it, but because some people can’t be

Do you have a picture trained dog? How can you tell if your dog being trained appropriately? It is important to understand the answer. How

Every few years a new celebrity dog trainer guru pops up, makes a boatload of money, while at the same time doing things to dogs

I’m volunteering my time to work with rescued dogs. Some dogs need special attention to help make them adoptable. I worked with such a dog

I meet a lot of fearful dogs. These range from dogs that are mildly afraid of some situations to dogs that are too dangerous to

One of my students has a young adult, male, Airedale mix. From a distance, he looks more like a Dalmatian, but up close you can

Why do students hire a good dog trainer, not do the required homework, and then opt for a solution that is worse for the dog

I have worked with many dogs that never recognize certain people, regardless of how many times they have met. They will sniff and react to

There is a theory that claims humans evolved from Homo erectus to Homo sapiens because of the consumption of psilocybin mushrooms. There are also several

I like a good mystery movie. I would classify the Harry Potter series as from a mystery genre. At the beginning, you know something is

Imagine how it feels to your dog if it doesn’t have anything to offer to social situations or tasks, to not be accepted by people

Training a dog doesn’t just mean teaching your dog to do this or that in a vacuum. I want my students to select what Manners

Part of my job as a dog trainer is to help dog owners develop good habits to replace their bad habits. This is another reason

This morning, I went to look at a dog that is being boarded at a local animal shelter. I was invited by a rescue organization

What are the main behavioral reasons people give away their dogs according to the HSUS? There are several studies on this topic, but the general

I have 5 Primary Intentions when raising a dog: to 1.) Properly stimulate a dog’s brain; 2.) Interest a dog in spending time and enjoying

My specialty is working with companion dogs. My students get dogs to be companions. They are treated well and treated as family members. Most people

Have you ever engaged in a dog training conversation when someone said, “well, the science says”? I’ve seen a lot of that stuff over the

How’s your relationship with your dog? For most people, the relationship with their dog needs improvement. Good dog training is personal. Mediocre dog training is

The mourning from losing a pet, whether through abandonment, escape, rehoming, or death is usually difficult and painful. It is also concerning when the mourning

What is the purpose of socializing dogs? Why is it important for a puppy to meet many friendly strangers, other friendly dogs, go in a

Living organisms have built-in mechanisms to repair damages and restore health. Healing is usually referred to as a biological process that results in recovery from

Dog training programs typically fall into one of the following categories: group classes; board and train; and private lessons. There are two significant obstacles which

Dogs are often destructive chewers when suffering from Separation Anxiety. Owners, and many dog trainers, tend to use a variety of punishments to attempt to

I love ancient proverbs, and it is good idea to know many. They can give us answers at just the right moment. One excellent proverb

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand? — “Maria” lyrics from the 1959 Rodgers

It is well established that young children are at the greatest risk of serious injury from being bitten by a dog. It is also well

If you are fostering a dog, it is important to screen out owners who will not provide a quality life. We can foresee how a

Most of the time you want your dog to gravitate towards you. But there are some times when you should ignore or push your dog

Every dog training era has ended up this way: dog training is abnormally mechanical and formulaic as a result of new fads that are now

We are a long way from completely understanding how the brain works and how to fully explain, interpret and modify behavior. Yet, we have developed

When evaluating dog behavior problems, I often notice problems in the relationship between the owner and the dog. I evaluate their mutual stress levels, emotional

Animals of all species are spontaneously active because of intrinsic brain operating systems which generate adaptive innate and learned behaviors. When human brain systems are

Play is governed by an essential emotional circuit in the mammalian brain. Play circuits may also exist in other animal classes, such as birds and

What are the two biggest factors I use to effect beneficial changes in dogs with behavioral problems? Typical dog training has become too mechanical over

The effects of spaying and neutering dogs are variable. But are the outcomes acceptable from a health, behavior and welfare standpoint? What does the current

Years ago, I was working with a new student. A few days prior, we had completed a first lesson with her puppy. We were using

What is my main complaint about PP (Purely Positive dog) training theory? Of all the famous trainers I have followed, they don’t truly have trained

No normal person wants to harm a dog. Let’s get that out of the way up front. This article is not about how to harm

Some dogs soil the home when the owner is gone, destroy things when you are not around, bark or howl, dig, or cause trouble for

If your dog Comes happily, allows grooming, accepts a leash and collar, likes playing with you, likes being petted by you, listens to your commands,

What would make the biggest impact on reducing the number of dogs in animal shelters, and consequently, the number of dogs put to death every

Long term, inappropriate kenneling creates neuroses in shelter dogs, resulting in repetitive or severely inhibited responses; multiple signs of extreme stress, self-preoccupied behaviors; increased care

On one hand, puppy wants what it wants and can’t inhibit themselves very well. On the other hand, external influences limit a puppy’s actions. How

What are we, as dog owners and trainers, to make of the mechanistic learning science doctrines of Pavlov, Skinner, and others? The troublesome outcome of

One of the first questions I ask a potential student is about the kind of dog they have. I do this because training should match

There has been a long-standing dispute between the “force free” dog training community advocates and the “balanced” dog training community advocates. What’s that all about?

Aggression is a difficult topic to explain and treat. First, we want all dogs to get along, and it is hard to understand why dogs

Small example. Your dog has been punished for every little thing while you are home. Punishment is a learning theory term which means applying a

Are you considering getting another dog? What do you need to do to have the highest chance of success? And what if your current dogs

Is it fair to expect dogs to immediately and correctly respond calmly or happily to changes in situations? Think about what this means. Your trained

It is disturbing to read the scientific research we all use to train dogs. The most famous of researchers had to make a decision to

Does your dog suffer from an emotional behavioral disturbance, such as chronic generalized anxieties, depression, compulsive behaviors, or phobias? These neuroses are maladaptive, distressing conditions

Dogs can become hypervigilant, looking for danger where it doesn’t exist and seeking stimulus that isn’t relevant to your presence, and too impulsive and having

Play is essential for good behavioral development in your dog. It comprises 4 elements that should be balanced: search/chase, possession, letting go, and rules to

Unpredictability makes dogs insecure and potentially destructive, neurotic, destructive, disobedient and/or aggressive. Events are either predictable or unpredictable, either controllable or uncontrollable. Anxiety happens when

Many dog behaviors are biased according to breed. We know that, right? As a general rule, purebred… Hunters want to hunt. Guards want to guard.

Your dog has a behavioral problem. Let’s say your dog is fighting with another dog in the home, or reacts inappropriately to other dogs in

I regularly go to the dentist. Oral health is directly related to overall health. My dentist recommends daily flossing, use of an electric toothbrush, water

Outdated training methods bug me. How do you feel about this? Which Approaches Are Doomed? The aversive trainers: There are a lot of trainers around

One important question every dog trainer receives is “what is your method?” That is important because the behavior you want from your dog will reflect