No Little Dog Training Glory
I work with a lot of small timid doggies. Many are so timid they won’t let you put on a collar, pick them up, sometimes you can’t pet them, often having house training problems, run away from family and guests, and sometimes just vibrate. All the normal stuff you do when working with the average […]
Dog Training: Evaluations and Predictions
When evaluating a dog, a lot depends upon what the owner and trainer can’t perceive about the situation as well as what they can’t predict. No dog trainer is a mystical guru, regardless of their marketing. The problem of perception has been studied for a long time by scientists, and even they haven’t figured it […]
Dogs And Muzzles
Yes, I know, many dog owners balk at using a muzzle because they envision their dog looking like Hannibal Lecter. Here is how I look at it. I think most dogs should be worked with to accept and like wearing a muzzle, starting with young puppies. This is preparation for an unknown future. Imagine it […]
Dogs, Training and Humility
One of the many lessons I’ve learned over the years is that dogs will always do something unexpected. And you need to have a good dose of humility to accept and tell the truth that you’re never going to be able to see the future perfectly and not every dog situation is going to turn […]
Puppy Training Classes
I enjoy doing in-home puppy training classes. Since I understand the important things a puppy must know to turn out into a great adult dog, I am highly motivated to get those puppies started properly. You have four months to do this work. Four. From birth until 4 months of age, there are critical, or […]
New Dogs Which Don’t Understand
It is interesting doing a first lesson with an untrained 1- or 2-year-old dog. They are often impulsive and have no clue what you are trying to communicate. At first, during that first skill exercise, they are somewhat bewildered. I typically start with a problem solving exercise which makes the dog figure out a simple […]
Puppy Training Milestones
I have a series of Training Milestones (goals) that I use to organize dog training lessons. For example, for a Puppy, up to 4 months of age, these are my Milestones: Housetraining completedMouthing (mostly) eliminatedBasic Command word associations (such as Heel, Sit, Down, Come, etc.)Leash and collar introductionSocialization and Essential Exposures completedEstablishment of “Home”Crate training […]
Dogs As Galley Slaves
Dog training trends are interesting to me. The current one I’m watching is how younger trainers out there are basically throwing their hands in the air, giving up, and opting for solutions that enslave dogs. Here’s what I mean. Everything they do is about stopping dogs from doing this or that. That’s because they have […]
Dog Training And Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Twenty something years ago, I joined a Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy (dojo). It was a bit intimidating that first time, not knowing what to expect. How did they start me out? What happened that first month (I was attending 3 times a week)? Well, what they didn’t do is discuss the theory of ground-based self […]
Dog Training Choices
You are interviewing dog trainers. You find there are two choices: Which should you choose? What does an e-collar manufacturer recommend? I own the book, “Tri-Tronics Retriever Training” by Jim Dobbs (1993). Here’s what I can tell you in a nutshell. They have you train the dog in the basics before using the e-collar, that […]