Dogs Which Experience Traumas
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 month ago. For the first 2 weeks, the dog was great. The shelter notes said the dog was great. Then the dog started biting people who came into the home. […]
The Five-Minute Dog Aggression Solution?
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. The next step was to address this issue since it could have been an obstacle to finding the dog a new permanent home. Off in the distance was another trainer […]
Dog Training And Suspicious Minds
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. Most people aren’t going to consider these responses to be desirable in a pet dog. Some things in dog training can be fixed, some can only be managed. Let’s compare […]
Three Parts Of Dog Lessons
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 it is useful to separate them to understand what to expect when training your dog. 1.) Behavior Modification. Behaviors are responses dogs have to various stimuli. To change these responses […]
How Much Dog Training Is Necessary?
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 of effort required to get to those goals varies considerably. Let’s consider an example: the Pointer mix I’ve been working with over the last month or so. He’s a super […]
The Face In Dog Training
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, attentive, warm, open, and smiling mouth expression. In play, or when doing tasks, The Face is more attentive, sparky, and focused on the handler and task, but either way, it […]
Using Drugs For Dog Behavioral Modification
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 drugs was mostly considered “extra-label”, meaning the use was different than the drug’s labeling yet met the standards that veterinarians were required to follow. Drugs are usually used for cases […]
Your Dog Is Not An Experiment
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 turn these dogs around. But a handful of owners have it in their heads to skip over the necessary steps and put their dogs in threatening situations to see what […]
Bad Dog Ownership Habits
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 who perpetuate, protect, and excuse their bad habits. Over time, so many repetitions of luck will blind owners to their bad habits, their luck will run out, and then… disaster! […]
Corrections: A Major Dog Trainer Frustration
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 trusted to carefully implement proper corrections once I’m not there to supervise. Some people go over the top and go way beyond the homework and do things I would consider […]