Trauma Creates Fearful Dogs
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 own. Most fears we are concerned about have been manufactured. It is not unusual or abnormal for a dog to be afraid of some things. There are many natural danger […]
Dog Training With Injured Dogs
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 see and feel he has much coarser coat. He has turned out to be a very good working dog, and his owner has done a great job with the training […]
The Dog Ate Your Homework And Other Confusing Stories
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 than what they were doing before hiring anyone? I have puzzled on this for a long time. The dog needs help, the dog lives with the owner, the owner is […]
Dog Memory Problems, Fear And Aggression
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 them on every encounter as if they were strangers. This can be quite frustrating when you live with a dog that acts as if it doesn’t recognize someone in the […]
Stoned Apes And Wolf Dogs
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 theories that claim that dogs evolved from wolves because of hanging around human garbage dumps. Garbage in, garbage out. A lot of what is called “science” these days are happy […]
Rescue Dog Mysteries
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 going on and a deeper secret underlies the childhood innocence. What’s with that scar on his forehead? Only until the very end of the last book do you finally understand […]
Is Your Dog Socially Compatible?
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 and not have any useful skills to offer. In other words, what is it like if your dog is a misfit? The easy dog, the social and trained dog, finds […]
Manners For Your Dog
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 they want their dogs to obey, to establish a good relationship that fosters good Manners, and then ensure those Manners are consistently rewarded. It is important to be direct with […]
Establishing Good Dog Training Habits
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 why I don’t support board and train programs. A lot of what you do, or don’t do, with your dog causes the behavioral problems your dog exhibits. If your dog […]
Environmental Enrichment Or Training For Shelter Dogs?
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 to meet with one of their volunteers and work with him a bit. The volunteer came equipped with several new toys and some treats. We were ready. When we went […]