Dogs And Contagious Memes
Why are so many goofy, and sometimes cruel, dog training ideas spread all over the internet? It is even worse when these bad ideas are enforced by sanctioning authorities and committees, such as breeding, competition, evaluation, media, law enforcement, military, or governmental organizations. “Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from […]
Dog Training From Difficult To Easy
Have you ever noticed how professional musicians play in such an effortless way? They can be playing some amazingly complex song while at the same time grooving with the emotions and enjoying it with the audience. That’s the result of a process… It didn’t start out that way. Playing any kind of musical instrument, at […]
Dogs And Dopamine Gimmicks
Ooh… a dog trainer just told you about their dopamine method or tool. Must be some kind of Jedi Master dog training guru stuff, right? Well, for me, it gets a bit tiresome to hear dog trainers toss around the term, “dopamine”, as if they are knowledgeable about brain chemistry, and can then use that […]
Dogs And The Cult Of Positive Reinforcement
Do I think there is anything wrong with using clickers and positive reinforcement? No way. I probably have a clicker in my pocket right now. However, there is a lot more to training a real-world dog than just this. You’ve got to understand dogs. Positive reinforcement is easy to learn. Understanding dogs takes a lifetime, […]
Dogs And Training Guardrails
If you have worked with me, you know I use a light touch on all dogs. I try to be smarter, not harsher. I’ve spent over 25 years coming up with and testing more non-aversive tools than you could probably ever dream up. Yet, as every good highway has guardrails against danger, sometimes you need […]
Dogs, E-Collars And Opponent- Process Theory
Can a dog trainer “addict” a dog to an e-collar, meaning causing a dog to want to repeatedly receive an aversive stimulus (of any kind)? Those making those claims are most likely trying to apply Opponent- Processing Theory, postulated by Solomon and Corbit (1974), which generally makes the following argument: Humans: The first time someone […]
Rescued Dog Training
What is the difference when choosing a training program for a rescued dog versus a dog that you purchased from a breeder? Generally, it is important to start with a conversation with a dog trainer to work up a full background picture of your new dog. A good evaluation provides valuable information that can be […]
Cookbook Dog Training
An alarming trend in the dog training industry is the marketing of these online “become a dog trainer” franchises and systems. The dogs are going to suffer the consequences. They will give you a “cookbook” of how to train dogs. Then offer some kind of “certification” that you are now a good dog trainer. I […]
Games People Play (With Their Dogs)
Play is an essential part of being a dog. No one needs to create a dog that plays. It is already in them. Some dogs don’t play because they weren’t encouraged to do so; are not well; are old and don’t have it in them to engage any more; or they just don’t want to […]
Are Dog Beds Or Crates “Dens”?
Putting a puppy or dog in a crate and “letting them cry it out” is the wrong approach. It is cruel and unnecessary. New dogs are especially vulnerable to bad experiences and imagine the association you are making… you are using the crate as a trap, the dog doesn’t know you, the dog doesn’t know […]