Verbal cues have a different meaning to dogs than to humans. Humans tend to think dogs are actually understanding the language, but dogs are simply listening for an indication of what they can do to make things work, to get Read more…
Training Tip: Don’t put dogs in situations they don’t have the tools to handle. Human behavior challenges Why is it usually a bad idea to take a 2-year-old human toddler to a symphony performance? Toddlers don’t have the tools to Read more…
The days of a huge difference between “human foods” and “dog foods” are over. We now understand that our dogs (and cats) are healthiest when they routinely eat high-quality, whole foods like we do. Many high-fat, high-salt foods are not Read more…
Your dog is an individual but he or she learns in the same two ways as any other animal. Dogs learn through association and consequences. Association is how animals learn reflexive, involuntary responses; things they do automatically, without thinking. Emotional Read more…
Why is it so hard to identify a qualified dog trainer? The field of animal training can be confusing. For example, a jumble of letters often follows a dog trainer’s name. Some titles mean little or nothing. Others indicate the Read more…
Skinner on “Behavioral Processes” “You can’t foresee all future circumstances, and you can’t specify adequate future conduct. You don’t know what will be required. Instead you have to set up certain behavioral processes which will lead the individual to design Read more…
Thank goodness for Zoom! Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we entered a world of telecommunication previously familiar only to astronauts, researchers stationed in Antarctica, and characters in science fiction movies. How would we have functioned throughout the pandemic without it? Read more…
What is a “good dog”? People tend to categorize dogs as “good dogs” when they are confident, friendly, and relaxed. Working dogs and performance dogs need these qualities so fear and anxiety don’t distract them from their jobs. People tend Read more…
Controlling resources can help you make household rules clear for your dogs. Control the resources and you don’t have to control the dog. The easiest way to start training is to provide things a dog wants to reinforce the choices Read more…
Life should be fun! Training your dog is more than Sit and Stay. Prepare your dog for the things he’s likely to encounter in his life. Make sure he knows what to do in those situations and his life and Read more…