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…
This is a really long blog post! Here’s why. The article is not just some fun ideas about introducing dogs. It’s a full self-study lesson in how to do it. Introducing dogs is a big topic, with lots of opportunities Read more…
Playing with you, his owner, is different from any other activity your dog engages in. It’s not like playing with toys by himself or playing with other dogs. It’s not like doing training exercises with you, earning treats – those Read more…