Normalize GOOD Behavior for Dogs
What is “Normal?” There was a time in our society when most dogs slept outside. These days, that doesn’t seem “normal.” When I was a kid, many, if not most, dogs in the South died of heartworm disease; preventive medication and effective treatments had not yet been developed. That was “normal.” Many dogs still die […]
Road Trips with Dogs
Summer Vacation Road Trip! Road trips with dogs can be delightful if you’re prepared. We drove through several states, sleeping in hotels in some of them, to reach North Carolina where I spoke at a national conference for animal shelters. We had fun, shared behavior science with people who need it, and practiced a variety […]
Dog Senses: The World According to Dogs
Dogs smell things in vibrant detail compared with humans. Humans can smell dinner cooking but dogs can tell exactly what all the ingredients are. What about other dog senses? How do dogs compare with humans? Dog Senses: Auditory and More Let’s start with hearing, and another way animals detect sounds. Dogs hear high-frequency sounds very […]
Your Dog Could be Much Happier
Cassandra Seale consulted me before writing this mic.com article about how your dog could be happier. I provided a few tips about how to set up a dog’s life to ensure he or she gets everything necessary for a happy life. Dogs need food, water, and shelter for survival, but they need a few additional […]
Is Your Dog Happy? Help Your Dog Feel Content and Secure
PLAN AHEAD Is your dog happy? Probably. But you can probably increase his satisfaction with his life. Dogs respond well to being able to predict what’s going to happen next. This starts with you doing things the same way every time. If your dog has a history of trying to blast out the front door […]
How to Use Cues in Dog Training
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 things they want. “When I see my human pick up a leash, I know fun […]
Virtual Dog Training Classes: You’ll love them!
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? Because of safety restrictions during the pandemic, dog trainers had to cancel group classes and […]
Feeding Your Dog: Help him Thrive & Learn
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 he makes. Feeding your dog involves providing an important resource for your dog; one that […]
PLAY WITH YOUR DOG
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 exercises are important, but different. It’s simple to play with your dog, but so important […]
Leash Skills Series #5: Why a Loose Leash?
Are you walking a dog or flying a kite? What guides your dog when the two of you are walking? Is it the leash itself? Or on the other hand, does your dog watch you to see where you go, with a loose leash between you? Some dogs and owners use a tight leash as […]
