Simply wanting your dog to respond differently to sights and sounds is not enough. In the last Blog, I talked about having a plan, going slow and being in a good emotional place yourself. Please keep in mind, when your dog becomes afraid or anxious his emotional state is responding to one or more triggers […]
Changing Your Dogs Emotional Response Read More »
When changing your dogs behavior or habits it is best to go slow and keep it simple. Changing habits takes time and while the process may seem overwhelming at times, remember small successes are a big deal! Steps to changing your dogs behavior: 1. Make a plan, put it in writing, including specific detailed goals
Canine aggression will always be an interesting topic discussed among dog lovers. We know conflicts are normal and it is our job as humans to teach young children how to cope or resolve conflicts with other children and adults. We humans are taught to resolve conflict by using our words at a young age, often
Aggression in Dogs Read More »
Control Unleashed Class was designed by Leslie McDevitt as a way of helping her own dog cope with the intense distractions at agility events. Not an easy task for a dog who was worried about strange dogs near and also afraid of noises. The concept of CU is to create a focused and more confident
Control Unleashed Class Read More »
Many people are conditioned to put dog food in a bowl, ask for a sit and put the bowl down, end of story. But we know that dogs learn through repetition just like humans do, so why not use feeding to teach an automatic behavior? I believe we can truly prevent many unwanted behaviors by
How Best to Feed Your New Pup Read More »
I often visit families with a puppy that is biting much too hard. Puppies use their mouths to play, explore, taste and chew, so it is important that we teach them to use a soft mouth when they touch our human skin. Giving your puppy feedback is essential, so tell your puppy when it hurts,
Truman snuggling with Annie As many of you know, I am fostering this male 2 year old red bone hound mix named Truman. He is a sweet shy boy and has joined my family of 5 and 3 dogs extremely well! Truman loves to be with me and does follow me around. He is crate
I often hear “my dog is stubborn” keep in mind that dogs have both positive and negative reinforcers not only from the environment but sometimes from you! Reinforcers are consequences that increase the likely hood the behavior will occur again. I focus on Positive Reinforcers which is adding something that the dog likes, such as
Does What I Do Affect Me? Read More »
Have you ever thought about how your dog has 2 trainers in most situations? It is true, both you and the environment are influencing your dogs behavior. Any stimuli in the environment (sounds, smells, people, dogs, objects, etc.) can effect your dogs behavior. Relaxed, Positive Energy Knowing how to use Classical and Operant Conditioning methods
Who is Training Who? Read More »
I am not sure who first came up with the phrase “treat and retreat”, Ian Dunbar or possibly Suzanne Clothier but this concept really works! If you are ever in a situation where you are face to face with a growly dog, it is wise not to try to dominate this kind of canine. As
