Dogs Just Want to Have Fun!
Some behaviors you can train your dog can be inherantly rewarding. I recently trained my dog, Loker, to go through my legs. He picked it up very quickly because he enjoyed it once he learned how. I know he enjoys it because he does it without hesitation repeatedly. Check out this video of our last…
I Messed Up!
Another frustration I’ve experienced is effectively defending the methods I’ve now chosen to stick with. This post is going to show one of my flaws in the hopes that it will help others learn along with me. People I come across today do not know my story, my struggles, my history, or my character. Some…
It’s In The Details: Lumping
Once you get used to the clicker, you are most likely going to fall in love and use it to teach your dog many different tasks. Currently, I’m trying to find out if it’s possible to teach my Corgi a tucked sit. A tucked sit is when the back end is brought up under the…
Why Do Dogs Bark?
I often hear the question, “how do I get him to stop barking?” But the first step to solving this issue is to figure out why the dog is barking. Dogs bark for many different reasons so it’s hardly a simple answer. Before we can go over the solution, I usually ask the following questions:…
Get Those Pockets Dirty and Ditch the Pouch!
Positive reinforcement based training relies heavily on using treats during training. Technically, if you use a pouch you should always have it on you so that your dogs just sees it as a part of you. This prevents the dog from working just for the treats and helps avoid bribery. However, I am very guilty…
Medical Problems Behind Unusual Aggression
I was reading the Association of Pet Dog Trainer’s magazine when I came across a case study of aggression by Michael Shikashio, CDBC. Long story short, this Great Dane/Lab mix bit two people pretty severely and was reactive on leash. The dog wore a prong collar while out on walks, but the dog had also…
MY Graduation!
After a long 4 years, I am really proud to announce that I’ve just graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. It’s been a lot of work and many days of studying instead of playing with my dogs or going out with friends, but I know it’s all been worth it! Here’s a list…
Reactive Dogs Will Take Themselves Over Threshold
Unfortunately, reactive dogs will take themselves over threshold if you aren’t careful. This usually occurs because it is what the brain has been trained to do if the dog is allowed to continue to practice this behavior for a long period of time. It is also because the brain becomes addicted to the adrenaline hormones…