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It’s Not Just Behavior Modification

By |2022-03-17T11:50:22-04:00March 24th, 2022|Categories: Behavior Modification, Dog training|

Talking About Training It's not uncommon to hear trainers talking about using behavior modification to train. It's likely due to habit and a lack of familiarity with the progression in the ways we use operant conditioning to teach new skills. Behavior modification refers to some of the early, basic and often unethical practices based on the Law of Effect. This led to simplistic, and sometimes ...

Drive Is A Figure Of Speech

By |2022-01-24T12:45:56-05:00February 27th, 2021|Categories: Behavior Modification, Dog training|

When I think about all the different dog breeds, and the way people talk about them-this breed being more challenging, more driven, more one thing or another compared to others- it's helpful to bring it back to behavior and reinforcement. Different breeds find certain activities or consequences to be more or less reinforcing. When we decide to take on a certain breed, we are, ...

The Concept Dog Trainers Need to Know

By |2022-03-13T23:49:24-04:00July 19th, 2020|Categories: Aggression/Aggressive, Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Training|Tags: , , , , , , , |

In May in Vermont I am presenting two seminars. Understanding fear-based behavior in dogs, is one I am most often invited to present at different venues. It hasn't changed much over the years and that should be attributed to the fact that nothing new about behavior, since I first created the presentation, has changed. The new information we have about brains and neuroscience does not ...

Forget About Stress & Anxiety

By |2022-01-24T12:00:43-05:00September 4th, 2019|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Problem Behavior|

First off, sorry. The title was designed to get your attention. We cannot forget about stress and anxiety but rather than focus on those conditions we assume a dog is experiencing, let's get down to the business of behavior. It has been important that people have been encouraged to learn about behaviors that dogs perform routinely that often go unnoticed, or unconsidered. People like Turid ...

The Changing Role & Responsibility of Rescues & Shelters

By |2022-01-23T12:41:40-05:00March 29th, 2019|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs, Shelters and Rescues|Tags: , , , , , |

There may have been a time when schools only needed to be charged with teaching students reading, writing and arithmetic. But as society changes schools become responsible for instruction that either used to be provided at home, or represents a new field of study. When I was in high school we had a choice of taking home economics or shop. In previous years the option ...

Don’t Become A Victim

By |2022-02-18T21:54:11-05:00March 15th, 2019|Categories: Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , |

For many years I routinely had to take first aid and first responder courses because of the work I was doing. One of the instructions we were given in every course, and had to practice, if only to repeat out loud what we were to do was to 'assess the situation'. One of the goals of this was not just to be able to assist ...

Don’t Use Shock Collars For Sound Phobias

By |2022-01-17T22:35:26-05:00March 1st, 2019|Categories: Aversive Training, Behavior Modification, Dog training|Tags: , , , , , |

Years ago, before the rise in podcasts I was asked to be part of a radio show featuring 3 dogs trainers. The show was being recorded for broadcasting at a later date. As soon as it was over I told the host I did not want to be part of the program. Luckily for me (and potential listeners) there were problems with the recording and ...

The Sound Of Startling

By |2022-01-17T22:21:51-05:00February 26th, 2019|Categories: Dog training|Tags: , , , , |

Sound is often the first indication that there might be something in the environment we need to pay attention to. A rustling in the grass or the snapping of branches may indicate a predator sneaking up on us, or maybe it's something we can pursue as lunch. Either way, sound zips into brains and gets a reaction. The reaction is often a startle, a little ...

Growing Pains in Dog Training

By |2018-08-05T10:38:48-04:00August 5th, 2018|Categories: Alternative treatments for fearful dogs, Dog training, Helping fearful dogs|

I suspect that all industries experience growing pains. It may be that they are a constant in any kind of industry, change for the better always being a shining light on the horizon we should be striving for. Thirteen years ago when I first began my search for information to help my extremely fearful dog Sunny, it wasn't unusual for there to be responses to ...

The 3 Steps To Helping Fearful Dogs

By |2018-05-15T13:10:06-04:00May 15th, 2018|Categories: Dog training, Fostering Dogs, Helping fearful dogs, Medications for fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It has been over a decade since my fearful dog Sunny came to live with us from a rescue camp set up to help care for the animals impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I met him at Camp Katrina where I went to volunteer several weeks after the hurricanes hit. As much as I thought I knew about dogs and dog behavior, training and ...

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