In dog training the way you get the behavior you want, really want, is by constantly raising the criteria. This means that you stop rewarding the behavior that is 'almost' what you want and ask for more or better from the dog. When you get it, you reward it. If you want your dog to 'down' you don't settle for one of those lowered, but ...
Of all of the silly things I hear in regard to dog behavior the proclamation that 'dogs live in the moment' perhaps takes the cake. It is usually used to criticize owners for being understanding of their dog's past and that unlike humans, that past doesn't effect them. They are furry zen masters of 'be here now'. The idea that it is the owner's response ...
Scientists who have studied fear in animals have come up with four responses, one or more of which are common, in one form or another, to organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. 1. Withdrawal, avoidance, flee 2. Immobilization, freeze-up 3. Submission, appeasement 4. Aggression When working with our fearful dogs it's important to keep in mind that these responses do not necessarily indicate the 'level' ...
Over the years I have instructed people in a variety of skills. I was a life guard and swim instructor and have taught white water canoeing and how to roll a whitewater kayak. I've introduced people to the joys of cross-country skiing and rock climbing. Several of my young relatives learned to drive a stick shift in my vehicles. The instruction for each of these ...
Years ago a friend decided he was ready to adopt a dog. As a young man he had traveled cross country with his beloved chihuahua and he was hoping to find a small dog to add to his and his children's lives. Small dogs were not easy to find at nearby shelters so he looked online and found what seemed to be a good match, ...
Behavioral medications can help fearful dogs. So why the reluctance on the part of pet owners to use them? I will share what mine was. 1. Medications can have side effects that will affect the health of my dog. 2. Medications are a cop-out. 3. I didn't want to 'medicate' my dog. While there are shy or fearful dogs that can learn new ...
Owners of fearful or shy dogs are often told that they need to build their dog's confidence, but just what does that mean? I start with the definition of 'confidence' which is to my thinking, the ability to reliably predict that your actions will have a successful outcome. A dog's definition of 'success' will affect whether or not something actually helps them feel more confident. ...
Sunny is one of the lucky fearful dogs that landed in his forever home straight out of the rescue after the hoarder that had him and 476 other dogs got busted for operating what was most definitely not an 'animal sanctuary'. It was not the plan and like many other foster caregivers for a fearful dog I could not part with him. Not ...
Studies have shown that thinking and learning can slow or even reverse the effects of aging on the human brain. Learning new skills, like playing the piano or line dancing, doing crossword puzzles or brushing up on quadratic equations, is important for humans at any age. It seems that the axiom, 'use it or lose it' is true for our minds. I thought about this ...
I make no pretenses about it, I am obsessed with my fearful dog Sunny. Not only do I think about him, I am always looking for ways to help him, and other scared dogs. Leafing through an old issue of Newsweek I read a quote attributed to Tibet's Karmapa Lama and of course, thought of scared dogs. "For any living being, when you feel the ...
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