One of the most cited reasons for the use of a shock collar is to get reliable recalls from a dog. It can be very challenging to come up with an alternative for a dog which is as, or more reinforcing, than doing whatever it is the dog is choosing to do rather than return when called. So people quickly choose to use other options ...
When we are living with any dog, but especially a fearful dog, we need to be prepared, at any moment, to reinforce behaviors we like. This is what behavior modification is all about. If you sat two children down, one with a pile of marbles, the other with a bucket of tennis balls and gave each the task to put these objects into a milk ...
Last night when I should have been doing other things or at least heading off to bed I was looking at Facebook. A friend had posted a plea for information about how to get ointment into the eye of her resistant little dog. Almost all of the suggestions included using some form of restraint, including wrapping him in a towel, which would create the level ...
Looking for fish is rewarding to Annie. The fish reinforce this behavior. Dog trainers hear it all the time- pet owners who have 'tried everything' or declare that positive reinforcement training doesn't work because they've tried giving their dog treats and still have not been able to get the behavior they're after. I can say with 100% certainty that if you are among ...
Back in the early 1980's I was intent on finding ways to get university credits without actually sitting in a classroom. I discovered study programs which were taught 'in the field' and awarded credits toward graduation. I spent months hiking in the Sierra Nevada in California, weeks canoeing rivers in Montana and sweating in Death Valley. My biggest regret to date is that I didn't ...
As smart as we humans consider ourselves to be, we can be remarkably short-sighted or inconsiderate of the effects of our beliefs or actions. Antibiotics have saved countless lives and I consider myself among the lucky in history to have lived in an age during which we have access to them. But we have also learned that unless we use them judiciously, the fall out ...
Strolling a beach who can help but be pleased to find a piece of sanded smooth seaglass? Â With the sharp edges worn down to safety they are tiny treasures used to make jewelry. Bathrooms around the world contain baskets of the stuff gathered during vacations and holidays. Even with their shiny surface blurred by abrasion we rarely resist the urge to put a piece in ...
Give me a break. Cut me some slack. We learn from our mistakes. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Four dogs practicing doing something that probably makes no sense to them. Despite the fact that our language is littered with phrases that attempt to make us feel ok about making mistakes, or to request that others ...
This is a post about how to stop a dog’s barking. It’s not about how to eliminate barking in dogs. Let’s be real. Dogs bark and somewhere along the way toward domestication we must have liked that and selected for it. It’s not a dog’s fault that they live in an apartment building or neighborhood where people don’t want to hear a dog bark. Expecting ...
In the contest of who dislikes the thought of putting a muzzle on my dog, I'd come in a close second to the dog who has to wear it. That is unless I think about the alternatives to not wearing one. A muzzle is not an excuse to put a dog into situations in which they're inclined to bite a person or another dog, but ...
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