When I was a young child and our family visited a body of water to swim in my parents instituted the the belly button rule. The older, more proficient swimmers could swim out to rafts in the middle of the lake or play in the waves, but the little kids could go no deeper than their belly buttons. If we lost our footing ...
I realize it's a simplistic way of looking at a brain's reward system, and that's because of my limitations, not yours dear readers. But if we can sneak our way into our dog's brain's reward system we can grab a hold as tenacious as any baseball fan's in the stands who manages to snatch a foul ball. It's glaringly obvious that brains have people and ...
People often think of a dog’s behavior in much the same way as they think about a sandwich. It’s usually the meat in the middle that they are most concerned with. But behavior, like a sandwich has more going on than just the filling. What’s around the filling can matter a lot. Imagine going into a deli and ordering ham & cheese on rye and ...
Dogs trainers are veterans when it comes to hearing- "I tried that, it didn't work." This is often spoken by a client or potential client who after finally contacting a rewards based trainer explains why they don't use food rewards. Their immediate assumption is that because they handed a few treats to their dog, and didn't see an immediate change in the dog's behavior, using ...
Professional dog trainers often seem like a touchy bunch. There's little we don't have an opinion on, and a strong one at that. When someone seeks advice on the best way to market themselves as a 'dog trainer' boasting of little experience other than growing up with a dog or training their own family pets, it might be best to either step away or put ...
I have the opportunity to talk to many people about their fearful dogs. One thing almost all of them have in common is that they waited too long to get help for themselves and their dog. I'm not pointing a finger of blame at them, I understand the delay. Most of the dogs we've lived with have been adaptable, resilient and tolerant. Some have been ...
How often do you apologize for your dog's behavior? I am surprised at how often people, pet owners and trainers alike will beg forgiveness for their dog's behavior. We apologize for our dogs when they bark, greet someone enthusiastically or stare at someone's steak and cheese sandwich with unrelenting intensity. I am not taking a stand for allowing rude behaviors in dogs when they are ...
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 ...
It's true, sh*t happens and when it does it's good to know about it. It's like those fast food restaurants with the sign in the bathroom that says 'Please let us know if this restroom does not meet our high standards for cleanliness'. If sh*t happens and you don't know about it, how can you clean it up? In the industry of animal rescue, and ...
Years ago when my husband worked at a Boys & Girls Club he came home one evening and shared his day with me. The adventure of the day occurred when one of the kids attending an after school arts & crafts program became upset and shut herself inside a locker. The little girl, living with her mother and brothers in a hotel room to escape ...
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