This week, Finn found his teeth. That means we’ve been doing some work on settle and impulse control. I am also continuing to work on socialization, loose leash walking and handling. In my posts I focus on the training we are doing as well as the issues he’s having and how I’ve been addressing them.… Continue reading Journey of Finn – Are You a Puppy or a Piranha?
(I am taking a break this month from talking about getting a new dog. Instead, I’m going to use this time to talk about my personal journey with my dog, Darwin, in the hopes that it will be beneficial to others as well.) I’ve been working hard on embracing failure lately for a number of… Continue reading The Evolution of Darwin
Last month, I talked about choosing the right breed in part 1 of my series on “Starting off on the Right Paw”. This month I will talk about finding a good breeder. If you choose to get a purebred puppy, finding a responsible and knowledgeable breeder is key to bringing home a puppy that will… Continue reading Starting off on the Right Paw – Part 2: Choosing a good breeder
It’s been awhile since I posted Episode 1 in this series. I thought this time I’d focus on interactions between dogs and kids. Test Yourself Rate the scenarios below as red light (need to intervene right away), yellow light (might be okay, should be ready to quickly intervene if needed) and green light (totally fine… Continue reading Reading Your Dog – Episode 2
One of the most common complaints I get from clients is that their dog is constantly pestering them for attention. Picture the scene – you come home from a long day of work and sit down on the couch to relax. Except that you can’t relax because your dog won’t stop pawing at you, whining,… Continue reading How to Manage Your Dog’s Indoor Energy Level
Have you ever considered using an electronic collar (aka e-collar or shock collar) to train your dog? Perhaps you advocate against their use or feel they can be helpful in certain situations. The use of e-collars (one form of positive punishment) in dog training has been hotly debated for the last several decades. One school of trainers… Continue reading Do e-collars speed learning in dogs?
Would you like to improve your understanding of your dogs’ behavior? What about the behavior of your family, friends and co-workers? If you really want to understand behavior (and training) then it is absolutely critical that you understand the basics of learning. You have probably heard the terms “punishment” and “reinforcement” many times, both in… Continue reading A Brief Primer on Punishment and Reinforcement
If you’re like me, you drink up as much quality programming on dog behavior as you can find. I recently learned of a new show in the UK called “Dogs: Their Secret Lives”. The show is hosted by Mark Evans who used to be the chief veterinary advisor for the RSPCA. The show also features… Continue reading Review: Dogs: Their Secret Lives (TV series)
What does it take to make your dog happy? For one thing, lots of free treats, right? Maybe not. A recent study by Swedish researchers looked at how dogs react to getting “free”, unpredictable rewards versus working to earn predictable rewards. The Study The researchers trained beagles in the experimental group to use three distinct… Continue reading How do we make our dogs happy?
How many times have you looked at your dog and wondered what’s going on in her head? My husband frequently asks me if I think our dog is happy. This can sometimes be a difficult question to answer, but training yourself to read subtle signs in your dog can go a long way toward understanding… Continue reading Reading Your Dog – Episode 1
