Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started Training Dogs – Gus, the Dominance Myth, An Alpha Roll, and a Damaged Relationship
By Don Hanson In a recent interview, I was asked a series of questions about how to choose a dog trainer. One of the questions was “What would you like to have known when you started training dogs?” In the spring of 1991, I had a new 12-week old Cairn Terrier puppy named Gus. I had no knowledge of dog training, but a desire to learn. I started to learn by reading two of the most popular dog training books at the time; How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend and Mother Knows… Continued
The ‘Quick Fix’ – Not So Quick After All
In today’s society, it seems everything has to happen ‘now.’ Results are expected instantaneously and I think, sadly, this notion has to a certain extent worked it’s way into how we think, feel, and live our lives with our dogs too. Time is precious, and we haven’t always got space for ‘issues’ our dogs may throw at us or, if we have, there must be some quick solution. I am very fortunate in that the majority of dog owners I work with, truly understand that to achieve the results you… Continued
Teach Your Dog to Cooperate with Grooming and Vet Visits
By Debbie Bauer Brushing, combing, cutting toenails, being held for vet examinations and treatment – these things are a part of life for our dogs. These aren’t events that will happen once and never again. Instead, these are lifelong skills that our dogs will need to learn to deal with as ongoing events in their lives. Yet these are also things that some dogs get very stressed about. The good news is that we can teach our dogs to think more positively about all of these activities, and we can… Continued
The Last Trip To the Vet: What If Your Pet’s Last Breath Is on the Operating Table?
Alex in the foreground, with Rusty and Andrew behind him—photo from 1993. Yes, they are in a bathtub. Many years ago I lost Alexander, my dear, dear cat to stomach cancer. This was before veterinary medicine had the technology that’s available today. It was also before I took as proactive an approach to my animals’ health and welfare needs as I do now. I knew nothing about training or socialization. My cats were not crate- or carrier-trained. I didn’t know to use counterconditioning, desensitization, and habituation to teach them that… Continued
Beating the Winter Blues
This winter has been very challenging, especially for those of us living in the northern half of the United States. Winter has behaved like a house guest who does not know when it is time to leave. As I type this and look outside I still see thick snow and packed ice, with temperatures about 30 degrees below average. It is enough to give some folks cabin fever, and it is hard on pets too. About seven weeks ago a heavy ice storm covered my property, followed by repeated heavy… Continued
March 13, 2019: Shock-Free Coalition Launches Survey on Use of Shock Collars in Dog Training
The study will help the researchers understand various aspects of the use of electronic collars on canines and is being conducted primarily by the Shock-Free Coalition and Dr. Nathaniel J. Hall from the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will provide important data for the Shock-Free Coalition. It is available until April 2, 2019 and is pertinent to anyone who shares, or has shared, their life with pet dogs, who works with dogs, or who has any other interest… Continued
Skipping Reinforcements? Rethink That
By Yvette Van Veen We’ve all heard it. “When do the rewards stop?” The knee jerk reaction by many, especially on social media is to cave, to placate, to give the client at least some of what. ” Variable reinforcement, skip rewards. It will actually make the behaviour stronger!” Not….so….fast. Skipping reinforcements (rewards) does make a behaviour more resistant to extinction. Think of constant pay as a soda pop machine. Put in coin. Get a soda. Broken machine? You walk off pretty fast. You’re unlikely to put in another coin, at… Continued
What Makes a Pet Fence Humane?
By Jennifer Smith of EasyPetFence.com, a PPG corporate partner Dog trainers, animal shelters and pet owners alike choose to fence-in yards for several reasons. For one, pet fencing allows dogs and cats to exercise; play; and socialize with other animals. Fencing is convenient for pet owners that may not have nearby dog parks to visit, or much time to take their dogs on adventure hikes or lengthy jogs. And, pet fencing keeps domestic animals secure and protected against potential wildlife attacks. While there are many types of pet fence on the… Continued
BARKS Podcast with DogBiz founders Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas: March 5, 2019
Guests: dogbiz founders Veronica Boutelle and Gina Phairas Topic: Is It Your Time to Go Full Time? A lively, informative discussion on starting a dog training business— the start up process, what it takes to be your own boss and make it as a dog trainer, avoiding common mistakes and sidestepping common misconceptions, and ethical entrepreneurship in an unregulated industry. If you’re dreaming about making your living as a full-time dog trainer, be sure to tune in for this inspirational podcast! Register here to listen to the recorded Podcast
Portland Blog Competition: Changing a Dog’s View of the World
By Kathleen Godfrey As a trainer, my goal is to help to help both dogs and their guardians have the best possible life together. New client Angie heard about me through a friend I’d helped the friend work with a rather “wild” foster dog (he was truly a good dog, he just had no idea what behavior was expected of him and so we had to teach him). The dog did a 180 degree turn and is now happy with his forever family. But back to Angie and her dog,… Continued
Giving Dogs Choices
By Stephanie Peters Many of the parents who invite me into their homes are swimming in a sea of misinformation, just trying to stay above water. They may have been told, or read on the internet, erroneously of course, that when their dog mouths or jumps on or steals food from their children, he is trying to “dominate” them. They may even have been told, again erroneously, that the dog must view children as superiors, not subordinates, and that the parents have caused the disruption in the hierarchy by not being a… Continued
Feline Behavior Unmasked: Wakefulness, Whisker Fatigue, and Water
By Paula Garber and Tabitha Kucera Cats’ whiskers are very sensitive because they are filled with sensory collecting nerves that collect information about objects, vibrations, and wind currents around the cat. Whisker fatigue commonly occurs when a cat’s whiskers are regularly being squished and brushed up against food and water bowls…when choosing a place for water bowls, many cats do not like them placed right next to their food. In the wild, cats go out of their way to keep their food and water sources separate to avoid having the food contaminate… Continued
The Journey of a Crossover Trainer
By Nichola Marshall My dogs are livestock guardian dogs and some people will tell you that they cannot be trained to be “obedient.” My old girl was trained “old school.” She is a very good girl and now I understand why – she has been conditioned to avoid an aversive (leash check) by responding to a verbal cue…It seems so obvious now, but mentally it was a total paradigm shift for me to reward behavior rather than “obedience.” Feed my dog just to make her happy? Yes. Without her having actually… Continued
Canine Aggression: The Public Perception
By Hannah Blumenfeld I have spent a lot of time watching how people interact with dogs they don’t know. A handsome boxer was tied up outside a shop, and a woman went right up to him, got in his face, like mere inches away, and told him what a good dog he was. The dog tolerated it. He kept peering past her, toward the shop his person was in. He was pointedly ignoring the woman, but she didn’t notice. A friend of mine was visiting an apartment where I was… Continued
Putting the Social in Socialization
By Anna Bradley The goal of puppy socialization is to “convince the amygdala, that part of the puppy’s brain that reacts emotionally to his world that, in general, the best/most appropriate emotional responses are calm, relaxed and happy.” (Miller, 2014). Scott and Fuller (1965, cited by Overall (2013)) identified four main stages in a puppy’s development:• Neonatal• Transitional• Socialization• JuvenileOf most significance in terms of behavioral development is this socialization period. Read article
Helping Owners, Helping Dogs
By Veronica Sanchez How many times have you nearly walked right into a tree while training a dog? Multitasking is hard even when you do not have a limitation. Keep in mind that for someone with a mobility impairment, simply walking can require more of their attention. Holding a leash, using a clicker and rewarding the dog while walking is a learned skill that requires quite a bit of multitasking and coordination. Asking clients to put these skills together too quickly can make it more likely that the client trips… Continued
Lessons from Bogie
By Shannon Finch Later, my client told me what had happened that weekend. They had had guests, and Bogie had been whining and crying in his crate, so her husband used a shock collar to keep him quiet. Things suddenly became very clear. I now understood why Bogie’s progress was so sporadic. My client used positive reinforcement, but her husband was using fear, pain and punishment, and had been all along. It had escalated to Bogie being shocked in a crate, with no way for him to escape…My heart still hurts… Continued
February 28, 2019: Alberta Veterinarians Vote to Ban Unnecessary Surgical Procedures
Members of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) have voted to ban all unnecessary surgeries on pets, including declawing, ear cropping, and tail docking. The Association is working to have the new policy in place by spring. Dr. Darrell Dalton, registrar with the ABVMA, said there is “no scientific justification for cosmetic surgeries” and that they are “medically unnecessary,” “cause unnecessary pain to the animal,” and are “inhumane.” Read article
Create Sensory Spaces for Dogs
An article from Australian Dog Lover on how to create a “sensory garden” for dogs was a nice escape from the cold of a Montana winter. It’s filled with great tips for creating mental stimulation for dogs that you can adapt to any space. The author describes watching how her dog used their outdoor space, and then designing around that dog’s preferences. But for those creating a sensory space for, say, a doggy day care or a training space or a dog park, it’s possible to generalize. It’s feasible to include… Continued
February 27, 2019: California Assemblymaker Introduces Bill to Ban Declawing in Cats
California Assemblymaker Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) has introduced a bill seeking to ban the declawing procedure in cats. “Declawed cats can suffer long-term physical complications as a result of declawing,” said Quirk. Many veterinarians say the practice is barbaric, causes unneeded pain and suffering, and leads to unexpected complications. It is already banned in 20 countries worldwide. Quirk has also introduced a bill seeking to give judges more direction about how to handle pet custody disputes in divorce proceedings and consider an animal’s interests in divorce proceedings and allow joint ownership of a companion animal.… Continued
‘Spring Clean’ Your Relationship!
Spring’s here (almost), the weather’s improving, the mud’s drying, the morning’s are getting lighter and the day’s longer and you just feel better. So why not use this time to think about how you and your dog work together? It’s a great time for positive change! NEW WALKS It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, we all live busy lives and time is always of short supply. Dogs love to use their extra special senses to good advantage, so think about where’s local that you haven’t explored yet… Continued
Februrary 22, 2019: BC SPCA Urges Dog Owners Not to Use Shock Collars
The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA) in Canada is urging dog owners to refrain from using electric shock collars as a training tool for their pets, stating that pet owners are often unaware of the harm the devices can cause. Says Dr. Karen van Haaften of the BCSPCA: “[Shock collars] cause pain and signs of fear in dogs, and long term they’re actually associated with poor behaviour outcomes, including increased rates of aggression, increased fear and anxiety-related behaviours.” Read article
February 21, 2019: Study Indicates Fewer Flies Land on Horses Wearing Striped Coats
The function of zebra stripes has been a “source of scientific interest for over 150 years” and there is now there is an “emerging consensus among biologists that the primary function of contrasting black and white stripes on the three species of zebras is to thwart attack from tabanids” (aka horse flies). A new study examines the behaviour of tabanids around horses wearing differently coloured cloth coats and reports on the duration of time that tabanids spend on equids with different coloured pelage, and concludes that “that, up close, striped surfaces prevented… Continued
Portland Blog Competition: Conflict vs. Cooperation
By Marie Selarque At the time of writing, Bix was almost 8 months old and was staying with me for board and train. The focus of his training was jumping and biting, but the truth is, he taught me as much as I taught him. Silly me though, I did not initially get quite enough information about his undesirable behaviors and was caught by surprise in the middle of the first night of his stay when he had vomited and I got up to clean it. I saw his “worried”… Continued
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