Between all of the criteria and learning theory and Operant Conditioning and Clickers and reinforcement rates, do science-based trainers have enough time to actually love their dogs too? The answer is probably more and less complicated that you might think. Science can be far from cold. It has sparked great passions in humans for hundreds of years.

There are people watchers and there are dog watchers.  I am decidedly a dog watcher.  It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing, if a dog should wander into my field of vision, I will always take a few moments to admire what we frequently call “man’s best friend.”  I am, of course, […]

Whose dog training methodology do you follow? Are you a “Pack Leader”? A “Clicker Trainer”? Or one of a dozen other “tribes” in dog training? Our best source of information about dogs and training is – our dog. Maybe we should learn about them and what they respond to best instead of following the popular trends.

While the religions and philosophies of the Far East do not teach dog training specifically, there may be much wisdom to be found there for dog trainers. Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to master. A clear mind and clear intentions can help.

Dogs do things we would prefer they didn’t. That’s just a fact of life. But rather than say “NO!”, we could just interrupt them and show them something else to do. It’s like saying “excuse me”, except for dogs!

Training our dogs is important. But maybe more important is how we manage them. Sometimes management is needed while we train and other management is a lifelong project. But it’s all to make our dogs, and ourselves, successful.

While debates rage on whether or not using positive training with your dog is a good idea or not, those of us who use it every day are enjoying what it brings to our lives. Dog training is not all about serious obedience and performance, after all!

People think of small dogs as cute and cuddly and adorable. Also badly behaved, yappy, and ill-mannered. Why do we have such contradictory opinions of small dogs? If we look beyond the dog, we may find the answers with the owner!

We have all seen those marvelous, wonderful dogs at the movies or in books. The ones who are the heroes. The ones who always obey their owners. The ones who are never the “bad dog.” We all sometimes wish we had THAT dog. The truth is, we probably do. We just have to see their potential and work with them a little each day.

Keeping our dog interested in training can mean offering up some interesting rewards for their good behaviours. But what if those rewards are so distracting that your dog isn’t really learning much? Balancing your dogs motivation and distraction can be the key to helping them learn effectively.