Do you ask your dog to do things for you or do you tell them to do them? Trainer Eric Brad believes that how we think about working with our dogs matters. It affects our expectations and can lead to cooperation or conflict. It seems to be an AND/OR proposition.

Is it more ethical or moral to use positive dog training? For Eric Brad, the reasons are less lofty and more practical. And sometimes the simplest reasons can be the most compelling.

Have you heard about positive training but aren’t sure what it is or how to get started? Trainer Eric Brad gives you a road map to success with four great books to get you on your way!

When a dog’s behaviour suddenly changes, a good dog trainer does not turn training techniques and behaviour modification. They turn to their veterinarian. Chances are there is a very real health problem that should be dealt with first.

It would be great if positive training and behavioural science made everything perfect and wonderful with dogs. Most of the time, it does exactly that by providing a way to communicate effectively with our dogs. But sometimes things can break down. Eric Brad shares a story of a frightened dog that needed more than food treats and positive reinforcement.

Coming to Positive Reinforcement training from more traditional methods is called “crossing over.” It’s not easy to cross over from more familiar and socially accepted forms of dog training. There are lots of reasons not to consider it. But many do. In this series, Eric Brad looks at what it takes to “cross over.”

Dog trainers are supposed to be teaching their dogs. Eric Brad has found that there is much that the dog can teach the trainer as well. In this installment, Eric says “Thank You” to his dog Tiramisu for the lessons he has learned. Listening to his dog has made him a better trainer.

Is your dog “dominant” or willing to submit? Could you be living with a dog determined to take over and control your household? Dog Trainer Eric Brad looks as his own dog to see if the “warning signs” described by so many web sites could mean his dog is a tyrant in the making!

For his first column of 2012, Eric Brad challenges his readers to challenge what they think they know about dogs. As the Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “The high-minded man must care more for the truth than for what people believe.” Our best source of information about dogs is the dogs themselves! Perhaps it’s time to ask them and see what they say.