If you own a dog, you have to train it. It’s just common sense. But different people expect different things from their dog. From happy companion to highly skilled sport or working dog, training means different things to different people. Maybe we should take some time to decide why we train before we decide on how we train our dogs!
Canine Nation is a series of essays by Eric Brad CPDT-KA, a certified professional dog trainer. He writes about living with dogs. Canine Nation is about discovering what is TRUE about dogs and discarding centuries of myth and folklore about we train and work with our dogs. It’s about challenging what we think we know and asking the dogs to tell us what’s real. It’s about giving science, scientific method, and collected data more credibility than hearsay, anecdotes, and the authoritative assertions of self-proclaimed “experts” about dogs.
Canine Nation Podcasts are also available HERE!
Watching the Dog
We look at our dogs every day. But I realised that I was usually looking for something in particular. Something to stop, something that they were doing wrong. Then I learned that if you look differently, more attentively, you can see much more. You can actually see who your dog is! It seems the more you look, the more you can see.
Friendly Dogs (The Positive Side of Muzzles)
Most dog owners think their dogs are friendly. Friendly with people and other dogs. But under some circumstances, your dog could be uncomfortable or upset and lash out. There are a lot of things we can do to reduce the chances of our dogs injuring another person or dog. But there is one simple tool that is often overlooked!
Shut Up and Train The Dog
The best explanations in the world are sometimes not enough to help people with their dogs. Even if the full weight of science and evidence is correct, people still have to use that information with their dogs. Sometimes the best thing to do is to show them rather than tell them.
More Ways to Stay Interesting to Your Dog
We’re supposed to be interesting to our dogs. We live with them. But when it comes to training, it can be a challenge to keep them interested and engaged. Here are a few unconventional tips to help you keep your dog eager to learn and play for many years to come!
Stay Interesting to Your Dog
It can be hard to keep our dog’s attention during training. But it can be easier to keep our dog engaged if we plan for shorter sessions, short breaks and letting them know when the training is starting and when it’s done. I’ve learned in my own experience that confusion and ambiguity about what’s happening next can be tiring. Why should it be different for my dogs?
Three Dog Trainers
Imagine being a dog and working with three different dog trainers. Each has their own style and agenda. Imagine that these three trainers could show up at any time and might change places abruptly. Now imagine that all three trainers are YOU and you must juggle your priorities and goals in real time. Amazingly, we do it every single day. Here’s hoping we can all do it well!
2,153 Ways to Teach Your Dog to Sit
There is nothing quite like that feeling when you teach your dog something and they finally “get it!” That is, until you realize that you only THOUGHT they got it. Then you have to go about trying to figure out what they learned instead and then help them unlearn it. There are lots of ways to teach your dog. But only if you are observant enough to see what they are learning!
Dog Collars: The Shock and Prong War – An Opinion
Dog training is evolving rapidly. Some in the dog community feel that we need to actively prohibit the use of training equipment like electronic and prong collars. There are generations of habits and methods built up around these tools. How do we facilitate the transition to new methods without creating new problems? I think it’s a question we should be discussing.
How to Fool a Dog Trainer
I know how to fool a dog trainer. The one I fool the most is me! While it may seem simple, learning to teach a dog with clarity isn’t as easy as it sounds. The road is filled with misconceptions and misperceptions. Hopefully by sharing some of my mistakes, you can avoid making them yourself. Don’t let the dog trainer in you be fooled!
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