As 2011 draws to a close, I find myself looking back at a great year here at Life As A Human. There were many terrific comments and conversations that have come out of my Canine Nation articles. It’s been my pleasure and privilege share some thoughts with so many of you and to meet you through the comments you have shared here, on our Canine Nation group on Facebook, and through Twitter and emails as well.

Food is something every dog has every day. Unless they are ill, there should be no reason for our dogs to turn down any snacks we offer them. But many dog owners claim their dogs won’t work for them for food treats as a reward. How can this be? Dogs are scavengers by nature. Could it be something we humans are doing that puts them off sometimes?

Some dog trainers use a kind of shorthand when they are describing dogs. Dog trainer Eric Brad thinks that some of those common terms can unfairly shift the responsibility for success or failure off of the trainer and onto the dog.

When training dogs, it’s sometimes helpful to prompt them for the behaviour we are looking for. Trainer Eric Brad cautions that “prompts” can be as much a distraction as a help. Knowing how to “fade” them out of the picture can be just as important in good training.

Dog training can sound almost like a chore that needs to be done. But dog trainer Eric Brad finds it an almost musical experience. Working with your dog in training can be a wonderfully creative experience.

Training, behaviour, and science are important parts of my life with my dogs.  But there are simple, almost poetic moments that I also cherish.  Working, playing, and sometimes quiet moments that help me appreciate the rapport that positive training has given me with my dogs.  It starts even before I open my eyes each day. […]

If our dogs could talk to us for just five minutes, what would they say? I think the answer might be as surprising as it is simple! Decades of misunderstanding might give way to a more open and positive relationship with our dogs if we could change some of our assumptions about our dogs.

Our dogs don’t always do what we ask of them. Sometimes it can seem that they even enjoy being bad. But is this really the case? The science of behaviour, both canine and human, tell a very different story. Chances are your dog isn’t taking any joy in misbehaving after all!