What’s a Functional Assessment in Dog Training? (And Why You Should Care)
A lot of dog training advice you get on the Internet won’t help.
Pretty strange comment coming from a dog blogger who frequently writes about training, right? But even if people recommend a humane, positive reinforcement-based approach, something is missing that can’t be done in a typical ...
Retractable Leashes Are Risky
Judging by the number of people I see walking dogs with retractable leash devices on their dogs it appears the product is popular. They are also unsafe.
As Dr. Karen Becker describes them “A retractable leash is not so much a leash as it is a length of thin cord wound around a spring-loaded ...
The Pet Professional Guild Position Statement on the Use of Shock in Animal Training
It is Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) view that electric shock in the guise of training constitutes a form of abuse towards pets, and, given that there are highly effective, positive training alternatives, should no longer be a part of the current pet industry culture of accepted practices, ...
Encouraging Play and Activity with Newly Blind Dogs
By Debbie Bauer
When a dog loses his or her sense of sight, their whole world changes. There are many things that dogs can do without their sight, but dogs that started out sighted and are now blind are often confused and maybe even fearful when they can no longer see. They can't interact ...
Clicker Training for Cats (5/6)
By Paula Garber and Francine Miller
Introducing Cats to Each Other
In a nutshell, cats should be gradually introduced to each other one sense at a time: first by scent, then by sight, and then physically. Throughout the process, positive associations are built up with the scent, sight, and ...
The Neurological Benefits of Counter Conditioning Leash Reactive Dogs
Creating new and better associations for dogs on leash when exposed to fearful/stressful stimuli is crucial, as it is better for all involved for the dog to be less stressed and less fearful. The goal is potentially a positive association is created, or at least less stress. When this can be ...
A Plug for Play
By Julie Naismith
Just like humans, dogs need play time too. And one of the many beautiful things having dogs has taught me is that you’re never too old to play.
You might be asking: “But, where does play fit into separation anxiety training?”
I am all about fixing separation anxiety ...
Talking to Dogs
A newly published study finds that dogs pay attention to both the way we talk to them and to what we say. Alex Benjamin and Katie Slocombe's ‘Who’s a good boy?!’ Dogs prefer naturalistic dog‑directed speech looked at what they term "dog-directed speech," or DDS, which is similar in tone and ...