Parkour for Puppies!
“…what you won’t see is a lot of sophisticated training, cues, stimulus control, or anything other than the two of us playing with stuff, and Vidar getting treats for being a brave boy and trying new things.”
Training
Protected Contact: Not Just For Zoo Animals!
I want to talk for a moment about the concept of protected contact. Typically protected contact in animal care and training is defined as the trainer and the animal not inhabiting the same unrestricted space. There is typically a barrier of some type, but the animal is free to move away from the training space …
The Lemonade Conference 2020
I’ve been holding off on writing a post about attending the Lemonade Conference, which was an (incredible!) online conference, a cooperative effort of IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants) and FDSA (Fenzi Dog Sports Academy). I know it’s a trite thing to say, but this conference offered something for everyone. Presentations for trainers, dog …
Grooming Tips for Dogs Who’d Rather Be Dirty!
I’m sure every has seen the woman on social media who has wrapped her head in plastic wrap and put peanut butter on the wrap to occupy her dog while she cuts the dogs nails. This is NOT what I am recommending here! I can think of a number of reasons why I don’t recommend …
The Merlin Chronicles: Clicker Expo 2018 Edition
When I first got Merlin, as a young pup, I took him with me to Clicker Expo 2011, in Chicago. He was a difficult dog even then. I tried to take him to a lab, and he barked so much that we were asked to leave. He barked so much, that I ended up crating …
The Merlin Chronicles: Clicker Expo 2018 Edition Read More »
Merlin Chronicles Part 2
Merlin and I went to our second Obedience class on Feb 5th. He and I both performed much better. I went in with a plan, there were only two of us in class, and Merlin was more comfortable in the space, since he’d been there before. Our training together has been much better. Again, this …
Beginning Dog Training: Merlin Chronicles
I’m calling this Beginning Dog Training, because every time we start to train our dogs, we’re beginning dog training. I don’t care how advanced my training skills may or may not be, or how advanced my dog’s skill set may or may not be, every single training session is a new beginning. So get into …
Why Your Dog Trainer Doesn’t Answer the Phone
Why don’t I answer the phone? Everyone wants to have a phone consultation before they set an appointment. I can understand this, I also like to know what I’m getting into before I commit to something that will cost money and involve interaction with my family. I’ve seen the pamphlets on “How to Choose a …
Does Your Dog Guard Resources?
It occurred to me today while working with a client’s dog that many dog owners really don’t know if their dog guards resources or not. So many people never give their dog anything that is truly considered high value by the dog, that sometimes we find out the hard way that the dog will guard …
Your Dog May Be An Introvert If…
I’ve seen a lot of “personality tests” and articles titled “You May Be An Introvert If…” on the web recently. Sometimes they’re just silly, sometimes they’re based on actual tools used to define personality types, like the Myers Briggs inventory. No matter what the origin, people have been taking them, and talking about them, and …