Don’t Punish Me!
A Look at Punishment in Dog Training By Brenna Fender Recently, I was at a competitive dog sport event. In the competition, each dog was supposed to retrieve an item and bring it back to his . This was a key component of the activity – repeatedly “fetching” and returning with the item. Except on this day, one dog, a rather sedate fellow of a [...]
Are You Really Performing Classical Counter conditioning?
Understanding Classical Counterconditioning in Dog Training Classical counterconditioning in dog training is often misunderstood. Many training plans described as counterconditioning actually depend on the dog performing a specific behavior before receiving a reward. That makes them operant procedures rather than purely classical ones. The key difference is simple. In operant learning, the dog’s behavior affects what happens next. For example, a dog may look at [...]
Trick or Treat?
Choosing the Right Food Rewards for Your Dog By Brenna Fender If you attend a dog training class, you are likely to be asked to bring treats with you so that you can reward your dog. But how do you pick out the best treats for training? Criteria No matter what kind of treats you purchase or make, they should meet some basic criteria. Training [...]
Things You Don’t Know About Dog Training
By Brenna Fender There are many myths and misconceptions about dog training, some of which are broadcast on TV or written in popular books. Do you know the truth? You don’t need to worry about being alpha. Dogs don’t need to be rolled over on their backs, approached aggressively, or made to wait while their s walk through doors in order for dogs to “know [...]
Using Life Rewards in Dog Training to Build Better Behavior
Using Life Rewards in Dog Training to Build Better Behavior Using life rewards in dog training can help dogs learn manners through the everyday activities they already enjoy. A life reward is anything your dog values naturally, such as going for a walk, hopping into the car, or racing into the backyard. These rewards can work alongside food and toys to make training part of [...]
Teaching Your Dog to Look at the Camera with Positive Training
Teaching Your Dog to Look at the Camera with Positive Training Teaching your dog to look at the camera can make photo sessions easier, more enjoyable, and less stressful. Instead of repeatedly trying to capture your dog’s attention, you can teach camera focus as a positive reinforcement skill. This guide adapts Leslie McDevitt’s Look at That, or LAT, game from the Control Unleashed program to [...]
Trick Training Bloopers: What Mistakes Can Teach Us About Reinforcement
Trick Training Bloopers: What Mistakes Can Teach Us About Reinforcement Dog trick training mistakes can be surprisingly useful because they reveal exactly what a dog has learned along the way. In this article, Eileen Anderson reflects on teaching a paw-crossing trick and shows how small training choices can create unexpected behaviors. One dog learned the skill quickly, while another struggled with the movement. That difference [...]
Lure Coursing Training for Stay, Leave It, and Self-Control
Lure Coursing Training for Stay, Leave It, and Self-Control Lure coursing training for dogs can be much more than a fast-paced chase game. It can also provide a fun way to practice impulse control, strengthen important cues, and help dogs succeed around exciting distractions. Lure coursing uses a moving lure, often a plastic bag, to trigger a dog’s natural desire to chase. Because the activity [...]
Managing a Reactive Dog on Walks with Positive Strategies
Managing a Reactive Dog on Walks with Positive Strategies Managing a reactive dog on walks can feel overwhelming, but thoughtful planning can make outings calmer and more successful. This guide shares practical ways to reduce exposure to triggers while helping your dog feel safer and more confident outside. One effective strategy is choosing quieter times of day. Early mornings, late evenings, or less busy weekday [...]
The future of behavior medication?
A great blog by The Dog Zombie We don’t actually know how behavior medications work. We know how they change the operations of cells — for example, we know facts like “this medication makes cells slower to recycle this particular chemical.” But we don’t have a good idea of how those cellular-level changes result in behavior-level changes. We don’t know how these medications make individuals [...]
My Dogs Don’t Know Sit!
By Eileen Anderson What if your dog’s cue for a behavior is not what you think it is? Can you be sure–absolutely sure–that the dog really understands what you want? That’s another place where punishment based training can really go awry. How often are dogs punished for failing to perform when they just don’t understand? I think it’s much more often than most people realize. My dogs [...]
Understanding Dog Displacement Behaviors and Training Frustration
Understanding Dog Displacement Behaviors and Training Frustration Dog displacement behaviors can appear when a dog feels stressed, uncertain, conflicted, or overwhelmed during training. Behaviors such as sudden sniffing, freezing, looking away, licking, jumping, or leaving the area may provide valuable information about how a dog is coping with the situation. It can be easy to mistake these responses for stubbornness or a lack of attention. [...]
