PPG Publishes Open Letter to Veterinarians on Referrals to Training and Behavior Professionals
Expresses concern that, in an unregulated industry, pet s may be referred to individuals who do not use scientific protocols or adhere to the premise to do no harm, regardless of credentials Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has published an open letter to veterinarians and animal care professionals regarding the practice of referring clients to pet training and behavior consultants. In the letter, PPG expresses its [...]
Cheeseball Recall
By Brenna Fender If you need to work on getting your dog to come when called, here’s a fun game to try! Select an easy-to-eat, fairly dry, easy-to-toss, visible treat. The name of this exercise comes from the use of puffed cheese ball snacks (the kind humans eat!) as treats. Toss the treat a few feet out in front of your dog. Make sure he [...]
Pet Professional Guild Releases Position Statement on Pet Correction Devices
Pet Professional Guild Press Release PPG maintains that the use of the startle response is a “management technique that uses fear as the motivation.” Photo: (c) Can Stock Photo Pet Professional Guild (PPG) has released a new position statement on so-called “pet correction devices” that are used for the management, training and care of pets. PPG does not recommend such devices and the [...]
News Flash: Dogs Remember
Another great post by Pam Hogle on Pet Professional Guild. Science has once again confirmed the obvious: Dogs can remember things. OK, maybe I am being a bit hard on the researchers. They were specifically interested in whether dogs have episodic memory. Well, they call it “episodic-like” memory, since some would argue that only humans can actually have episodic memory. I’ll leave that argument for [...]
Don’t Be Callous: How Punishment Can Go Wrong
by Eileen Anderson I’ve written a lot about making humane choices in training and about the fallout that accompanies aversive methods. But there are other problems with the use of aversives besides the immediate fact of hurting, scaring, or bothering your dog. It turns out that using positive punishment is tricky. In the term positive punishment, positive doesn’t mean “good” or “upbeat.” In learning theory [...]
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?
by Eileen Anderson What do the following training descriptions have in common? "My dog's afraid of strangers. But when she stops barking and makes eye contact with me, I give her a treat." "I hold her foot. Then I give her a treat after I clip each toenail, as long as she stays in place and doesn't pull her foot away." "When we have guests, I [...]
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 [...]
The “Choice” Challenge
Another great blog post on eileenanddogs.com Thanks to Debbie Jacobs and Randi Rossman for their input on this topic. Any weird conclusions are mine alone. I have come to believe that most of us who thought we were using “choice” as a reinforcer were mistaken. Wait! Before you come running after me with pitchforks, let me explain. I’m not saying that choice isn’t a wonderful, enriching, and humane [...]
We are offering Barn Hunt now!
Barn Hunt Course I am super excited to announce that Courteous Canine, Inc. is now offering Barn Hunt. This exciting new sport is for all dogs of all sizes and ages. Check it out Sign up today
Trick Training Bloopers
Another great article by eileenanddogs, I decided a while back to teach my dogs to cross their paws as a trick. I followed the instructions on one of Emily Larlham’s excellent videos: Dog Tricks Tutorial: Cross Your Paws. But I didn’t end up making the neat, quick progression shown in the movie when I tried it with my dog Summer. I think that besides my rather clumsy [...]
