What Do Good Dentists and Good Trainers Have in Common?
by Annie Phenix, CPDT-KA A good dentist makes me feel safe and keeps his word that he will not cause pain -- and that's exactly how a good trainer teaches a dog. Like many of you, I hate going to the dentist. I actually like my current dentist as a person, but I hate what his profession represents to me: pain. His name is Dr. Greg [...]
#PPGSummit 2015: The Future Is Now
by Susan Nilson At times, with all the cruelty and destruction in the world, it can seem disheartening for pet professionals who are trying to make a stand for animals, to be their voice and ensure they get the best care possible and are never subjected to pain and suffering along the way. While there is still great resistance from many quarters regarding the power [...]
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 [...]
There’s Nothing Simple about Dog Play
Here is a fascinating blog by Professional Trainer Pam Hogel hosted by the Pet Professional Guild! New research on play is analyzed and discussed. "Dogs’ play behavior has, over time, been attributed to a variety of factors. It provides puppies practice for adult behaviors. Play with humans is about “dominance.” Play with other dogs is about “dominance” or “status.” It’s a replacement behavior for hunting [...]
Beyond CGC
By Brenna Fender The Canine Good Citizen (CGC) title has been around for many years, but the American Kennel Club has also created additional levels to this very practical title. AKC Community Canine (CGCA) is considered to be the “advanced level” of the CGC, and the AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen (CGCU) “requires that the dog demonstrate CGC skills and beyond in an urban setting,” [...]
Lure Coursing – The Fastest Fun You Can Have with Your Dog
By Brenna Fender Lure coursing was originally a sport just for sight hounds – dogs bred to run extremely fast while chasing a rabbit or other game. Competitors created a motorized line and attached bags to it so that the bags zipped around a course at high speed, inciting their dogs to chase. And for many, many years, only sight hounds got to have this [...]
Natural vs. Contrived Negative Reinforcement
Here is another fantastic blog by Eileen and Dogs. As usual Eileen Anderson does a great job explaining a complicated concept. Natural vs. Contrived Negative Reinforcement Posted on July 30, 2015 by Eileen Anderson I read the following online the other day: People shouldn’t object to the use of negative reinforcement! It’s just stuff like washing my hands when they are dirty or drying them when [...]
The Dog Zombie
Today we are recommending a blog called Dog Zombie which contains fascinating info. Click here to subscribe Happy blog reading!
Do You Want to do More with Your Dog?
Dog s everywhere are taking advantage of a titling organization called Do More with Your Dog (https://domorewithyourdog.com/) to get new ideas for trick training and to get recognition for teaching their dogs new and fun tricks. Dog and teams can earn trick dog titles and get certificates for their achievements. Why should you train your dog to do tricks? Trick training has many advantages for [...]
What is a “Hard Eye” in a Dog? (And What Should You Do When You See One?)
Great article by Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Read it here: https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/what-is-a-hard-eye-in-a-dog-and-what-should-you-do-when-you-see-one#sthash.bdOk5hjN.dpuf
Non-Aggressive Behaviors as a Precursor to Outright Aggression
Non-Aggressive Behaviors as a Precursor to Outright Aggression A great article from Pet Professional Guild. It is free to join as a pet if you want to get these blogs and have access to free member webinars! :)
