Previously I wrote about ways by which we could ascertain if a behavior modification plan is actually working in changing the targeted behavior. Today, I’d like to expand on another reliable way of knowing whether success has been reached or even if we are on the right track. I recently met with a couple that…
John and I are spending some time cleaning the leaves from the outside plants that are now living in our living room for the colder months. I take a cloth with some water and I wipe off some white residue that stubbornly returns to the leaves even after we have sprayed them with some benign…
The dogs and I are playing outside with the beloved “orange ball”. Deuce is running to get the ball while Rio is tugging with gusto with me. I see Deuce running past me holding the big ball tightly in his mouth. He is dashing towards the house literally ignoring me as I call him to…
As promised, the conversation as to if punishment works continues. Before I dive into the explanation and exploration of this topic, I want to make my position clear: I DO NOT ENCOURAGE OWNERS TO PUNISH THEIR DOGS. INSTEAD, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LEARN HOW TO USE EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE METHODS TO GET TO THE SAME…
There is a lot of confusion about the definition of punishment as the term has a different connotation in everyday parlance and the behavioral sciences. The behavioral sciences define punishment as the presentation of an aversive. An aversive, just to refresh some folks’ memory, is the presentation of anything an animal wants to avoid. As…
I am meeting with first-time clients regarding inter-dog aggression. This is one of those instances where I brace myself for potentially delivering news that the owners most likely do not want to hear. As I read through their questionnaire, I realized that their situation is not an easy one and that a good outcome where…
We constantly want our dogs to do stuff for us. And that is not really a problem. One could argue that any relationship is to a greater extent built on what the individuals in the relationship do for one another. While, of course, our relationship with our dog(s) is precious, I am not saying that…
A client of mine tells me that her little dog did not want to go for a walk last week. She cannot understand why her dog refuses to walk on a lead and basically popped her bottom on the ground in protest. I am not very familiar with this dog as I have only seen…
Listen to this recording of an interview that was conducted by Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion) who is the director of “Puppy Culture: The Powerful First Twelve Weeks That Can Shape Your Puppies’ Future” for WKSQD’s “Katz on Dogs” show. https://www.puppyculturestories.com/read/interview-with-jane-the-coming-out-of-covid-puppies It’s quite interesting. Enjoy.
We can all agree that taking a walk or a stroll with our dog is one of the healthiest ways of spending some quality time with our four-legged friend. Not only do walks increase our health by keeping us on the move but, it can also have a very positive impact on managing stress. I,…