I am working with a client who has three large dogs. We are practicing waiting at the door. He tells me that his newest addition to the family has escaped twice from the front yard. One of those times it was when he was taking the three dogs on leash to get in the car….
Author: Almudena Ortiz Cue
Work Your Plan at the Front Door
This is the second installment of front door chaos or lack of it – hopefully. The following advice is for people whose dogs tend to get over excited when someone comes to their home because they love interacting with people and not because they are concerned about who is in their home or dogs that…
The Importance of Management
Part of being a responsible pet parent implies that we manage our pups to keep them out of trouble. Trouble could mean a dog running amok into traffic via the front door, a fearful dog finding himself too close to a “scary” stimulus, dogs chasing the family cat and, yes, destroying our precious property. Management…
Anti-pull gear
As a continuation from last week’s post I want to review some of the most popular gear to help minimize (or not) dog-pulling on leash. When deciding what kind of equipment to use, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. 1. Efficacy of the equipment 2. Comfort level for the dog 3. Ability of the person(s)…
Stop Choking the Dog!
I am sitting at a local restaurant just watching the world go by as we wait for the food to arrive. I spot an older man with a youngish Golden Retriever. It appears they are both going for a walk. The dog is in close proximity of the owner and occasionally moves away from the…
Arousal
Have you ever seen a dog with “raised-hackles”? I bet you have. The technical term is piloerection and it means just that – the hair standing up. What you probably don’t know is that piloerection is NOT aggression, as many folks believe. It is actually arousal. The best way for me to describe arousal is…
Some Thoughts on Training with Positive Reinforcement
In a world full of buzz-words and marketing messages, it sure pays off to put on the breaks every now and then to reassess what we mean behind marketing messages such as training with “positive” techniques and even our own philosophies. The term “positive reinforcement” is one of those terms that needs clarification. In essence,…
Give them what they want
I am taking one of our usual hikes with Deuce and Rio with a friend who is visiting from out of town. It is normally John who takes this walk with them, but it is my turn to walk them with him being away. We exit our property and before I have time to think…
When to Intervene?
For some unknown reason Deuce’s guarding of certain objects, such as his precious ball, has gone up in frequency. I noticed just the other night that he began to vocalize in his typical high-pitched tone when he was lying on the couch next to me as Rio was cruising by. For the most part when…
Owner Resource Guarding
This morning I am hanging out with the dogs. Deuce comes over to me and wants my attention. I began by gently stroking his ears, which he enjoys. Rio, whom is close by, pushes her body onto Deuce hoping to stop my interaction with him and getting some of the affection. Deuce turns towards her…