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,…
I am at my client’s and we are talking about how her tiny Chihuahua pup loves chewing on deer antlers – the ones made especially for dogs. “Good, good, I tell her, it is great that Katie enjoys these so much! The point I am trying to make is that giving dogs something to chew…
I am in the kitchen waiting for Deuce and Rio to finish their breakfast; this morning it was served in their bowls. Deuce appears in the kitchen while Rio beelines to Deuce’s dish just in case he has left something behind. Once she realizes there is nothing left, she comes into the kitchen. I give…
One of my colleagues and I are having a conversation about the state of affairs in the world of animal training- specifically, we are talking about dogs. We both have reached the conclusion that hearing about misconstruction, inhumane methods of training in the name of helping animals wears really heavy on us. We agree to…