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,…
Tools such as a Flexi leash are supposed to help us accomplish something either in an easier or more efficient way. The Flexi leash has been around for a while and I would argue that its use is quite popular. Most folks that use a Flexi leash to walk their dog might do it for…
I am heading towards our front gate to retrieve a package. And I am also waiting with Deuce and Rio for a friend of mine that is bringing her dog over to play. She shows up a bit earlier and spots the package. With the front gate now wide-open she retrieves the package. I guess…
For some dogs impulse control at the front door is literally mission impossible. Rio is one of those dogs! Her impulse control in other circumstances such as waiting to be released to go after a toy is superb. The reason behind the lack of impulse control at the front door could be for a myriad…
Here is a not-so-trivia question for you…. Of all the things that your young puppy needs to learn pronto is… 1. To interact with friendly adult dogs. 2. To avoid eating foods that can make him sick. 3. To control the pressure of his bite on human skin. If you checked number #3 you deserve…
I am working with some clients and their dog in teaching the dog not to pull on leash. They had come to me after a frustrating full-time pulling outing with their dog. I take the dog’s leash from my client’s hand and we take off walking, the dog was barely pulling and very interested in…
If you just got a new puppy a congratulations is in order. Now that you have your puppy at home, you will have to have all sorts of protocols in place so that your puppy can thrive and you can get some sleep while your home remains undisturbed. Puppy-hood can be a real challenge for…
We recently decided to head out early for our regular hike with the dogs. As we are heading outside our property, we hear a pack of coyotes that have taken “residence” not too far from us. It is hard to know exactly where they are because the canyons around us make the sound bounce. John…
Can we teach our dogs a behavior or behaviors that are so ingrained that the dog will perform with 100 % accuracy? This is what everyone apparently wants, but where do we fall short? I am talking to one of my clients about this proposition. We are discussing recall and the ability of a dog…
This is indeed an interesting question. By adding I mean presenting a reinforcer as a consequence for behavior. By subtracting I mean removing a reinforcer as a consequence for behavior. In my view, the answer is that both modalities are of use when teaching our dogs. But today, I want to concentrate on adding a…