I am reading an article in Outside magazine “The Metric System”, October 2015 (pg. 50) about exercise gadgets and studies as to why most people abandoned the gadget all together. I won’t spoil it for you, but one of the reasons why this happens according to John Bartholomew, professor of Health Education at the University…
Category: Basic Obedience
Using Food as a Reinforcement, Part 2
One of the most salient mistakes people make when using treats in training besides using treats as bribe or agonizing if to continue using food, as discussed on the last post, is not fading the food lure soon enough so that the dog learns to work for food as a consequence for behavior instead of…
Are we bribing our dogs with food?
I am working with a client and her dog with recall (come when called). My client calls her dog and seconds later produces a treat for the dog. The dog meanwhile remains motionless down the hallway of the home. I tell my client that it’s best not to bribe the dog. She looks at me…
Decide How You Want To Spend Your Time
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….
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…
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…
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…
Dog Training Classes Starting July 2015
We’re excited to inform you that C.H.A.C.O. Dog Training & Behavior Consulting, LLC., which is located in Tesuque – 15 min. North from Santa Fe, NM, has some wonderful upcoming dog training classes starting in July! Here are some of the details for the upcoming classes: Kinder Pup 1: Your puppy’s proper socialization should start pronto!…