I am in the midst of making a DVD with fun training games for client’s and their dogs. My dogs and I are training and having fun with all the games featured just before we go on camera. As is customary of our morning routine, I think about practicing with Rio and the game of…
Category: Enrichment
Thank The Dog!
Giving the dogs food-dispensing toys early on these cold mornings is a nice way to get in some needed mental stimulation when no one (okay, I lie… they do) wants to go out and play in the cold. Deuce thinks that every cool toy has his name written on it – actually carved onto it….
Unlabel Me!
I hear the trainer telling attendees about his concept of “Horsenality” on a recent TV program that I am watching. He is referring to “Horsenality” as in the horse having a personality. I get it. Anyone that has spent time with an animal can attest to the fact that they are indeed individuals. However, what…
Go!
Holidays are great opportunities for recharging. Besides perhaps getting more shuteye and visiting with friends, I do like to keep things somewhat routine for the dogs. We might add a new place to visit or just spend more time hanging out. This Thanksgiving weekend I spent the time upping my Frisbee game with them. Playing Frisbee is:…
Praise or Petting?
Have you ever wondered if your dog is truly reinforced by your petting? Do you think that your dog would find your petting to be more reinforcing than that of a stranger? And what about praise? Is it a relevant and sought-after reinforcer for dogs? The answers may surprise you… In a recent study conducted by…
Building Confidence – What does it mean?
Recently I was talking to the participants of my Agility class about the benefits of engaging their dogs in novel experiences as a way to build up their confidence. But what exactly does that mean? So here is how I think of building confidence in our dogs. The goal of any confidence boosting exercise is…
Brambell’s Five Freedoms
I am reading a trade journal where I am learning about Brambell’s Five Freedoms, which was a program that originated in Great Britain to ascertain the welfare of livestock raised in factory farms. Later on, the British government established the Farm Animal Welfare Council in efforts to define the “freedoms”. The freedoms addressed are: Freedom…
More Testimonials
By attending “C.H.A.C.O Dog Training & Behavior Consulting LLC” classes we learned a lot and so did our standard poodle Dash. Almudena has a first-class facility with a large field for classes, within a larger securely fenced area that readily adapts to the wide range of activities she incorporates in her teaching. She is a…
New Classes Starting in January 2014!
C.H.A.C.O. Dog Training & Behavior Consulting, LLC is happy to inform you that we have some brand new classes coming up in January of 2014. Here are the links to these classes: Agility from the Ground Up Mini-Course 1 (AG1) Agility from the Ground Up Mini-Course 2 (AG2) Kinder Pup 1 (ongoing) Kinder Pup 2
Agility From The Ground Up
Some of my clients have asked me if I would consider teaching an agility class. And the answer is yes and no. No, I am not interested in teaching an agility class where dogs are coaxed to jump up on the equipment when they lack the confidence and training to do so, where the goal…