Each reinforcement builds our behavior bank, and asking for that behavior under various circumstances can either add to our bank, or deplete it. If my dog gets in the car to go for a hike each day, they will begin to learn the car predicts a hike and so have a positive association with the car. If I take them to the vet instead, the residual negative association with the car will likely be much stronger, and so take many many more days of associating the car with a hike to undo.
Read MoreIf you haven’t noticed, I have a few dogs…3 to be exact, and at some point there will likely be a fourth. But what I pride myself on, is that when you come to my house it doesn’t FEEL like a lot of dogs. There isn’t barking, lunging, snarling, snapping, chasing, stealing, mayhem, even for the non-dog lover. That’s because in addition to training my dogs for agility, I put a lot of time and effort into training them to be good house-hold citizens, and making sure they are welcome where ever we travel.
Read MoreWhat’s in a crate? Well hopefully your favorite canine companion, but I know there is a lot of angst and misinformation out there about crate training, so hopefully I can shed some light on the matter and help you see the value in teaching your buddy this life skill.
Read MoreGradually over time I realized Ri wasn’t the social butterfly he had been before. He didn’t enjoy strangers petting him, and I had to start warning kids that he wasn’t friendly. I think somewhere deep down, I realized that Riley’s happiness meant more to me than that dream of having the consummate well socialized dog. I gave him the space he wanted.
Read MoreTrust me, I get it. I work full time, have 3 dogs, teach on the side, and am also trying to function as an adult. I don’t have time to hand feed every piece of kibble or babysit a puzzle toy that only holds 9 treats. That’s why I’ve curated this list, which will exclusively discuss strategies that take less than 5 minutes of setup and / or require very minimal supervision.
Read MoreGetting Fin pup was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Could I even handle a Border Collie? They’re a crazy high energy breed who needs a job and structure, could I provide that? Or would I end up frustrated with a dog I couldn’t live with.
Read MoreThere’s something about this time of year that always gets to me, probably largely due to all the hype around New Year’s resolutions and setting goals for the year to come. Slowly I’m coming to learn that being uninspired is ok.
Read MoreAs Westminster approaches, and we enter the home stretch of what, for Riley and I, has been a year long journey, I’ve been thinking a lot about failure and what that means to me. In many ways, I’m so lucky to have had Ri as my first dog, fi
Read MoreAnytime I start working with a new dog, my first question is always “Are their physical, mental, and emotional needs being met?”. In my experience, a lot of behaviors minimize when these three things are being met, which then makes our jobs as trainers a whole lot easier (not to mention the pups are happier). So let’s break these down one at a time for a minute.
Read MoreEvery once in a while I get puppy fever and decide I’d like to add to my pack. To counteract these feelings, and keep from being featured on the next season of hoarders, I bring a foster pup into my home. This week’s post is all about Faith, my current resident foster pup!
Read MoreIt’s fitting that the title of this blog, and the first post should be about the Demon. Living and training with Casey has been a tale of dichotomies: she’s horribly independent, and excessively clingy; she’s confident and sassy, and highly needy; she has a stubborn terrier streak a mile wide, and the cutest sad eyes you’ve ever seen.
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