Predictability Adds To Pet Quality Of Life

“The better able a dog can predict what is going to happen on a day-to-day basis, the more chance she has to develop a sense of security and balance.” ~ Nicole Wilde, CPDT-KA, behavior specialist, speaker, author and trainer

Have you ever stopped to think how much predictability there is in your pet’s life?  To what degree can your pet expect that certain things happen at certain times or when certain behaviors are allowed vs not allowed or that when you or someone else walks into a room, that something good (from your pet’s […]

Make The Most Of Your Food Reinforcers

Sometimes people say dog training with food as positive reinforcement does not work. Certified dog trainer Lisa Desatnik shares tips for using food in training.

In dog training with positive reinforcement, especially when you are teaching a new behavior, food is great to use in adding value to that behavior as it is quick to deliver which means you can get many more practice repetitions in, in a short period of time. If you are teaching your dog using shaping, […]

Fair Pair In Dog Training

A fair pair is a behavior change plan that includes focusing on both teaching/strengthening one behavior (increasing the frequency of that behavior) while also focusing on decreasing the frequency of an unwanted behavior.

Whenever we share our lives with another being (whether a person or non-human companion), there are going to be behaviors come up that we don’t like. It is just a fact of life.

Learning Your Pet’s Reinforcers

To train a dog with positive reinforcement, you first have to know what your dog values. Here are tips for learning your dog's Awesome List.

For reinforcement to be effective in your dog training (or other pet), your first have to know what your dog values. After all, positive reinforcement is the process of adding something of value to the environment that strengthens a behavior. Once you’ve got that information, instead of controlling the animal, control access to those high […]

How Many Ways Can You Split Your Lesson?

lumping vs splitting in dog training

Lumping vs Splitting in Dog Training These are two concepts that I wanted to talk about, as they can greatly impact your training success. In dog training (and training other animals), lumping occurs when try to teach too much criteria at once. You are teaching multiple aspects of the behavior in large increments. Splitting occurs […]

The Premack Principle For Leash Skills

What do you use as reinforcers for your dog to walk with you on leash? Don’t forget a reinforcer can be all kinds of things in the environment. Does your dog like to sniff fire hydrants? Super! If your dog walks on a loose leash toward the next hydrant, you can tell your dog to […]

Prevent Resource Guarding In Your Dog

The other day I made the mistake of placing my iPhone ear buds too close to the edge of my dining room table, and when Dawson was looking for something fun to play with, they looked like a pretty good option from his perspective. I did not happen to agree with him. In that split […]

When Changing Environments, Change The Lesson

Cindy and Kya have been doing fabulously with their training – Cindy in strengthening her teaching mechanics, and Kya in learning to sit and down/stay, come when called, leave things on cue, walk on a loose leash, and other behaviors. Kya has shown her new skills in a variety of settings; however, the other day […]

Using Marker Training To Empower A Shy Dog

dog training by marking and reinforcing behavior has many positive effects

It is a beautiful thing when you observe a shy dog go from showing avoidance or submissive behaviors when asked to do something, to showing lots of eye contact and doing behaviors quickly with ears perked up and an upright tail wagging. I got to see that this week and it made my day both […]

Using Capturing To Teach Behaviors

how to use capturing in dog training to teach your dog to rest and do other behaviors

There are times when I am standing at my kitchen sink that Dawson, my maltipoo puppy, stops his play to come beside me and lay down with completely relaxed body muscles. I keep some treats in my cabinet for just those moments, for, when he does, I say ‘good’ in a slow and drawn out […]