Solving Loose Leash Walking Problem

Is it an issue of having more control? The other day I began working with a client (and his dog) on loose leash walking skills. As I initially watched them walk together, I saw that, while they walked side-by-side without distractions, if Fido’s nose picked up on something to sniff, he simply stopped to sniff while […]

Stopping Your Dog From Biting The Leash

I have seen and heard about the problem with large and small dogs and puppies. Instead of walking with all four paws on the ground on a loose leash as their head is facing forward or slightly to the side, they are grabbing at the leash to pull it, chew on it or play with […]

Teaching Cues In Dog Training

I see it happen a lot. People ask their dog to do a behavior (give their dog a cue) and their dog does any number of things EXCEPT the behavior that is asked of it to do.

Why Learning Should Be Simple

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” ~ Albert Einstein I love this quote. In its great simplicity, it speaks volumes for both effective teaching and learning. This, from a world famous, brilliant physicist known for his general theory of relativity and recognized with a 1921 Nobel Prize.

Use Several Strategies To Change Pet Behavior

Have you ever tried to stop an unwanted pet behavior by simply ignoring it? If it is a behavior that is really difficult to ignore, like a bird’s scream or a dog’s whining, you probably know, that strategy is pretty difficult. And there is much potential fallout with punishment. Here is a dog and parrot […]

Lessons In Puppy Success

Commonly, people who are having trouble teaching their puppy a proper potty area, or who are having problems with their puppy chewing on things not meant for puppy teeth, also happen to be people who do not use a crate – or practice good management.

Cincinnati Has New Dog Super Heroes

These young children learned important lessons about dog body language, how to play safely with their dog, and how to be a positive dog trainer at my most recent My Dog’s Super Hero class at the United Pet Fund in Blue Ash. They did a fantastic job – so did my demonstration dogs, Daisy and […]

Be A Teacher Not A Punisher

This is just a simple reminder that our pets were not born knowing what our expectations are of them. If you have not given them good, acceptable choices for using their minds and bodies, they will come up with their own choices, which you may or may not like. Remember, that behavior which gets the animal […]

Understanding Motivation

Motivation. According to the dictionary, it is the state or condition of having a strong reason to act or accomplish something. Think about that for a minute and how that has impacted your ability to learn and achieve goals. Let’s try something. Write down an accomplishment of which you are proud. Then write down the […]

Thoughts On Taming Pet Birds

I have seen and heard so many explanations for ‘taming’ a bird, many involving training a pet bird with some kind of force or punishment. Even before I met my first teacher in behavior, Dr. Susan Friedman  the compassionate side of me always had a difficult time understanding those perspectives on animal care.