Tugging As A Dog Training Tool

I have been working on down/stay/release and recall this month with an awesome and super smart dog. (I know, not unlike lots of other dogs I have worked with.) In training, I talk a lot about building value for behaviors by using reinforcing consequences that are of huge value to the learner (to the learner […]

July 4 Safety Tips For Your Dog

The time is drawing near. July 4 is many a dogs’ least favorite of holidays. Loud, unpredictable noises accompanied with big light displays can be very scary. I’ve written about July 4 safety tips before and have revised them below.

What A Bollywood Class Taught Me About Pet Behavior

The other day I went back to the dance studio where I have many happy memories from past group ballroom and salsa lessons. I heard about a Bollywood class and I thought it’d be fun to learn. Or try anyway. You may be thinking right about now, what does this have to do with pet […]

Words To Give You Thought

Putting The Joy In Learning Through Classical Conditioning

I talk a lot about how animals learn from their consequences; and how, those immediate consequences of their behaviors are what determine the future rate of those behaviors. In scientific terms, this is called operant learning or operant conditioning.

Dog Training Tip: Just Teaching A Behavior Is Not Enough

I was reminding someone of this over the weekend. It’s important to remember, just teaching a behavior is not enough. If you want your pet to continue to have fluency with that behavior, you’ve got to continue reinforce it…to remind your pet that choice is going to be of value to him/her. It doesn’t always […]

In Your Training, Be Generous With Reinforcement

I was out somewhere and I saw it again. A man was in a busy area with his dog doing his best to try and keep his dog’s focus from the external environment, only his attempts were not working too well. His dog continued to pull on leash, and with each pull the man gave […]

Meet Some Cincinnati Dog Super Heroes

What an awesome group of dog Super Heroes! It was such great fun teaching them at my May class and I am so proud of them for their focus and eagerness to learn. Thanks to the parents for taking time out of your day to bring your kids – and learning too! And of course, […]

To Help Your Pet Learn, Keep Clutter Out Of The Lesson

I was one of more than 500 trainers from across the globe who convened on Dearborn, Michigan in March for the Karen Pryor Clicker Training Expo. It was a phenomenal opportunity to learn from some of the best trainers and behaviorists whose focus is on modifying behavior in the most positive way.

Living With Kids And Dogs: Building Relationships

One way you can help your child be a dog Super Hero is by jump starting your dog’s training (with sample behaviors like sit and come) and then teaching your child how to practice teaching your dog with positive reinforcement. Not only will you build your child’s confidence as he/she sees her accomplishments, you will […]