Effectiveness Is Not Enough In Animal Training

I was one of more than 500 trainers from across the globe who convened on Dearborn, Michigan in March for the Karen Pryer 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. What also made […]

How To Stop Your Dog From Jumping On People

(my Hyde Park Living column) I was talking with a friend the other day about a very large ten month old puppy she was visiting. The minute Linda walked into the house 60 pounds of pure love was on top of her. A habit that was started months earlier when little Henry was a small, […]

Considerations Before Buying Or Adopting A Puppy

I’ve heard so often from people who specifically looked for a certain breed of puppy to bring into their family with expectations for that dog’s temperament. It’s important to remember that, just as with people, every puppy is an individual. That’s why we say behavior is the study of one. And even the most accepting […]

Dog Training Tip For Independent Thinkers

Do you live with a furry, independent thinker? Have you ever tried teaching through shaping? It’s a fun way to get your dog engaged in the learning process. I explain in this blog post.

Dog Training: Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called

Are there times that your dog turns a deaf ear when you call him to come? Like when he is outside smelling flowers, in pursuit of a squirrel or playing in leaves? It can be pretty frustrating, I know. People will tell me their dog is stubborn or obstinate or it is something about that […]

Dog Training Tip: Keep Training Sessions Short

The other day, while watching television, I used commercial breaks to practice a few things with our Sam. In the two minutes of time, we were able to work on combinations of sit/down/stand/stay, hand targeting and weaving through my legs. In another break, I took out my circular pie pan and practiced stationing to it […]

Habits Of Good Dog Training To Improve Shaping Skills

Training using shaping is teaching a behavior by teaching successive approximations or steps toward that final behavior. I wrote about shaping in a previous post. Here are some tips for improving your shaping skills.  To read my original post, please click here.

Dog And Pet Training Tip About Management

My tip today is about the importance of management in dog and pet training success: The reason management is so important is when it comes to training in the most positive way is two fold, being able to control our pet’s access to doing what we do not like (and getting reinforced for it) and […]

Dog And Other Pet Training Tip

A dog (and other pet) training tip:  remember, you don’t need to plan out an hour of your day to work on teaching skills. Actually, short sessions are much better as they allow both you and your student to stay focused. And you can build training into everyday life such as asking for a behavior […]

Ask Yourself – Are You Setting Your Dog Training Up For Success?

Last night this cute little guy was my demonstration puppy in a behavior class. As he and his parents found seats in the back of the room, I had them put him on the ground. There he was a bundle of happy-go-lucky spirit so excited by the new smells and friendly humans that surrounded him. […]