Backyard Enrichment Ideas For Your Dog
Giving our pets ways to exercise their mind and body is so important. Remember, if you do not provide your pet with an outlet for that exercise – one that your pet finds valuable, your pet will come up with his/her own idea. And you may not like his/her choice. Here are a couple of creative […]
July 4 Dog Safety Tips
July 4 is just around the corner. It is one of my favorite holidays…but definitely not one of Sam’s (our family dog). Fireworks can be an awfully scary experience for our furry friends. I thought I’d take a moment to remind you of a few basic precautions to take to ensure a safe holiday for […]
Dog Training Tip: Focus On Reinforcement
My Monday morning dog (and other pet) training tip: Instead of scolding your pet for doing a behavior you do not like, remember your pet is doing that behavior because it has gotten him an outcome of value to him in the past. That is how choices are made. Not only will scolding not foster […]
In Dog Training, Understanding Motivation
In training with positive reinforcement, an important question to always ask yourself when teaching your pet to do a behavior is – ‘Why should he/she?’. This video does a fabulous job explaining the value in that question.
Dog Training Tip – Remember To Proof Behaviors
My Wednesday #dogtrainingtip – when training your dog, remember to practice the behavior – whether it is sit, down, stay, come or something else – it in a variety of environments, with gradually more distractions. And always give value to behaviors with positive reinforcement. For more on proofing – please read my other blog post […]
Why Is Trust Important In Pet Training?
I was rereading yesterday a 2103 IAATE Conference presentation made by Dr. Susan Friedman of Utah State University and Steve Martin of Natural Encounters.
Dog Training Challenge To Use Positive Reinforcement
There is something so magical and so fun about watching someone teach their dog or other pet a trick behavior, and the pure joy that happens when the student gets it. And gets it with lots of enthusiasm.
Solving A Dog Chewing Problem With Positive Reinforcement
The other day, I was sitting in the home of a friend as she was telling me about one of the issues they are having with their dog. “He chews on things he shouldn’t be chewing on like furniture,” she said.
A Reminder About Training
My friendly reminder…our pets do not come pre-learned with all of our rules. And they do not speak human language. They rely on us to teach them. The clearer our lesson plan, and the more fun and valuable we can make the outcome of their doing the behaviors we want to see, the more they […]
A Tip About Using Positive Reinforcement In Training
Remember, when you are looking for reinforcers to strengthen your pet’s behaviors, you don’t always need food. The opportunity to sniff can also be a valued consequence for walking with a loose leash or sitting by your side. What types of positive reinforcement do you use after your pets wanted behavior to help build value […]