When I meet with clients for behavior consultations and private training, I start by sitting down and asking lots of questions. One of those questions is often: “What are the rules of your household?” Sometimes I get immediate answers, but often I stump people with this question. What do you mean, they ask. Can you [...]
Ultimately, it should not matter what equipment you are using with your dog. Our goal with training is that your dog be responsive to you regardless of what he’s wearing, where he is, or what is happening in the environment. However, in the early stages of training, the right equipment can help to manage the [...]
There have been several books in the past few years about willpower, habits and the like. The one I most recently read was Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick by Jeremy Dean. We really don’t realize how important habits are to our everyday life and just [...]
You’ve probably heard the dire warnings before. . . Once a dog has killed another animal, he develops a taste for blood and you’ll never be able to stop him. You may have heard similar things in different contexts, but the point is always: once your dog does something, he has developed a “taste” for [...]
You’re conducting a training session with your dog, but he’s spitting out the treats you give him. Normally, he loves these treats but now he has no interest. It might be that he’s simply full from his last meal. Or, he’s highly distracted by the squirrels, kids, neighbors, or neighbors’ dogs. Maybe he’s stressed by [...]
