I’ve been getting a lot of requests for a video of what I trained Epic in the first week. As I describe in the video what we train each puppy or new adult dog who is added to the family is very different depending on the dogs genetics, personality, what happened to them in the…
This video is on how to start training a puppy with a clicker. It goes over how to charge the clicker, or in other words build meaning to the clicker. I also mention what to do and what not to do when getting started. In this short video I go over the very basics of…
By Emily Larlham Some dogs have the tendency to guard resources while others don’t. One dog put into the same situation as another might never exhibit guarding his whole life while another dog will. In animal abuse cases, you will see some dogs that have been starved who still do not think to guard food,…
I am not sure how it works scientifically, but usually the first few things a dog herds or has a very reinforcing time staring at, become “fixed” and hard to teach them NOT to enjoy staring at. Kind of the same way a baby duck might learn to follow a person or a dog if…
The problem This article addresses the issue of barking at noises while in a house or apartment when the owner is home as well as absent. Dogs bark for many reasons. We can assume that dogs are barking at noises they hear outside the house because they are either startled, aroused or worried about the…
A muzzle is like a seat belt. It reduces injury but doesn’t prevent accidents. I have noticed a recent trend of the misuse of muzzles and the misunderstanding of their function in a behavior modification plan. No one puts on a seat belt and then suddenly drives carelessly. Yet, often times people put muzzles on…
I feel like sometimes my job as a dog trainer helping dogs with behavioral issues is treating a symptom and not the cause. The cause being, that dogs who have an unknown history or a history of behavioral issues or health problems are bred through ignorance, simply for profit or the breeder is just in…
The video below covers how to train and prevent your puppy or adult dog from urinating when greeting a family member, friend or stranger. Some puppies will grow out of this behavior, but for others the behavior can continue into adulthood. The most important concept to remember is to try and keep your cool if…
In this video below I talk about 2 cases in which body language can often be misinterpreted in dogs. Shivering can be caused by fear or excitement, but it could also simply be that your dog is cold. Keep in mind illness, injury, low blood sugar or hypoglycemia can also account for shivering. Tail carriage…
This article describes how to read your dog’s body language in training sessions. Firstly we shall look at what the ears of the dog are telling us during a training session. When training a dog you want to shoot for the ear position on the left: POINTED AT YOU, relaxed or perky. I call these…
How good stress can turn bad Stress is a natural part of life. Eustress (mild stress/good stress) is beneficial for the mind and body. We all know what it’s like to experience good stress and bad stress. For us humans, bad stress might be being trapped in a terrible traffic jam and being late for…
This article is not meant to be a downer, but to inspire professional animal trainers, enthusiasts and performers to come up with creative, unique and amazing behaviors to not only delight their viewers but also to educate and promote the message of an ethical two-sided relationship for animal care, performance and training based on compassion….
While looking through some of my old material I came across the notes from my old Clicker Expo presentation on Solving Frustration. One section in the presentation was called Looking Between the ABCs. Here I invited trainers to not just focus on the Antecedent, Behavior and Consequence but to also investigate what is going on…
You are ordering food at a drive-through. The person behind the window shoves the bag of food through your window and barks, “HAVE A NICE DAY” in an irritated tone. Even though you drive away with your favorite food, your mood has changed. Now a study suggests not only did the server’s tone of voice…
A lot of people take the precautions of keeping their new dog in a mistake free environment inside their house when left unattended until the dog can be trusted to have more freedom, but often neglect to take the same precautions when leaving their dog alone outside. Outdoor management, prevention and training is just as…
Did you know there is a why to train dogs without the use of physical or psychological intimidation? I was lucky enough to begin my career over 18 years ago at a shelter that was run with no forms of physical or psychological intimidation used for their behavior and training programs with the shelter dogs…