Instincts and Drive in Dogs. I was on week 2 of a private training session. I thought things were going very well. The owners were responding, and even having fun. Their Abby, an eight month old board…
Reactivity isn’t a training thing. It isn’t a ‘bad dog thing’ It isn’t a ‘bad training’ thing It isn’t a complicated thing. Recipe for a Reactive Dog Lack of socializing and men…
Puppy biting and Hyper Behavior is a problem for many puppy owners. Dr Ian Dunbar, one of the foremost canine behavior experts in the world, does not find the term aggression helpful in diagnosing an…
Winter Weather – please text the number at the top of this page to make sure we are not closed due to weather. Monday 6pm – Canine Parkour, Core Training, Dance 6pm – Competition Ral…
Puppy Socializing 8 – 20 Weeks You have been exposing your puppy to new environments, new smells, new challenges. Each one should have been age appropriate. None should have frightened or stressed y…
Puppy Socializing 10 – 16 Weeks – Calm Most new puppy owners do not realizing that Socializing happens from when a puppy wakes up, until it goes to sleep. It is important to give the puppies new t…
This article focuses on socialization. What is puppy socialization? And, what it is not. There are three development stages. Each one requires different skills and tasks taught the puppy. Socializing …
Puppies are not born able to control their emotions. They are not born knowing how to communicate. They have no learning skills, or stress coping skills. In fact, puppies are born ‘clean slates.’ …
Author Mickey Stillwell Do you know that the reason your dog listens probably isn’t because he is stubborn, or dominant. It is because your dog really doesn’t understand what you want. Or,…
I asked Mickey Stillwell what errors she made in the ring, or what she saw. The focus was on mistakes that cost owners points. These may not be in the books, or on the cheat sheets. They may be things…
The process is fairly simple. You may register your dog whether it is a purebred with papers, identifiable as a breed, or a cross of multiple breeds. Performance Numbers These numbers are for all dogs…
How many times have you dealt with dog behavior that is out of control, but they are yelling ‘It’s okay, he is friendly.’ In most cases this ‘out of control’ behaviour is not okay. What I fi…
Puppy socialization is the most misunderstood aspect of raising a puppy. We take a puppy on a play date with our neighbor’s dog, let 3 kids pet the puppy, and voila. We feel that we have sociali…
Last Friday I introduced a new member to Mickey Stilwell’s adolescent class. The dogs were spread over ½ acre and were walking calmly in random patterns. All the dogs were high drive working bree…
One of the most misunderstood aspects of puppy raising is the socialization. Everyone knows about obedience training – but nothing else. Imprinting Behaviors You have the power to imprint good behav…
The sad truth about puppy socialization is that most people do ‘what they think is right’ without any study into applied animal behavior, or even reading more than a few articles on the internet. …
When you say socializing then what you mean is that you are forcing a baby to act like an adult. You really mean that you are teaching the dog that you don’t ‘have it’s back’ and that you will…
I listened to her explain that she has no idea why her 9-month-old golden retriever has started biting people. She went into length to explain how she socialized it. ‘Ever since it was 10 weeks old …
Canine Behavior Consultants will tell you that the best tool for changing dogs behavior is classical conditioning. Operant conditioning is good, but not that strong. But when people are told to reinfo…
When we argue whether punishment or positive training works it is always from a human ethical or emotional standpoint. I am always amazed that whether we are defending, or bashing, we never take the…
Excerpt from Heeling Seminar June 3, 2017 One of the most common problems I see on a weekly basis is people whose dogs drag them, pull on the lead, or lunge and bark at other dogs or people. I’ve se…
Download PDF: Bullying and Aggression One of the hardest things to deal with is bullying. I’ve seen it in lap dogs. I’ve seen it in well bred, well trained, and properly raised working dog…
A lot of obedience classes teach pattern training. You are asked to have your dog complete an exercise in a specific manner, repeatedly. The dog learns the routine and by the end of the obedience cour…
When a puppy reaches 6 months, and again, 9 months, they have major changes in how they behave. Many people have the ‘perfect puppy until it reaches one of these developmental stages, then ‘all he…
There are many ‘world class’ agility training centers in London Ontario. We have seen many local dogs go to the Nationals. There are local judges and coaches. Not to forget mentioning MAC…
The dog world has been offering proof that the alpha dog theory is a myth, and that doing alpha rolls and forceful, dominant corrections are nothing more than bullying the dog. The first proof came wh…
This article is designed to help you solve minor problems, or to make an educated decision on what your ‘next step’ is. It is not intended to replace behavior therapy if your dog has bitten you, o…
Frustration Tolerance (FT) is low in dogs with aggression or reactive problems. I am not discounting the fact that they may be fearful, or stressed. Yes, trigger stacking does play a major part in the…
One of the most frustrating times to be a dog owner is when your puppy is between the ages of seven and nine months. While this article will help anyone whose dogs have a low self-control level, it…
Adopt, Don’t Shop Facts and Myth There are solid camps on either side of the Adopt Don’t Shop movement. Both have their facts and good points, and both have their myths. If you are considering bri…
Adopt a Dog – Red Flags I was texting this morning with a couple who have adopted before, and chose to adopt again, but after seeing several dogs chose to buy a puppy. Being ‘savvy’ to the ado…
Stop Puppy Biting You have the most wonderful puppy. It is full of bounce and play, but will cuddle. It is also smart. You can teach it tricks in a few minutes. And it looks at you with loyal, lovin…
There is a lot of jargon in the dog training world. Many of them are no more than catch phrases used to attract followers to a single, specific training method. Like any behavior theory, it will work …
Download the Puppy Primer Stop Puppies From Biting – Click Here This is the latest paper in our Puppy Primer Series. Biting is a bit problem for puppies. There are so many conflicting ideas that…
Puppy Primer Sometimes the simplest tasks are the hardest. While it is true that many breeders work hard to have puppies house broken from the whelping box, it doesn’t always work. Some puppy’…
Notice the lip licks, ears back, submissive behavior. There is a mix of stress and affection signals in this video One of the fundamental protocols in our behavior work is touch. Many of the dogs we w…
Isn’t that a great picture of a Christmas puppy? What an amazing Christmas Fantasy. There is nothing more magical then receiving a puppy at Christmas time. Opening that box and realizing there i…
[quote] [quote_content] …Thorough obedience training does more than assure a dog’s response to his master’s command; capacities for learning and emotional stability could be increased and integr…
MYTH – Puppy training should start at 8 weeks. Puppy training is not important. You can train a dog at any time in its life. Puppy ‘behavior and manner’ building is important. The fi…
I’ve discussed dog emotions in other blogs. I’d like to discuss how our reaction to dog’s emotions can cause behavior problems. Our problem comes when we try to dismiss a dog’s emotions, stres…
The brain activities, and how the nervous system response, are the same when any mammal feels stress or anxiety. When looking at the limbic system we are all the same (according to Panksepp et al) Thi…
The first thing most puppy owners want to teach their dog is to sit, stay, heel, stop chewing, and go potty at a convenient time. Unfortunately they are missing a great opportunity to make their dogs …
One of the most overlooked canine care issues in today’s lifestyle is kennel stress. We think because our dogs have free run of the house they do not suffer. With the introduction of home viewing…
Can an aggressive or reactive dog be cured? The answer should be no. Even if your dog has been good for several years you need to realize that three things can cause your dog’s bad behavior to retur…
“OHHH Live is Good!” Most people do not understand the benefits of dopamine in dog training. It is in truth, the chemical of feeling good. It is the chemical that gives you a natural high. With an…
There are a lot of positive dog training centers teaching people that if their dog reacts, shows aggression, or become over excited then all you need is to teach it to look, redirect its behavior and …
Rose has been rather tense lately. There has been a lot going on in our home. I’ve noticed that she has started to react strongly when someone stares at her, something I do not allow my dogs to do. …
We are always worried about fading treats and rewards. Very few dog handlers worry about fading corrections, but this is the one thing you should work hard to fade. We’ve talked before about the dif…
A lot of obedience classes teach pattern training. You are asked to have your dog complete an exercise in a specific manner, repeatedly. The dog learns the routine and by the end of the obedience cour…
I haven’t written anything on nosework in a while. As some of our team are moving past the ‘trial’ type of searches into more advanced work I wanted to highlight some of the reasons why some dog…
We started working on Canine Freestyle and Dance a year ago. It has been a fun journey. Harley and I worked through some of the beginning stages without realizing we were setting up the groundwork for…
Look, look at me, or redirects are a common training tool when people are working with nervous or aggressive dogs. But remember that you need to build foundation behaviors. If the dog doesn’t tr…
She stood arguing with me. She’d had German Shepherds all her life, but never a high drive dog. She’d only had this one for three months, and had been trying to get it to stop reacting for six wee…
We had an interesting discussion a week ago. Despite the wolf dog relationship has been disproved for over 15 years the belief in the ‘dominance’ or ‘alpha’ theory is still entrenched firmly i…
Note: I could not have written this article as well without some clarity and structure from Susan Garrett’s training courses. What is a Verbal Cue? A verbal cue is a word that tells your dog what yo…
“Cortisol, a glucocorticoid (steroid hormone), is produced from cholesterol in the two adrenal glands located on top of each kidney. It is normally released in response to events and circumstances s…
I have a new client this week and it brought me to the whole Cortisol problem. They wanted me to ‘train’ the reactivity out of their dog. Their exact words were ‘he needs some discipline to teac…
Calming Exercises can help your dogs overcome aggression and fear based behavior issues. Dogs cannot learn when they are stressed. Sometimes they are showing aggression because they are stressed and t…
There are so many ways to teach agility. There are many small behaviors to shape, from contact training to shaping speed. There is a method for every dog, and every trainer. When it comes to agility e…
One of the most daunting aspects of obedience and rally competition is fear. “Is my dog good enough,” “am I ready.” “What if I fail?” Most of these fears are unfounded. The long-term-die…
I always wanted a German Shepherd, mostly because I think they are the most beautiful dog around but also because they are strong and noble, loyal, intelligent and protective. In the late 1990s, I s…
I wanted to share my experience with my Cane Corso Cairo. After extensively researching which breed would suit our lifestyle best we decided we wanted a CC. We understood and accepted that this dog wo…
Almost every dog training facility has a puppy socialization class. But not all of these classes are created equal. Not all classes achieve what you want them to. The problem is that everyone has a ba…
One of the most misunderstood aspects of dog training is that the trainer is teach both you, and your dog, a series of problem solving tasks. At one time trainers felt that the owner could start an ac…
One of the most frustrating ‘left overs’ from the days when dogs were treated as an animate object is the belief that the leash is a switch, steering wheel, or brake. If you hank it hard enough th…
Rally obedience is for pet owners who want to have fun. Where to train and compete. All 3 organizations allow unregistered and cross/breed dogs. Canadian Kennel Club Rally Obedience CARO – Canadian …
Before any obedience training we need to calm our dog. A dog won’t focus on us if it is worried that something will come around the next bush or building. A dog will forget to stay at our side and h…
Do you use a choke collar? Can you explain the reason? Is it because you feel that you have more control? But the question is, do you? Does your dog walk quietly beside you obeying even when it is e…
One of the biggest misconceptions is that force free dog training does not mean you cannot, and should not, correct your dog when it misbehaves. It does mean that you are working to help your dog le…
I had an interesting call today. The woman on the other line wanted an assessment done on her mastiff type breed. After a few initial questions it was clear that the dog had bitten someone. The woman …
Harley was attacked by a large dog at a dog show, May 2015. The dog attacked her crate throwing it around until it could be pulled off. I was at the ring, and the person who was watching Harley was so…
One of the most exciting, and controversial therapies in the dog world is play therapy. Can you overcome fear and aggression using play? If you ask a wolf researcher they will tell you that packs with…
“I want an obedient dog.” I hear this statement 20 times a month. People come to me and want me to magically turn their dog into a super dog. But before I can do this I need to understand what t…
Your puppy is a sweet bundle of fur, full of kisses and just so cute. Three weeks later it is a destructive, aggressive monster. What happened? Two things happen when you bring a puppy home. First, yo…
The Handler’s personal agenda is the most frustrating things I encounter when working with clients whose dogs are either fear reactive, or aggressive towards people or dogs. When we have a dog that …
The problem with dog training and dog behaviorists is that neither industry is regulated. A person can give themselves any title they want and start charging – even if they have a 100% fail rate. In…
Everyone who has a reactive dog wants to help them. I have met very few people who do not want to put the effort in to give their dog a better life. Even if your motives are to prevent a lawsuit your …
It amazes me that there are still people who want to use a choker collar and punitive measures when training. With the wealth of research and the number of case studies the question shouldn’t be, …
When people ask me this question the first response is because you haven’t taught the dog to heel. Putting a choker collar on a dog and punishing it when it moves away from you doesn’t teach the d…
I think that everyone with a reactive dog wonders if they are part of the problem. Sometimes the answer is, yes. Other times the answer is, no. To answer this question properly we need to explore a …
The working breeds make amazing pets and are well adapted to urban life. They do have more needs than a house dog, but the more you invest into your working or herding breed, the more you will get bac…
People tend to have cognitive thoughts and memories. “Why didn’t I buy the red car?” “I should rent the red brick house.” Dogs have more reactive, or recall thoughts and memories. Sights, od…
What are dog zoomies? Our previous article explains a few facts about the zoomies you need to know before trying to manage the behavior. It is important to know that zoomies are normal. They are a p…
One of the most common asked questions is ‘How to train a hyper dog.’ The Puppy zoomies, or dog zoomies turns what should be a wonderful experience into a nightmare. What are puppy zoomies? Or FRA…
Sometimes puppies make a mess when they are playing. Sometimes they are being clever, but that gets them in trouble. When you are working with a puppy you need to set boundaries ‘before’ t…
The Preschool program is designed to teach children how to avoid being bit by their family pet, or other dogs in the neighborhood. Call Suzanne at 519 902 4739 or email info@kab.universitas-brawijaya.…
Keys to Supervising Dogs & Kids We thank Robin Bennet for Making this infographic available Author, All About Dog Daycare Co-Author, Off-Leash Dog Play Co-Author, Knowing Dogs Staff Training
Sport Scent Detection is not a new sport. It has been around for 10 years. The best thing about scent detection is that any dog can excel. Your dog may be too slow for agility, or not engaged enough f…
We did 2 great shows this weekend. The dogs loved performing in the big auditorium with everyone in the bleachers watching them. There were more distractions than we imagined: people (shampoo, deodora…
Leave it. A puppy who understands this has the foundation for good manners and reliable control. Every puppy obedience task is built on the leave it command. To heel well a puppy needs to learn not to…
There are several ways to teach heeling. Before choosing the right one for you it is important to define your objectives. Obedience Competition, Rally Obedience, Schutzhund and IPO Walking and …
http://www.sinisterlabs.biz/CKC_Rally_20150101.php These are the CKC Rally Signs. Rally is open to purebred dogs, and any dog which applies for a number from the CKC. You can compete if you do not…
The Proper Way to Use Food as a Training Tool There are many misconceptions associated with using food as the reward. When used right food is a strong motivator. Food is not a replacement for relation…
Socialization is one of the most misunderstood aspects of dog training. Almost everyone knows puppies need to be exposed to as many situations as possible so they will grow up to be confident, well be…
A Walk A Day Keeps Problems Away – There is a lot of truth in this. Does your dog have behavioral problems? Can You fix them? The truth is no. Dogs are living animals who have emotional respon…
The term reactive dog is a recent term in the dog world. Older terms included nervous, fearful, aggressive, leash aggression, or dog aggressive. Reactive dogs were ‘washed out’ of training program…
The crib note series are designed to help you understand the basic terms and offer explanations designed to help dog owners understand the theories and practices behind positive dog training. Hopefu…
These are some brief crib notes that might help you understand some of the terminology used by today’s sport dog trainers. Dogs are motivated by the desire to acquire something. This can be used to …
Engagement is a big part of both sport dog training and behavior modification. I’m currently training a mobility service dog. She picked up everything quickly at 6 months old and was already doing p…
People are often dubious when I reply yes. Especially if they have gone to other trainers whose methods made the problem worse, or failed outright. I’m not very big, 5’ 3”, and I don’t come to…
One of the main causes of behavior problems is the belief you must dominate a dog or it will try to dominate you. I’ve lived with as many as 18 dogs at my home, and have never had a dog challenge me…
I’ve watched decades of dog trainers with the newest, latest, training methods. But almost everything goes back to theories and training methods used by sheep herders, and farmers, for hundreds of y…
Time: all day Location: Royal Canin Distribution Centre Street: 8400 Lawson Road City/Town: Milton Event Type: seminar Organized By: Pierry McLean Some of us are taking in this seminar in two weeks…
