Is your once cute, cuddly, and well-behaved pup suddenly acting out? Is your dog ignoring you, taking off if he sees something interesting, and chewing on everything in sight? Did his perfect “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come” disappear overnight? Are his friendly, social ways being replaced with rowdy, over-the-top greetings? Is he sometimes cautious or… [Read More]
3 Reasons You Should Never Punish Your Dog for Growling
A dog growling, that low rumble, no one wants to hear it! It is not uncommon for a student or client to ask me how they should correct their dog for growling at someone or something. Let me tell you now: Please, please, don’t punish your dog for growling!! Here are 3 reasons why not.
Dogs Need To Be Dogs–But a Little Attention Never Hurt Anyone!
Have you ever considered the synonyms for attention? Consideration, kindness, thoughtfulness, responsiveness and of course devotion. Attention skills can foster these wonderful characteristics. People express consideration, kindness, and devotion to their dogs when they give them attention. Dogs who are offering attention to their person are often more thoughtful and responsive—extremely important traits when we talk… [Read More]
Make “Come” Fun!
Come is a serious behavior. We want our dogs to come to keep them safe and to keep us sane. Why should we make it more fun? Shouldn’t they just listen to us? Shouldn’t they come just because we say so? Well, perhaps in an ideal world, yes, it would be easiest if they came… [Read More]
Excitable Dogs Can Learn Impulse Control!
We’ve all seen dogs who exude impulse control—they are calm in the face of excitement and patient when it comes to getting what they want. Of course we’ve all seen those dogs who are lacking impulse control too—dogs who can’t seem to handle excitement and become overexcited, pushy, or reactive. Sometimes that lack of impulse… [Read More]
Help, My Dog Is a Barkaholic!
My dog Shadow is a barkaholic. If there were a 12-step program for such a condition, she would surely be a good candidate to attend. She likes to bark when she is happy and excited, when she is concerned, when she would like something from us, when something surprises her, when other dogs bark, and… [Read More]
The Magic of Classical Conditioning
When we are training our dogs, we generally use a process called operant conditioning. This is when the dog’s behavior determines the consequence. For example, the dog sits when you ask and you give him a treat. The dog sitting made the treat happen. But there is another type of learning that is often underutilized… [Read More]
Getting a Handle on Handling
Has your puppy or adult dog ever squirmed when you checked his ears? Squealed as you touched a toe? Or slunk away when you brought out the brush? If so, you are not alone. A very few easygoing dogs seem to have been born enjoying all types of touch and handling. But many puppies and… [Read More]
Why I don’t use these tools (and why I hope you won’t either)
In the past few years, I’ve notice a resurgence of outdated tools and methods used for training our dogs. Choke chains and slip leads, pinch collars, electronic collars, air horns and other tools that cause discomfort, pain, startle, and fear. I want to very clearly state that we do not use these methods at Good… [Read More]
What’s Rewarding? Ask Your Dog
I was leading a training class the other day that included a mildly fearful dog. The dog was responding well to cues, able to do the behaviors, and seemed to be handling the environment. But she did not seem to be having a lot of fun. Her human companion suggested she switch from food rewards… [Read More]