When observing dog behavior, most of us know the difference between fear, play, and aggression. We correctly assume that a puppy is scared when his ears flatten against his head, his body weight shifts back, and his tail tucks so tightly it touches his tummy. We know a dog is having a great time when she is bouncing around, smiling … Read More
Trigger Stacking & Your Dog’s Threshold
I wake up early to the sun on my face. I am feeling good this morning and decide to head to yoga. After the class, I get ready for work, all smiles, feeling refreshed from my practice. I head into my favorite coffee shop and order a latte. Once I receive the drink I accidentally spill it all over myself. … Read More
How Dogs Learn
There are two very important ways in which dogs learn: Classical Conditioning & Operant Conditioning. Classical Conditioning is learning by association. The dog learns that one event predicts another. This type of learning is not contingent on the dog’s behavior; rather it is a result of associations the dog makes in his environment. For example, the leash predicts walks. If the dog … Read More
Generalization: Helping dogs understand behaviors in all contexts
I will never forget the first behavior I ever taught Sully. Naturally it was to sit. Nothing fancy. He aced the behavior quickly, as most dogs do since it’s their default behavior, unless you’re a dachshund! I taught him how to sit using a hand signal and a verbal cue. The next day, we approached the front door together for … Read More
Teaching your dog a behavior on verbal cue
Every client that I meet with always wants to add the verbal cue to a behavior a bit too soon before the dog is ready. It makes sense that we would want to do that since our primary way of communicating is through verbal language. However, in contrast, the dog’s primary way of communicating is through body language. Since this … Read More
How to Walk a Reactive Dog
It can be very challenging; physically, mentally and emotionally walking a dog that reacts to his/her environment by barking, pulling or lunging. It can be physically challenging as you try and pull the dog away from the oncoming stimulus. It can be mentally challenging as you try and figure out how to handle your dog to prevent unwanted outcomes. And … Read More