My youngest dog, Clint, is a three-year-old Sheltie. He’s a perfect dog in almost every way. Friendly and sweet, never meets a stranger. He loves to run agility and strut his stuff in the show ring, and is also a fantastic cuddle buddy for rainy days on the couch. However – he does have one unfortunate habit that I want to talk about today. Like many dogs, Clint is fascinated by the sight of other animals on the TV screen. …
Today, I want to tell you a story about one of my favorite patients. Hudson is a 13-year-old Border Collie mix – very handsome, with a long fluffy coat and bright, intelligent eyes. Like most dogs, he adores his family. He’s getting a bit grey in the face now and he doesn’t see quite as well as he used to, but he’s extremely smart and his nose works just fine. His favorite hobbies include snuggling on the couch with his…
Several months ago, I had a conversation with a client during a behavior consultation that stuck with me. I wanted to address it here today, because I think it’s a secret worry for lots of dog owners – and it really shouldn’t be! The client in question had recently adopted an 8-year-old Lab mix I’ll call “Joey.” He was a sweet, friendly dog in most situations, but she had some concerns about his behavior around her grandkids – he was…
As part of my job, I spend a fair amount of time talking on the phone with potential clients who are interested in scheduling a behavior consult. We talk briefly about the dog’s issues, the owner’s main concerns, and how the consultation visit works. Most of these people are good owners who love their dogs, and genuinely want to know how to help them. Not surprisingly, many of them are also somewhat desperate for a solution – a dog with…
Today, I want to talk about a topic that seems to provoke a fair amount of consternation among students in my beginner obedience class. Namely, this: Why do we have to use treats? This is a reasonable, and very common question – and so, I will do my best to shed some light on this subject in our discussion today. If you’ve ever wondered this yourself, or asked your obedience instructor why you need to bring a baggie full of…
“My Prissy is such a bad girl! She always jumps on visitors as soon as they come in, even if her paws are muddy.” “Buster drags me down the street every time we go for a walk! He obviously thinks he’s in charge.” “My puppy won’t stop chewing on things – she destroyed my favorite pair of shoes last week! I think she does it on purpose.” “Charlie insists on barking at everyone who walks by the house, even though…
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely young border collie I’ll call “Sami.” She was a beautiful example of a well-bred herding dog – quick, keenly intelligent, and fit and graceful at just over 12 months old. Her owner brought her in for a consultation with me because she was having, as she put it, “some issues with Sami around strangers.” Things had seemed to be fine for the first few months after bringing Sami home…
As a starting point for today’s discussion, I want to delve a little deeper into a very common, deceptively simple question that all trainers have heard more times than they care to count: Why doesn’t my dog listen? This question, or some variation of it, is probably the single most frequent thing I am asked by beginner students in my obedience classes. Their dogs are jumping on visitors, pulling on the leash, having potty accidents in the house, or running…
“Hello!” The voice on the line is earnest and cheerful. “I’m calling to sign my dog up for obedience class, please.” Of course, I say. We have new class sessions starting every few weeks, and we’d be happy to help her sign up. I ask for a bit more information about her dog, and what skills she’s hoping to work on in class. “Well, he’s a nice dog. I mean, he’s great with the family. But whenever strangers come around,…
Yes, that’s right. Today, we will be discussing how to give your dog treats for doing something wrong in training. (WHAT??) If the title of this week’s blog post makes you scratch your head a bit, don’t worry – you’re not alone! After all, mistakes are part of dog training, and we all know how to handle them… right? Reward the dog for the behavior you want, and withhold the reward (or apply a correction, if you use corrections in…