As most of the things our dogs learn are based on associations, I am sure you would agree that developing positive ones would be everyone’s first choice – whether you want your dog to start liking the postman, make friends with the next-door neighbour, or stop chasing that crow… You can, and unfortunately are often … read more
Each person asking this question sincerely believes their situation is so unique, that it requires if not the Nobel Prize and a mention in London Times, then at least a consultation with the top behaviourist or an individual session with a known trainer who will hopefully be able to understand where the problem is coming … read more
Reward that we so religiously offer our trainees does not necessarily carry some value. It usually does, but only when the dog behaves in an attentive and sensitive manner and asks for permission or instruction to pull away. If a dog willingly follows and independently makes a decision to maintain contact, it values the outcomes … read more
At times I begin to wonder whether those morons bringing more and more restrictions on looking after a number of dogs compared to an individually owned pet have a point. What if such a thing exists? And dogs being one step away from turning wild and ripping us to shreds just because they are in … read more
For any animal to respond to given sign stimuli it must be behaviourally significant, and the discrimination in this test must be meaningful to warrant measurable behaviour response… (Shettleworth, 2010). What this means for dog training is this: If a handler that has her dog restrained does not react to her dog’s unwanted behaviour (such … read more
Pat Parelli says that people don’t take the time it takes, but they do take time to do the same stuff over and over and over… Dear ***, “Fail to prepare then prepare to fail!” Please excuse me keeping this email rather impersonal, but I am sure you will agree with me that things that … read more
Choice training, and if you do not know we promote this method in all our training sessions, activities and free time, means literally that – dogs have to learn to choose to stay with us, to volunteer to do one thing and not do the other, and contribute to whatever you two are trying to … read more
Is your dog an Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Early Warner, Tester, Diffuser, Body Slammer, Bully, Dominant, Fearful, Territorial, Possessive, Subordinate, “Stress pot”, Sexual Predator, Flirt, Protector, Guard, Chaser, Thief, Hunter, or just a common Idiot, perhaps, a “Nut-Case” like my recent rehomee? So which one is yours? Well, the bad news is that “A Zebra can’t change its stripes”… Neither you nor your dog will ever change … read more
“The pup is the parent of the dog!” Ian Dunbar We live in a fast changing world where logic and common sense are used less and less. We all get affected by this and, through no fault of their own, so do our beloved pets. We are changing their world too, but they have … read more
When talking about Aggression it is important to clarify the meaning of the actual term ‘Aggression’. In the most simplistic way, Aggression means “Hostile or violent behaviour or attitude toward another…” The aggression we most commonly discuss in relation to dog’s behaviour is the same process but with a possible outcome of pain, hurt, stress or … read more