Biggest Problem, Biggest Solution

There are posters and outlines of key behaviors on the walls of my training building. They are there to remind me and my students of the things we want and the steps to take to get them. 2. Your biggest problem is often your biggest solution. 3. Beginners need easy. Intermediates need solvable problems. Advanced…

Dealing with Dogs Fears of Sounds

The 4th is coming up and Karolina Westlund has updated her significant, comprehensive post on methods to help alleviate and eliminate fear of noises. Of course, if you’ve waited to deal with it until now, mostly you will be alleviating the issue since celebrators who like fireworks will start shooting them off already. But helping…

Jump Clarity, Training Clarity

( Winter 2018) This morning I was playing with Siggy. And since I had noticed we had a fabric disk in the outside toy bin, that became part of our play. He was fetching and catching and wanting to re-take it from me after he gave it to me. So we played a little It’s…

Reverse Engineering

How do you train a dog ‘not to jump on people?’ or to ‘not ignore me’ or to ‘not bark ,’ ‘not bite’ ‘not to chase,’ ‘not to pull ‘or to ‘not run away’. “Not Doing” is a concept. “Doing” is an action. Dogs are good at actions. Problem identification is fine and good, but…

We All Have Anchors

I think my grandmother created some of my anchoring thoughts about dogs. Dogs are trustworthy, reliable, friends, dutiful, their abilities to be respected and honored. She told stories of her family’s dogs (esp Shep) and my father’s dog (Lady) over and over. They were her anchoring stories of wonderful dogs. I don’t remember her ever…

Do You Get It?

What part of the dog training agenda foils you? For me, I love the introductions and the building to competency, but not the final, final proofing to get it exactly right and only on cue. By the time it’s time to do that I want to do something else. And usually the only time I actually go…

Start to middle to clear dog training

To start training a dog or pup: 1) be the most interesting thing or at least the gatekeeper for the most interesting things, 2) know what your pup/dog is most interested in (food, toys, games), 3) set up the scenario so they are likely to offer the behavior you wanted to train or part of…

Why Stalled-out Dog Trainers? Stalled out canine understanding.

Have you ever heard of string theory? The idea that all parts of the universe can be unified using the idea of string instead of particles. Well, if you have or haven’t let’s take this approach with training. Instead of separate particles, separate isolated things, we actually have a string of behaviors. Everything is connected…

Visiting a red-flag dog training class

My first session at the obedience class shook me up. The friendly looking trainers said absolutely all of the things that are red flags! Red flags, I was supposed to HEAD FOR THE DOOR, protect my dog, this is a force-based class and I’m a reward-based trainer. But this was a dog-less first class. I remained sitting,…

Easy & Entrancing Games for Older Dogs

Many of the games we play with our dogs are for the young. Why not? They need plenty to occupy them. But there are things we do that can be entertaining and sustaining even when your dog gets old. Even when they can’t hear well, or move quickly or see keenly. These games serve as…