How is it possible that nothing is being done about the dangerous young German Shepherd the Bidens bought two years ago – after they got rid of their previous German Shepherd, who himself bit people at the White House? Oh wait – maybe the problem isn’t the dogs who are the fundamental problem? Maybe it’s… Read more »
Joe. Maisie. And the Cheese This is a little story about how dogs learn, and especially how we can communicate to them certain behaviors which displease us. Most importantly, it’s a story about how/when/if to reprimand a dog for having engaged in one of those behaviors. This story is especially useful for new dog owners,… Read more »
PRAISE NOT PUNISH The Basic Winning Philosophy for Dog Training Accentuate the Positive Training a dog is pretty simple, once you grasp the basic concepts and are consistent in applying them. What scientists, trainers and teachers have discovered is that all creatures — including humans, dolphins or dogs — learn from positive reinforcement, not from… Read more »
Training Your Dog with a New Homemade Toy Dog toys can cost big bucks, reason enough to make your own. In my house, the favorite toy for chasing, tugging, gnawing—and even to cart around as a security blanket—is the Towel Burrito. These are my own invention, and I got the idea when I was reading… Read more »
In an article published January 1 in The New York Times, the columnist pointed out that by law city shelters and pet stores are required to microchip animals before selling them or releasing them for adoption. The author mentioned that the chip should be registered, but the “rest of that story” is where the slippery… Read more »
Dogs, the Christmas spirit and Tracy of Batavia, Ohio – an “Ordinary Hero” Look out, St. Francis: we’ve got a new contender for the “patron saint of animals!” For a very special holiday episode of Dog Talk I interviewed Tracy, a listener from Batavia, Ohio. Her story exemplifies the very best of the holiday spirit… Read more »
How Smart is Your Mutt? Brandon McMillan, star of the television show Lucky Dog, and author of the book Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days, recently contributed to an article about the smartest top 10 breeds of dogs. But have you ever wondered whether mutts are smarter than purebred dogs? Though the… Read more »
Do You Have to Bribe Your Dog? Or Do You Reward Her? There’s a general misunderstanding floating around about what “positive reinforcement” means in training, and the use of food rewards that often accompanies it. There are some “old fashioned” trainers who dismiss reward-based learning concepts as being “bribery” and think a dog should do… Read more »
September is National Service Dog month and a chance for all of us to reflect on how the human-canine bond directly impacts the quality of life for those people who depend on a dog to get them out and about. Over the past couple of years I have become increasingly aware of the powerful difference… Read more »