Reactivity isn’t a training thing. It isn’t a ‘bad dog thing’ It isn’t a ‘bad training’ thing It isn’t a complicated thing. Recipe for a Reactive Dog Lack of socializing and mental stimulation 2 – 12 weeks. Being taught to fear walking/people/dogs 8 – 20 weeks. Bad Genetics Bad Food Pain Environment   The problem with a reactive dog is that many dog trainers have tunnel vision. They look at only one aspect of…   Continue

How many times have you dealt with dog behavior that is out of control, but they are yelling ‘It’s okay, he is friendly.’ In most cases this ‘out of control’ behaviour is not okay. What I find most interesting is that this apparently friendly behavior is not accepted by dogs. Just this weekend a puppy jumped into Carlo’s face and he gently placed his muzzle over the puppy’s muzzle. The incident lasted less than a…   Continue

Canine Behavior Consultants will tell you that the best tool for changing dogs behavior is classical conditioning. Operant conditioning is good, but not that strong. But when people are told to reinforce their dog for doing something wrong they panic. So, let’s set some ground rules. The Goals and Objectives of any Classical Conditioning Program To make your dog more cognitive To teach your dog coping skills Once your dog can think (cognitive) and has…   Continue

When we argue whether punishment or positive training works it is always from a human ethical or emotional standpoint.  I am always amazed that whether we are defending, or bashing, we never take the animal’s point of view into perspective. [quote] [quote_content]Quote content[/quote_content] “Many peoples die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until they are seventy-five.” (Benjamin Franklin) Often, when we publish a pertinent study, the ones who refuses to evolve, argue. No explanation, no factual…   Continue

There is a lot of jargon in the dog training world. Many of them are no more than catch phrases used to attract followers to a single, specific training method. Like any behavior theory, it will work on some dogs, but not others. Before giving up and thinking that your puppy is bad, or out of control, take a few minutes to learn two things that most trainers won’t talk about, and will try to…   Continue

“Cortisol, a glucocorticoid (steroid hormone), is produced from cholesterol in the two adrenal glands located on top of each kidney. It is normally released in response to events and circumstances such as waking up in the morning, exercising, and acute stress. Cortisol’s far-reaching, systemic effects play many roles in the body’s effort to carry out its processes and maintain homeostasis.” Dina Aronson MS RD. Cortisol is an important part of your immune system. But like…   Continue

I have a new client this week and it brought me to the whole Cortisol problem. They wanted me to ‘train’ the reactivity out of their dog. Their exact words were ‘he needs some discipline to teach him some manners.’  I cringed, and tried to explain. One of the hardest things to explain to people is that: Your dog cannot help being this way Your dog does not enjoy feeling stressed Your dog is not…   Continue

Harley was attacked by a large dog at a dog show, May 2015. The dog attacked her crate throwing it around until it could be pulled off. I was at the ring, and the person who was watching Harley was so upset they didn’t tell me because they were afraid I would be angry at them. No one did any redirection or comforting for 3 hours. This left Harley extremely reactive to everyone, dogs and…   Continue

The Handler’s personal agenda is the most frustrating things I encounter when working with clients whose dogs are either fear reactive, or aggressive towards people or dogs. When we have a dog that has reactive problems we need to realize it is no longer about: We want to go for a walk We want to go to the dog park We want our dog to make friends We want our dog to be polite when…   Continue

I think that everyone with a reactive dog wonders if they are part of the problem. Sometimes the answer is, yes. Other times the answer is, no.  To answer this question properly we need to explore a lot of factors. What does it mean when a dog is reactive? It means that it reacts in a way that is unacceptable in today’s urban environment. So the German Shepherd who wants to keep all dogs away…   Continue