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

Last Friday I introduced a new member to Mickey Stilwell’s adolescent class. The dogs were spread over ½ acre and were walking calmly in random patterns.  All the dogs were high drive working breeds. The new student was asking when the class would start. I smiled, ‘it has.’ What these dogs were learning was to ignore other dogs. They were learning that it is okay a dog is walking directly towards your dog, and makes…   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

Download PDF: Bullying and Aggression One of the hardest things to deal with is bullying. I’ve seen it in lap dogs. I’ve seen it in well bred, well trained, and properly raised working dogs.  The #1 problem is that 99% of dog owners do not want to recognize bullying behavior in their dog. Any dog that pulls, bracing its legs, and tries to drag you forward then it is a bully. Any dog that growls…   Continue

When a puppy reaches 6 months, and again, 9 months, they have major changes in how they behave. Many people have the ‘perfect puppy until it reaches one of these developmental stages, then ‘all hell breaks loose.’ The problem is that the puppy is now taking all the freedom, play, and excitement you’ve allowed it to have and using it to build survival skills: hunting, fighting, running, foraging, etc..  One of the most overlooked, and…   Continue

This article is designed to help you solve minor problems, or to make an educated decision on what your ‘next step’ is. It is not intended to replace behavior therapy if your dog has bitten you, or is threatening you.   If you didn’t read Part 1 of this article you can read it here Alpha Factor Many of our puppy owners in the Great Beginnings program do not understand the importance of being alpha. They…   Continue

One of the most frustrating times to be a dog owner is when your puppy is between the ages of seven and nine months.  While this article will help anyone whose dogs have a low self-control level, it is aimed at the 9-12 month old adolescent dog. At 5-6 months your puppy ‘chemicals’ that make him cute and cuddly, obedient and passive, wear off. At 6 months your puppy starts a major ‘flight/fear’ stage. At 7-9…   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