[quote] [quote_content] …Thorough obedience training does more than assure a dog’s response to his master’s command; capacities for learning and emotional stability could be increased and integrated as permanent qualities of character. [/quote_content] [quote_signature name=”Name”]William Koehler, 1962[/quote_signature] [/quote] Some people are surprised to learn that I do embrace some of the older obedience styles and masters, like Koehler. What they don’t take into consideration is that these people were not ’10 minute a day trainers.’…   Continue

There are a lot of positive dog training centers teaching people that if their dog reacts, shows aggression, or become over excited then all you need is to teach it to look, redirect its behavior and the problem will magically go away. There are people who say ‘teach an alternative behavior’, but if you’ve ever owned a hound who is ‘locked and loaded’ on a squirrel, or a herding dog who is over stimulated because…   Continue

We are always worried about fading treats and rewards. Very few dog handlers worry about fading corrections, but this is the one thing you should work hard to fade. We’ve talked before about the difference between teaching and learning. Teaching a task to a dog means that we are showing the dog the task, in various environments, with different distractions, and adding duration and distance to the equation. It can take 2 minutes to show…   Continue

Before any obedience training we need to calm our dog. A dog won’t focus on us if it is worried that something will come around the next bush or building. A dog will forget to stay at our side and heel if it is watching another dog play ball. The first step to an obedient dog is to teach your dog exactly what you want. But you can’t teach a stressed dog. You need to…   Continue

“I want an obedient dog.”  I hear this statement 20 times a month. People come to me and want me to magically turn their dog into a super dog. But before I can do this I need to understand what they mean. I want an obedient dog: I want a dog who I can ignore all day but will still do what I say I want a dog that is invisible in my life until…   Continue

  There are several ways to teach heeling. Before choosing the right one for you it is important to define your objectives. Obedience Competition, Rally Obedience, Schutzhund and IPO Walking and control in public, especially in crowds Control when visiting, going to the vets, or walking to and from the car. Each of these methods require a different style of heeling. Looking to owner for cues. Happy demeanor. Fully following the owner’s lead. While this…   Continue

The Proper Way to Use Food as a Training Tool There are many misconceptions associated with using food as the reward. When used right food is a strong motivator. Food is not a replacement for relationship Food is not a replacement for play You must work to wean your dog off food. (Would you work for no paycheck?) Food is not a substitute for training and practice Food is not a replacement for spending time…   Continue

The crib note series are designed to help you understand the basic terms and offer explanations designed to help dog owners understand the theories and practices behind positive dog training. Hopefully these quick reference words will help explain some of the more indepth information available to pet owners and novice sport dog trainers. It is important to understand that everything you do reinforces a dog’s behavior, good or bad. Even when you are watching TV, and ignoring…   Continue

These are some brief crib notes that might help you understand some of the terminology used by today’s sport dog trainers. Dogs are motivated by the desire to acquire something. This can be used to train a dog. Classical conditioning works with your dog’s natural behavior to create responses that generates a specific behavior from a dog. This is an involuntary reaction. If a dog sees a competition ring, or rally signs, and has always…   Continue

Engagement is a big part of both sport dog training and behavior modification. I’m currently training a mobility service dog. She picked up everything quickly at 6 months old and was already doing public access work in a mall. Three months later she wants to play and is trying to start a battle of wills. Understand Your Dog’s Motives The first thing to realize is that she is not being stubborn, or trying to dominate…   Continue