I went to a conference for wildlife conservation last weekend. And I had a good reminder of seeing the forest for the trees. Barley was our demonstration/ambassador dog for the …
Do Shock Collars Hurt Dogs? The Answer: Yes, or They Wouldn’t Work.
One of the main questions, when people are considering using a shock collar, is whether or not these training collars will hurt their dogs. Modern shock collars often have up …
Are Shock Collars Safe for Puppies?
Let’s face it: puppies and teenage dogs can be a huge pain in the butt. It can be tempting to want to just reach for a remote that could stop …
Training a Conservation Detection Dog: Week 1
I recently accepted a position at Working Dogs for Conservation. I’m going to be the Communications and Outreach Coordinator there. WD4C trains some of the world’s best conservation detection dogs. …
Yes, It’s OK To Leave A Dog In A Car
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the last year of my life (April 2018-March 2019) driving from Denver to Memphis to Wisconsin to Vancouver to Los Angeles …
Shaping a Behavior: Dog Training Using Successive Approximations
Dog training using successive approximations, commonly called shaping, is my favorite way to teach dogs a new behavior. This training method was pioneered by B.F. Skinner, and it’s one of …
Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive Training
I try my very best to follow the Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive training framework when working with my dog, the shelter dogs I worked with, and my foster dogs. I …
A Dog Walks Into a Shelter and Growls at the Staff – Why?
Jack was a big, black Shepherd/Husky mix (or at least that was our best guess). He growled when the intake staff at the shelter moved him from the overnight kennels …
Are Dog Treats Bribery? Do Treats Make My Dog Beg or Only Listen When I’ve Got Food?
There is a common misconception that if you use treats to train your dog, that you are just using bribery. Or, that your dog will ONLY do what is asked …
Why Trainers Hate Retractable Leashes (But I Own One Anyway)
Retractable leashes are one of those things that dog trainers love to hate. This is partially due to the fact that retractable leashes are made with convenience, not training, in …
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