basic training

How to Train a Velociraptor

It probably isn’t easy to train a velociraptor, but I was excited to see that many of Owen’s interactions with Blue in Jurassic World were almost identical to my interactions with litters of puppies and panicking dogs. I love dinosaurs and am absolutely thrilled that Jurassic Park taking over screens everywhere. But as a trainer, I’d … Read more

How Your Morning Routine Ruins Your Dog’s Day

Your morning routine ruins your dog’s day, every single day – but it doesn’t have to. I had a eureka moment last week while I drove home from training a young puppy. As usual, I had a podcast on – one of my favorites, Animal Training Academy. This episode from Kirstin Anderson covered a wide range … Read more

Why Do I Stick (mostly) to 1 Operant Conditioning Quadrant?

I love operant conditioning and the science of behavior change. I love the jargon, the details, the studies. What researchers find in their studies really impacts what I think about in behavior change. That’s why I rely primarily on one quadrant of operant conditioning: positive reinforcement. We’ll get into that more in a second. There’s … Read more