It’s music to my ears when clients tell me, “It’s really we humans who need the training.” Of course we do train dogs for the skills needed to get along peacefully in human society. But if humans don’t understand how their dogs process information and adjust their own behavior, nothing is going to change after I leave. The human perspective needed for living peacefully with dogs begins with acknowledging that dogs are inherently high-maintenance.  This isn’t a flaw or a deficit, just a ... continue reading...

For whatever reason, issues for which people ask my help seem to come in clusters.  Sometimes I’ll have a handful of dogs struggling with OCD issues within just a few weeks of each other.  Other times separation anxiety or difficult house soiling problems show up in groups of 3 or more in short order. Recently though, the trending issue was with clients who want or need their dog’s behavior to change in a hurry. I guess it’s not surprising. As I write this, the winter holidays are still close ... continue reading...

I recently made the following observation during a consultation with a new client.  “The less you punish your dog, the less you’ll need to punish your dog.” Among the most frequently repeated bits of advice I offer is to avoid using aversive punishment as a training method.  It causes more problems than it solves, and doesn’t teach your dog any desirable behaviors.  ... continue reading...

There’s a tool in the kit of most force-free trainers that deserves more attention than it gets. In terms of training, I’m talking about interruption. Indulge me in an over-simplification; pet behavior falls into 2 categories: behaviors we like (or at least tolerate), and behaviors we don’t like / won’t tolerate. The more skillful the trainer, the better they become at rewarding (reinforcing) desirable behaviors, and preventing undesirable behaviors from being rewarded (reinforced). It’s that ... continue reading...

The term “positive training” has a couple meanings, and it’s worth understanding the nuances. Most people understand it first in the sense that “positive” suggests “desirable,” as in “we had a positive experience.” It suggests something we’d be glad to have more of; something we’d look forward to doing again. It’s quite correct to think of positive training that way. Positive trainers use games to help a dog (or cat, bird, rabbit, rat, lizard…) have fun while learning new activities like ... continue reading...

We all get frustrated when our dog does something she isn’t supposed to do – like chasing the cat, raiding the trash, or jumping up to check out the counter (or our guests), etc. Our usual response is to get frustrated and tell our dog “NO!” in order to get her to stop. But there is a better way to reduce unwanted activities for both you and your best friend. First, resist the inclination to scold and reprimand by shouting, “No, no, no! Stop it!” Instead, we suggest you begin by gently ... continue reading...

Bob was recently on WGLT with Laura Kennedy on "Animal House" to talk about the best way to train your dog to do fun tricks and good manners. Listen here. And watch the video of Bob and Daisy demonstrating some of her tricks! ... continue reading...

It’s Cold - Keep Moving! As I mention often to my clients, one of my favorite training proverbs says, “A tired dog is a well behaved dog.” Conversely, a dog who is bored and bustling with pent up energy is a problem waiting to happen. Exercising our dogs can be challenging when it’s too cold to get outside for your usual games of fetch, playing at the dog park, or going for a long walk. So here are some ideas we use with our energetic Labrador during the winter. First, STOP feeding from ... continue reading...

“He thinks he’s alpha.” “We have to establish the dog’s rank in our family.” Let me persuade you what scientists have known for a while – it just ain’t so! No misunderstanding harms our relationship with our dogs more than “dominance theory.” Poorly done research in the mid-20th century mistakenly concluded that wolves fight to establish a pack-leader who rules with an iron paw. In the last few decades, much better science has shown wolves live as families - with parents leading based on ... continue reading...

Here are two keys for helping your best friend be a well-behaved member of the family – management and exercise. Management – One of the most important behavior strategies is management - setting up the environment so that desirable behaviors are easy and problem behaviors are inaccessible. Whether as puppies or adults, dogs don’t arrive knowing the rules for living in your house – they need to learn what’s okay and what’s off limits. Baby gates, play pens, closed doors, tethers, leashes ... continue reading...

Want to have a better-trained best friend? Want to have more fun with your dog? (Duh!) Here’s a big step in the right direction – approach all training as if you're teaching a fun trick. This is obvious for behaviors like “sit pretty” (up on her haunches), jumping through a hoop, or rolling over. It’s less obvious for behaviors like walking nicely on a leash, coming when called, or settling quietly inside a crate. Maybe this is because old-fashioned training still goads us to coerce our dogs ... continue reading...

Life with dogs is an adventure - that we share our lives so successfully with another species is amazing. Like any relationship, friendship with a dog calls for trust, good communication, self-control, and patience. Yet we humans bear the yeoman’s share of responsibility for ensuring that things smoothly. Most of the clients who hire me to help with behavior problems benefit quickly from two basic steps for raising happy, healthy and well-adjusted dogs. 1 - Management: Dogs have no sense of ... continue reading...

I work with a lot dogs that have aggression problems. The most common cause of aggression is fear, and one common cause of fear is attention from humans. Why? Sometimes dogs are afraid of human attention because they’ve learned from unfortunate experience that it means they’re likely to be yelled at or hurt. Other times dogs are afraid of human attention because they’re genetically shy, and anyone new/unknown feels threatening. Sometimes it’s both. Either way, if the fear is strong enough, a ... continue reading...

Bob recently talked with Laura Kennedy on WGLT's "Animal House" segment about good dog manners. You can listen to the interview below. ... continue reading...