Gavin Smiley – I sure do miss my smiley boy
I was culling some photos off of the hard drive today when I came across this old pic of Gavin; I sure do miss my smiley boy. It reminded me that he was always one to leave his toys intact. …
Teaching Children a Healthy Respect for Dogs
As a young kid my father taught me to develop a “healthy respect” for things that I needed to work with that had a component of danger about them. Things like using a power tool, shooting a gun, or even …
Dr. Lorie Huston: Behavioral Medications in Dogs
While many veterinarians, behaviorists, and trainers are familiar with using medication to treat behavioral problems in dogs, it is still something that many dog lovers are suspicious about. I have met many people who feel that using behavioral medications on …
“Clicker Training” Without a Clicker?
Before we begin, a heartfelt thanks to Kevin for inviting me on board for this edition of Dog Lover’s Digest! Those of you who know me know that I am a clicker trainer, and those of you who do not …
The Disappearing Sit
Sometimes, dog owners are confronted with the mystery of a dog that suddenly stops doing a behavior that it previously knew. All of a sudden, or gradually in some cases, the dog doesn’t remember how to sit, or that it’s …
The Real Reason Dogs Don’t Talk
I’ve often heard the phrase “I wonder what my dog would say if he could talk?” While this is a fun postulation for us humans I don’t think that dogs would talk to us even if they could. It would …
Shaping Dog Behavior – Keep It Fun
What is shaping? Anytime we delve into the science of training and behavior we bump into some pretty healthy vocabulary. According to Wikipedia, shaping is “The differential reinforcement of successive approximations, or more commonly, shaping is a conditioning procedure used primarily in the experimental analysis of behavior.” …
Dogs and Allergies – Dr. Lorie Huston
With the arrival of warmer weather comes a wide variety of allergies for pets and people alike. In people, allergies are likely to show up as respiratory symptoms – sneezing, coughing, runny nose, sinus pressure. While respiratory symptoms are possible …
Does your Dog Embarrass you in Public?
Embarrassment is something that can provoke a range of emotions in humans, from angry outbursts to laughter at our own mistakes. However, it seems there is another hardwired response to embarrassing situations that I like to call Homer Simpsonisim. If …
Because of my Dogs….
I’ll never want for new and disgusting smells to discover. I’ll always need that second cup of coffee. I’ll know that someone thinks highly of me. I’ll remember that naps are good but playing is better. I’ll never want for …
A Dog is …
a smile waiting to happen. a combustible mix of silly, and bonkers. able to shed at will, especially around new work clothes. always in the moment. never too busy to play. better medicine than any pill invented. always underfoot …
Why Dogs Do Things They Know are Wrong
If you look at the search phrases most often used to learn about dogs and their behavior, the following could serve as a template for many of them: Why does my dog ________ when they know it’s wrong? No matter …
Why Punishing Your Dog After the Fact Doesn’t Work
Timing of Rewards and Punishments They say that timing is everything, and when it comes to training your dog (or any animal for that matter) it holds true. Dogs are associative learners. This means that they pair a behavior with …
Products Dog Lovers Want Invented
GPS chips embedded in all dog toys with corresponding iPhone & Android apps for locating them. GPS chips embedded in all dog pills with corresponding iPhone & Android apps for indicating whether they were swallowed or not. A bed that …
The Premack Principle
The Premack Principle is one of the best tools to have in your trainer’s toolbox; and despite its scientific name it is also one of the easiest and most effective. Simply stated The Premack Principle is “Before you can have …
Why Does My Dog Misbehave?
To me the idea that dogs misbehave is on par with the earth being the center of our solar system; they both survived long after evidence to the contrary was discovered. Misbehavior can only occur when a being is fully …
Dog Philosophy 101
A watched pot may never boil but a watched human soon produces food. Mystery is the key to wealth. Keep humans guessing what you want and they will shower you with gifts. Humans are fond of baths. If they are …