Many dogs bark to get attention—and it works for them. They bark and we either tell them to stop or, even worse, pet them or give them a biscuit—all without thinking about it, so long as the barking stops. That bark becomes successful as it gets the dog what he wants—attention. And when a behavior […]
Author Archive | francine
Change “No!” To “Yes!”
Next time your dog does something you don’t like, think of what you’d like the dog to do and ask for that. Too commonly, we don’t take the time to give our dogs the skills and the ability to do what we’d like them to do instead of just telling her “no!” If your dog […]
Unintentional Learning: Did You Reward the Behavior You Really Wanted?
Unfortunately, mechanics and timing can be important when we train our dogs. If you reward late, you might be rewarding the behavior that actually follows the one that you want. For example, you ask your dog to sit. She does and you say, “Good Girl!” She gets up and you reward her. Over time you […]
Unintentional Learning: Does the Behavior Work?
Dogs constantly learn by discovering what behavior works. They test and eliminate and add to the list of what behaviors get them what they want. If a puppy is giving a treat every time she sits, she’ll quickly learn that the behavior pays off and will often offer a sit when unsure of what to […]
Unintentional Learning: Are You Consistent?
Family decisions can be tough. It’s hard to get everyone on the same page for anything no less for training the family dog. Unfortunately, inconsistencies among family members can lead to unintentional learning by the dog. Take the puppy who repeatedly tries to get on the couch, even when the family as a whole has […]
Are You Really Ready For The Holidays?
Shopping, baking, decorating, cooking, cleaning—the preparations for the Holidays go on and on. And then it’s guests, lots of food, wrapping paper and ribbons, music, laughing and playing. So…where’s the dog? Some dogs do really well; they are able to mingle amidst the chaos and settle and relax when they need to. Some even retreat […]
What’s In A Yawn?
You yawn when you’re tired and probably when you’re bored. You even yawn when you see someone else yawning a lot. And some athletes yawn to focus and stay calm before a competition. Take a look at “Making The Case For the Pre-Race Yawn” for details on that. Olympic skater Apolo Ohno was well-known for […]
Say Good-Bye to “No!”
You have your new puppy or dog for a few weeks and then realize that, as the dog gets more comfortable, that sweet puppy or new arrival gets more active and starts to explore, push boundaries and get downright naughty. The result? You feel as though all you say is “No!” He barks at you […]