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 […]
Archive | Behavior Challenges
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: 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 […]