Kittens are highly intelligent animals that, just like their canine counterparts, are capable of learning a variety of behaviors. Beginning your training as soon as you bring your kitten home will help prevent unwanted behaviors and ensure that your kitten will grow up to be a well-adjusted member of your family.
Does your dog listen to you when you are at home but ignore you at the park? That’s because training indoors with minimal distraction is very different from training outdoors where you are competing with a myriad of scents, sounds, and other environmental distractions. Before you take your dog out into distracting environments like the park, it’s best to practice training in a quiet, safe outdoor space.
Mouthy puppy problems? While it’s completely normal for puppies to bite, chew, and mouth people’s hands, it’s important to teach puppies what is appropriate to bite and what is not. When a puppy begins nibbling at fingers or toes while playing, try redirecting the puppy’s attention (and teeth!) to a fun toy!
A healthy dog is a happy dog, so it’s important to catch health problems before they occur. Teaching your dog to be comfortable with wellness checks at home helps you catch problems early. It also helps to set up your dog for success at the vet so that when it is time for a visit, your dog will already be comfortable with handling—from nose to tail!
Do you struggle with giving your cat medication? You aren’t alone. Getting cats to take medication can be a challenge, even for veterinarians! Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be so difficult. In this video, Tabitha Kucera, KPA CTP, RVT, and her cat Jellybean (aka Bean) demonstrate how to get a cat to take medication willingly!
Building strong foundation behaviors is an investment that will demonstrate value throughout your dog’s training. For example, targeting is an essential foundation behavior that can be used to teach many useful and complex behaviors, such as guiding an animal to a particular place (into a kennel or onto a scale) or around objects—a foundation for many dog sports.
Does your dog respond to cues reliably at home but fails to respond when you ask for those same cues in a new environment? Your dog isn’t being stubborn on purpose. He simply doesn’t know the behavior to the extent that you think he does!
Socializing puppies with other dogs is important; it teaches them how to be relaxed and confident when they meet new friends. However, a common mistake that many people make is introducing puppies to too many dogs, too casually, and too soon. Not only are those circumstances overwhelming for many young puppies, but they also increase the likelihood that the puppies will become anxious and fearful in the presence of other dogs.
Regular veterinary visits are important for your dog’s health and wellness, but for many dogs these visits can be stressful. Who wouldn’t be anxious about being in a strange, uncomfortable place, in unnatural positions, and being poked, prodded, and pricked in sensitive areas by unfamiliar people? Fortunately, you can reduce your dog’s anxiety by teaching him or her to accept restraint and examination.
One of the most powerful benefits of clicker training is the ability to teach creative behaviors quickly. The head nod is a fun, easy-to-train trick that will impress your friends. In dog sports like Canine Freestyle where creativity and artistic performance are encouraged, a gracious nod of the head upon entering or leaving the ring will wow the judges.
