Holidays are fun to celebrate with furry family members, but the abundance of guests, commotion, and food can be challenging for you and your dog. An enrichment toy is a fantastic way to keep your dog relaxed and occupied during the holiday madness—or any time your dog needs a long-lasting treat.
Walking on a leash is an important skill for puppies to learn, but it can be challenging to train puppies that are eager to explore the world around them. The key to setting up puppies for success is to use a high rate of reinforcement to keep the puppy’s attention and accelerate learning. Visual markers can be helpful reminders to the handler to offer the puppy a treat for being in the desired position.
Do you struggle getting your dog to come inside after playtime in the yard? While it’s frustrating when your dog ignores you, who could blame your pup when being outside is so much more exciting than being indoors? The trick is to flip that dynamic and make coming inside more fun!
Despite popular belief, cats can be trained. Training any animal, the key is finding the right reinforcement and reinforcement delivery! Many cats devour small training treats or kibble from a pouch.
As the weather gets colder, your dog may need protective clothing, like a sweater or coat. Many small dogs have difficulty retaining body heat, and senior dogs are prone to underlying medical conditions that may make them more sensitive to the cold, including arthritis. Many rescue dogs come from warmer climates and need help acclimating to colder weather. However, while dogs may benefit from wearing a coat, they may not enjoy wearing one!
No treats? No problem! There are many other reinforcers besides food that can be leveraged in a training session. In fact, you may find some of these non-food reinforcers right under your nose (or your feet)!
If you work at, volunteer for, or have visited a shelter, you’ve probably experienced rows of dogs barking and jumping at the kennel doors. Dogs that bark excessively as people pass by are sometimes overlooked by potential adopters. How do you teach these dogs to remain calm and quiet so that they can increase their chances of being adopted? With positive reinforcement training, of course!
Many dogs tremble at the vet. While you and your dog may have practiced exams at home, the sights, sounds, and scents at the veterinary clinic often evoke anxiety in even the most well-prepared dogs. What do you do when you find your dog trembling underneath your chair in the waiting area? Try training!
Does your puppy try to run away when you reach for her harness? Hands reaching toward a harness often signifies to puppies that playtime is over. However, it is very important for puppies to feel comfortable when their harnesses are grabbed.
Repetition is a powerful key to learning. Children learn new skills by repeating a behavior or piece of a behavior again and again until the skill is committed to memory and becomes a habit (like practicing piano). The very same principle works for dog training classes. By repeating the same skill or exercise enough times, the handler becomes better at delivering cues and the dog understands more quickly what the desired behavior should be. However, if learning becomes too repetitive, it can become boring (once again, like practicing piano!). So how do you use repetition in dog training classes without boring your learners? By making it fun!
