Many dogs are anxious about receiving husbandry care—especially if they find new experiences scary or if they have had a bad experience in the past. The good news is that by training low-stress handling at home, you can reduce or alleviate your dog’s fear about receiving veterinary and grooming care.
If your dog is sensitive to people or dogs, it can make everyday activities like walks, vet visits, and group classes stressful for both of you. However, when your dog is engaged with you instead of the nearby trigger, you can sing in the rain!
If you work at or have ever visited a shelter, you know these dogs: the shy dogs that cower in the corner of the kennel, reluctant to interact with visitors, staff, or other dogs. Unfortunately, since they aren’t greeting visitors at the front of the kennel, they are also the dogs that don’t always get adopted. Clicker training can help a shy dog develop confidence by building trust and giving the dog control over the environment.
Michelle Wieser, KPA CTP, lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, a remote northern area near Alaska. She first became involved in dog training as a teenager, sharing that interest with her mother. “My mother was involved in our local dog training club. She and I were very close. We read training books together, competed in obedience and agility, and met new friends in the dog sport training community. Sadly, my mother passed away from cancer in 2010,” Michelle shares.
Congratulations to our very own Ken Ramirez who was the recipient of the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers Board of Directors.
You want to interact with your puppy but, ouch, those little razor-sharp teeth! Puppy biting is a completely normal part of puppy development, but it’s important to teach puppies not to bite so that it doesn’t continue into adulthood.
Multiple-time International Freestyle Champion Michele Pouliot is often asked how she makes her dazzling freestyle routines seem so effortless. Ready to find out? In this video, Michele and her dog Keiko demonstrate some of the individual behaviors that she often uses in their routines. Then they show us how to put these behaviors together to create a dazzling sequence!
Anyone who has ever taken a cat to the vet knows that it can be a stressful experience for both feline and human. Just the sight of a cat carrier can send your cat into hiding! This stress and anxiety is one of the reasons that, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), cats are far less likely to go to the vet than dogs. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way!
Here’s a common scenario: Your dog loves to chase toys. You pick up a toy and your dog dances wildly in anticipation. “Throw the toy, human! Throw it!” You toss the toy and your dog chases it… and then disappears. Game over! Many dogs love to chase toys, but they don’t always bring the toy back. How do you teach your dog to play interactively?
Does your dog go berserk when you come home? Do you wish your dog would greet you calmly rather than barking or jumping on you? Having your dog greet you (and your visitors) politely is a worthwhile behavior to train—and it’s easy!
