One of the essential skills every dog should learn is waiting patiently at a gate or doorway. Teaching your furry companions to stay put until given the cue to proceed not only ensures their safety but also brings you peace of mind.
Unleashing Confidence: Nose Work Skills for Shy Dogs
Dogs are remarkable creatures with unique personalities. Just like humans, some can be naturally shy or lack self-confidence. Finding effective methods to boost the confidence of shy dogs and help them overcome their fears is crucial for their overall well-being. One powerful tool that has gained popularity in recent years is nose work, a fascinating canine activity that taps into a dog’s incredible sense of smell. In nose work, dogs are trained to search for specific scents, often using food or other target odors hidden in various environments.
Therapy Dog Skills: Remaining Calm Around Medical Equipment
It’s no secret that our dogs bring us comfort and joy, but have you ever wondered how you can train your dog to provide that same comfort and joy to others? Therapy dogs offer comforting benefits to people who are lonely or grieving, and even help people cope with anxiety and trauma
How to Enjoy Breweries and Restaurants with Your Dog
Breweries and dogs are a popular combination, especially in the warm-weather months. However, for some dogs the noisy environment and close proximity to people and other dogs can be challenging. Luckily, you and your four-legged friend can learn the skills that allow you to enjoy your neighborhood breweries, restaurants, coffee shops, wineries, and cafés together!
Introducing Dogs to Each Other
When you are introducing two dogs to each other, first interactions matter. How the dogs interact in their first encounter can set the tone for future interactions. Greetings tend to go best when you introduce the dogs in neutral territory and proceed slowly, so that the dogs can decide if they would like to interact.
May KPA CTP of the Month: Linda Randall
Linda Randall, DVM, KPA CTP, owner and trainer at One Smart Dog in Seville, Ohio, graduated from the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program and became a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) in 2022. However, she has been a positive trainer for many years, applying tenets of clicker training and other positive philosophies to her clients and herself, and toward understanding and coping with societal conflicts and challenges.
Generalizing the Settle Behavior
Are your daily walks more like scavenger hunts for your dog? Food and garbage on the ground are often irresistible distractions for many dogs, but these distractions can result in an emergency vet visit. Teaching your dog to control his/her impulses and “Leave It” will help you keep your dog safe, no matter what “treasures” await!
Leg Weaves for Canine Freestye
Teaching your dog to weave through your legs is great for building confidence, and the leg weave is a fundamental skill for dog sports like Canine Freestyle. The goal of leg weave is for your dog to weave through your legs in a figure eight pattern, as demonstrated in this video.
Successful Cat Introductions
Bringing a new cat into a home with other cats? Let’s face it: cats are territorial, so you will want to be sure to introduce your cats slowly to minimize fearful or aggressive interactions. In the beginning, you will want to confine the new cat to a separate room to encourage them to get used to one another’s scent. Eventually, you will be able to progress to a controlled face-to-face meeting, allowing visual contact through a barrier, such as a pet gate, baby gate, or screen door. But how do you progress to visual contact while avoiding a stare down or confrontation? Try training!
April KPA CTP of the Month: Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins, KPA CTP, is the Director of Animal Therapy (AT) at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. A lifelong animal lover, she marvels at what positive reinforcement can accomplish in learning, in contrast to force and intimidation. While completing many local training classes and attending seminars recommended to her by people who share her views about animal training, Stephanie learned about the KPA Dog Trainer Professional (DTP) program.