Today marks the beginning of summer and you might be looking for a book to read in the park or on the beach. Here is a little review of one of my favourite “Dog Training” books; and I put Dog Training in inverted comas, because this book will not only help its readers train their dogs, but also other pets they may have (from ferret to dolphin, pony to golden goose), their kids, or even themselves.
Don’t Shoot The Dog introduces the readers to Positive Reinforcement, and clarifies.......
Read moreClients often ask how they can prevent their dogs from jumping up, barking, weeing inside the house, etc. Some trainers still advise to use old fashioned, aversive training methods, such as shouting: “NO”, jerking the lead, or even sometimes kicking the dog or pinning him down. Not only are some of these methods very cruel, it has now been proven that they are....
Read moreSocialising your puppy is vital, and the only place you can really do that effectively is the Dog Park. One hour a week during puppy class is not enough, you have to get out there. I am still coming across cases where the dogs amount of socialisation and exercise is a key factor in moving forward with any behavioural problems they may have.
Ideally, the park would be...
Read moreThere is one thing that all my clients, and myself have in common: we all want our dogs to be happy. However, sometimes life simply takes over, and we need to stop and remind ourselves the promises we've made to our dogs the day we let them into our lives.
We owe it to our dogs to help them:
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Read moreDid you know using food as a reward when training your dog is not only smart, it is “scientifically-proven-smart”? The treat will become the hoped-for-reward that will increase the level of dopamine in your dog’s brain to help him do well with the training ahead.
Not just in dogs, the human body also creates Dopamine; it’s a neurotransmitter that appears into your system when you are...
Read moreIt can take ages to get your dog to walk well on a lead. I don't like to train using harsh equipment, so clicker training and some patience is often the best way.
Nevertheless, I recently discovered and started using a Perfect Fit harness at home as well as at work. A harness made of three different parts (for a perfect fit... genius), and most crucially.....
Read moreI sometimes hear clients say they were told by Dog Trainers, or that they read in various dog training books that they should never play Tug Of War with their dogs. Surprisingly, the belief that playing Tug Of War could increase aggression and dominance in dogs is still out there.
This is interesting, as not only the idea that a game of Tug Of War could be dangerous is wrong, it is also completely the opposite. On the contrary, it is a great way to get your dog to....
Read moreWe cannot say it enough, socialising your puppy is so Important. Put the effort into it, do it well, and you will have a happy, confidant dog later. Miss your window or do it wrong and your dog could become socially awkward, fearful, and potentially aggressive. Not fun for you? Even less fun for your dog. You owe it to your puppy....
Read moreFrankie Lymon was wondering: "Why do fools fall in love?"
Well Frankie... I don't rightly know, but when it comes to our mutual love and bond between humans and dogs, it seams that a team of Japanese scientists have found the answer for us.
They found that cuddling, or gazing into your dog's eyes triggers a...
Read moreDogs don't want to fight, they know that potentially it can be dangerous for them too. Most dogs demonstrate 4 survival strategies when confronted to a situation they are not comfortable with: Flight, Flirt, Freeze and (generally as a last resort) Fight. The Four Fs. Think about it, us humans sometimes uses these too....
Read moreFamily dogs help children display better social skills and boost their self-esteem.
Research shows that children with family dogs have higher self-esteem. Living and looking after a dog allows children to experience love and compassion; feeding and caring for a dog encourages childhood responsibility....
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