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A common mistake that many owners make when trying to help a fearful dog become more comfortable around something they’re scared of is attempting to lure the dog closer to the scary thing with a treat. Though the thinking behind this strategy is well meaning, it can often backfire and increase the dog’s fear.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why trainers use those little clicking devices when working with animals? The “click” noise functions as something that trainers call a MARKER SIGNAL. A marker signal is a way of communicating with an animal to help training go as smoothly and efficiently as possible. It is a sound or visual signal that says to your dog “You...
Read More“What’s the command for this?” is one of the most common questions that dog trainers hear from owners. There’s a big focus in the general dog owning public on using WORDS to control a dog. We humans use a verbal language as our primarily mode of communication, so it’s only natural that we instinctively use plenty of spoken cues when we’re trying to...
Read MoreBreed superstitions are very common in the dog world. You’ve probably heard many variations; certain breeds can only be trained a certain way, specific behaviours are impossible to train in specific breeds, and so on. The good news is that these superstitions just aren’t true! While breed stereotypes can be useful as a general guide for making educ...
Read MoreThere is a lot of misinformation floating around the dog owning community regarding resource guarding. You’ve probably heard one or both of the following: “If your puppy growls at you over a bone, you can’t let them “win” and must take it off them” “Dogs that guard things are trying to be dominant – you must show them who’s boss”
Read MoreMost of us would notice if our dog started growling and snapping at us over their food, but did you know that there are plenty of body language signals that dogs give BEFORE the problem gets that bad? Resource guarding is a very common behavioural problem amongst dogs. It’s when a dog acts aggressively in order to maintain possession over something...
Read MorePuppy biting is a perfectly normal play behaviour for all puppies – but it’s not so fun for us humans! Puppy teeth are needle sharp, and even a light nip can hurt a lot. It’s important to teach your puppy to be gentle with their teeth, both for our sake, and so that they know how to regulate their jaw strength if they’re ever in a situation as an...
Read MoreOne of the most common mistakes that people make when trying to help fearful dogs is the tough-love style method of thinking “they need to get used to it!” Usually this way of thinking leads to an owner exposing their dog to the thing that scares them over and over again, in the hope that the dog will figure out that it isn’t scary.
Read MoreDog bites can be prevented by learning the body language signals that dogs give off in the lead up to a bite. Dogs generally don't "bite out of nowhere" unless these early signals have been ignored repeatedly or punished. Here are the signals that a dog will give as they move down the road to a bite, and what they mean:
Read MoreThe reason that many dogs don’t come when called is a simple one – the consequences are not rewarding for them. Remember our golden rule – “all behaviour that gets rewarded gets repeated.” More often than not, we call our dogs to come either towards something they’ll find unpleasant; like giving them medication or bath time, or away from something...
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