When I became a dog trainer, I never imagined a day where I would be sitting at my desk assisting separation anxiety clients and their dogs all over the world. But that’s exactly what I do now and I love it! Technology has opened up a whole new world in the dog training industry, just […]
I think we can all say that keeping on top of your dog’s grooming routine at home can some days feel a bit of a chore, especially if your dog isn’t so keen on the idea. But never fear – once you get started it can actually turn out to be quite a rewarding task and a positive one too! […]
I’ve recently written about using classical conditioning to help your dog be comfortable around strange new things. The previous two articles were about helping my dog, Mercy, learn to interact with a big long blue tunnel. I’ve wanted to do Agility for Fun, so we’re training for that enjoyable activity. I’ve been successful in getting […]
Would you be comfortable if your child’s math teacher described her as headstrong or stubborn because she wasn’t doing well in class? Would you assume the teacher is right and your child is willfully choosing not to learn her multiplication tables? Or, would you consider that your child may not fully understand her lesson and […]
The last time we talked I told you about introducing Mercy to the new agility equipment we purchased over the holidays. I shared how important it is to help her form a positive association with all this “new stuff” on her porch and deck by using classical conditioning. I’m pleased to report the tunnel is no longer […]
Perhaps you’ve heard it’s vitally important to socialize your new dog or puppy to help set them up to be confident, well-adjusted dogs. However, simply increasing exposure to scary or threatening things is not “socialization.” If your dog doesn’t enjoy other dogs, taking him to a dog park or dropping him off at a daycare […]
It’s our mission here at Cold Nose College to keep dogs and cats in their forever homes through training and education. I’ve been fortunate to work with some lovely cat guardians who have been struggling with helping dogs and cats co-exist peacefully, as well as some recent cat-cat aggression issues. Fortunately the cats in these […]
So often in training, when a dog doesn’t perform the desired behavior in response to the given cue, we blame the dog. I often hear, “He’s blowing me off!” or “She’s being stubborn!” However, in reality, the handler just didn’t make it clear enough for the dog to fully understand what the person was trying […]
When introducing new things into a dog’s environment it’s important to consider how a dog will perceive the new object. Dogs, like people, learn through association (classical conditioning) and develop a positive, negative or neutral emotional response to new people, places or things. Any new first interaction and experience needs to be a positive one. […]
As the guardian in a multi-dog household, the Wait cue is one of the most used in my training tool box. Once a wait behavior has been established, the cue can be incorporated in various situations to make daily life less hectic and more manageable. Once trained, when you cue Wait, there’s a pause in […]
