Training An Older Dog
You've no doubt heard the adage, You can't teach an old dog new tricks." If you have an older dog
Does Your Female Dog Hump?
Usually humping is associated with male dogs, but humping is also very common amongst female dogs. Some girls will hump toys or other objects, some hump air, others hump other dogs or even people. To learn more about humping, why girls do it, and how to keep your female dog from humping, we talk with Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Chair of The Association of Professional Dog Trainers Nick Hof, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, KPA-CTP, CSAT, to answer some of your most commonly asked questions about female dogs and humping.
The 5 Most Common Dog Training Mistakes
You'll never hear me say that coercive dog training methods don't work; they can. Nor will you ever hear me say that positive dog training turns every dog into a model canine citizen. It doesn't. There is a big difference, however, between positive and coercive training. When methods that rely on the use of force and application of pain fail, it's often because of the dog's inability to tolerate coercion and intimidation. This can result in serious long-term behavioral damage and sometimes physical injury.
Best Choices in Free Dog Training Apps
Free dog training apps are convenient, budget-friendly, and address behavioral issues and training. They can even help you teach your dog tricks. However, with so many apps available, it can be challenging to determine which ones use only positive reinforcement to train dogs. Be careful out there! Sadly, many dog trainers still use negative reinforcement and balanced training, both of which we do not recommend.
Tail-Wagging Training
Training, says Massachusetts dog trainer Donna Duford, should be fun, not work. Her seminars are such upbeat, tail-wagging events that the dogs seem to be having a party. Look closer and you’ll see a serious class, with participants taking notes as Duford reviews the laws of learning and defines classical conditioning, operant conditioning, positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, continuous and variable reinforcement schedules, and other fundamentals of behavioral training.
Teach Your Dog to Settle and Relax on Cue
If your dog will exhibit calm relaxed behavior when needed, it can help reduce stress and make everyone’s day smoother. When our dogs act calm, they will actually become calmer. Gradually, this state of relaxation will develop to match the outward behavior.
Frustrated With How Your Dog’s Training is Going?
an obedience class
Dog Trainers Note How Men and Women May Train Differently
Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. Dogs are from Neptune. A well-known trainer recently made a public comment about men’s inability to act silly with their dogs, to the detriment of their ability to use positive training methods effectively. Are we really three alien species, destined to live forever in a world of miscommunication and misinterpretation? Is one gender truly better suited to bridge the communication gap between the human and canine species?
Clicker Training for Dogs 101
If you use a clicker as your marker, you would create this association initially by clicking the clicker and then immediately feeding the dog a treat. You repeat this a number of times click, treat; click, treat; click, treat until your dog's eyes light up when she hears the click and she looks for the treat. We sometimes refer to this process as charging" the clicker; we've given the click significance
Clicker Training and Trick Training Your Dog
one
can shape a new trick."
can shape a new trick."
Dog Training 101
No matter what you want to teach your dog at home, the first thing to figure out is what your dog wants for a reward.