New Neighborhood, New Challenges, New Success!
It has been a while since I wrote about my dogs so before I dive into this dog’s big success today, let me explain a little bit about his history. Loker, this 5.5yr old husky/shepherd mix, spent his first 2.5 years of life in a shelter and was adopted out twice (and returned twice) before…
Analyzing the Dog Whisperer’s Techniques Through the Eyes of Science-Based Theories
I want to start out by saying that I used to be one of Cesar Millan’s, the Dog Whisperer, biggest fans. I even went to his seminar and met him in person in 2006. His methods worked for me until I adopted my dog, Loker. Loker put me on the path to seeking new knowledge…
Confidence IS The Cure – Dog Leash Reactivity
I’ve owned my reactive dog, Loker, for almost 3 years already. Man does time fly! Our walks lately have been surprisingly relaxing. He’s mastered loose leash walking as long as I’m consistent and I’ve developed a new attitude: Whatever happens, happens. As we were walking down the street enjoying the nice spring breeze, I realized…
The Missing Link – Training My Reactive Dog
Over the past year, I’ve been working really hard to change my dog’s behavior towards other dogs, but I feel I’ve made little progress. He has mastered his obedience skills, but he still can barely control himself at the site of another dog and he will react if the other dog is anything but calm…
On-Leash Reactivity: Sometimes the Best Thing is to Do Nothing!
This past week several things reminded me that doing nothing and teaching your dog to just “do nothing” is incredibly important in hyper-active and reactive dogs. Relaxation for On-Leash Reactivity The first of these reminders was watching a DVD by Chirag Patel called Aggression: From Brain to Bite. I’m over half way through and I…
Doggy Backpacks!
I believe that backpacks are a good way to drain extra energy out of your dog. They can also be helpful on hikes or camping trips. The use of backpacks is something I carry over with me from when I used to follow Cesar Millan’s training style. Everyone seems to have a differing opinion about…
Doggy Chiropractor
I’ve always been a skeptic of holistic medicine. I am a very rational/logical person and got a degree in Biology after all. Fortunately, I’m very open-minded (as you all know). Before I crossed over to positive reinforcement based training, I didn’t believe in using drugs or supplements to treat behavior issues. I believed that behavior…
Promoting Positive Reinforcement
As part of my “Let’s Talk About Positive Reinforcement Training” initiative, I recently put together a video that demonstrates the reliability and connection that positive reinforcement can create. I reached out to my friends on Facebook and there was an overwhelming response! Everyone wanted to contribute their videos to the project. I chose to demonstrate…