Stimulating Endorphins While Training Your Dog
Ever eat ice cream when you are down? Does it make you feel better? It should brighten your mood because eating comfort foods stimulate endorphins in your brain that give you that “feel good” sensation (unless you are one of the rare people that hate ice cream that is). The endorphins are natural stress fighters…
Shaping – Just Another Advantage of Clicker Training
One of the many benefits of clicker training is the ability to shape a dog to do behaviors they would not naturally do. Shaping truly utilizes a dog’s intelligence. One of the best descriptions I have heard is when someone described it as a “hot/cold game”. That is the best way to put it because…
Dog Training Games
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of clicker training. It’s always good to practice your skills with or without your dog. Getting the right timing takes practice! Here are some dog training games I’ve compiled so that you can have fun while you practice! If you are not familiar with clicker training,…
We’ve Made it to the Finals!
Hello fellow dog owners! I need your help!! I’ve entered my dog (Loker) and I in a National Train Your Dog Month contest and we’ve made it to the finals! We need public votes now to win and would really appreciate it if you’d go vote for us! My video is called Loker the (Smart)…
Can Your Dog “Leave It”?
Have you taken the time to teach your dog to “leave it”? If not, here’s your chance! [Just in time for the holidays! ;)] “Leave it” can be a lifesaving cue for your dog. It can prevent the dog from eating fractured, cooked chicken bones, moldy hamburger on the side of the road, or even…
When Do I Stop Using the Clicker?
Learning when to use the clicker is pretty straight forward. You click when the dog does it right and follow up with a treat or play. One question that is rarely address though is “when do I stop using the clicker?” Presumably, you don’t want to use the clicker forever. It is simply a tool…
Successful Training in Distractions
When dog training, just like learning a new language or skill, you want to start easy and then gradually work up to harder exercises. Training your dog should be a progressive program that increases in difficulty depending on how the dog performs. People often overestimate the capabilities of a dog and make challenges too hard…
Biology Backs Clicker Training
Dogs are emotional beings. This is a new concept to me as when I was a Dog Whisperer fan I believed dogs did not have personalities, but rather that they were either dominant or submissive. Now that I have completely dropped this kind of thinking, as a biologist I am looking at how a species…