How to train dogs struggling with fear-based behavior challenges.
Vocalizing is one of the first behaviors puppies perform. Along with rooting and suckling and dragging themselves along like seals, crying and whining were how they got needs met. It got mum’s attention along with being cleaned, and fed. It’s a well rehearsed and reinforced behavior. As puppies grow they begin to climb, not just on mum and over their siblings, but on any obstacle ...
A good trainer sees possibilities. They know what the final outcome looks like, sounds like, feels like. Good trainers recognize that choice is often a product of deprivation. The deprivation that increases motivation and the deprivation that excludes certain options as choices. Good trainers recognize that choice is often a product of deprivation. We recognize that an animal cooped up all day either in a ...
If humans enjoy anything, it's a good debate, a controversial idea, or an interesting piece of fiction. We talk about looking at different sides of stories, of hidden meanings, repressed (or not) emotions. It's a gift and a curse. When we are trying to understand why an individual does the things they do, it's often no holds barred. We explore their early lives, even imagined ...
It makes sense that people would ask me about fear periods in dogs. The most I feel comfortable saying (due to my limited understanding of physiological and neurological development) is that it is not uncommon for dogs at some time in their lives, to be more sensitive to learning to be afraid of things. A general definition of fear period frames what's going on in ...
Adolescence is challenging It’s routinely accepted that the adolescent period of a social animal’s life is challenging. This is especially true for those who engage socially with them. Having children is like choosing to buy a cardboard boat. You know that one day the ride is bound to get difficult. It’s common to refer to our adolescent dogs in derogatory, albeit loving ways. I prefer ...
Shaping behavior in people Getting owners, handlers or caregivers of dogs and other animals, to use food without reserve or guilt, is one of the skills trainers need to master. It is not unusual for an owner to want to show me how they can get the animal to do something, without using food. I’ve had them take lead lines or leashes out of my ...
I should start by saying that my parents were kind people. They modeled being helpful and supportive of people who might struggle in the world because they were different from the other people in their family or community. They gave me a puppy for my birthday when I was 16, which makes them just about the best of anyone on the planet. But even with ...
Is your resistance to using medications holding your dog back? Among the challenges we face training dogs struggling with problem behavior is the size of the margin of error we have to work with. Training can be done without medications, and should be done along with their use. Medications serve multiple purposes. They can provide the animal with relief. Extreme anxiety, chronic startling, debilitating inhibition ...
Learn with us at Lemon's Hope Sanctuary Working with problem behaviors requires more than simply following a protocol. You need to be able to wrap your head around a number of concepts, some that might seem in opposition to each other. The idea that using positive reinforcement to train is a good thing. It has permeated the training field, and the pet dog owner community ...
Thank you Dr. Skinner It's common to find in the animal training industry people who either are unaware of the work that has been done in the field of behavior and learning, or who choose not to recognize it. The approach I take to the training and rehabilitation of dogs and other animals is not my special brand of whispering. I have not reinvented any ...
