A behavior assessment is the process of identifying and noting an individual dog’s reaction to various environmental stimuli. Well-made behavior assessments measure the things a dog does and avoid the use of adjectives such as anxiety or suspicion, which are our interpretations of the behavior. Why assess behavior? There are a number of reasons why you may want […]
What is a behavior assessment and why do it? Read More »
A lot of dogs struggle to relax in a car. They whine when you get near to the dog park, and bark when they want to get out of the vehicle. Noise in the car can be very distracting to the driver (as well as being unpleasant to sit and listen to), so today I’m going
Dogs Barking in the car. Read More »
Bigger rewards for better reps” 🚫 Heard you should only give big rewards for the best repetitions? 🤔 Think again! A tiny treat for slow recalls might just kill your dog’s motivation. Whereas a jumbo reward is MORE likely to make them want to come racing back for more of the good stuff! Remember you’re
🚫 Myth Busted: “Stay Quiet During Training” 🚫 Think you should be quiet as a mouse during training 🤐 Think again! Silence can create confusion and frustration (for both ends of the lead to be honest!) Why stay quiet when a dog is listening and eager to participate? Communication helps build understanding and confidence. You’re
Myth Busted: 🚫 Rewarding every tiny improvement sounds smart, but in reality… only focusing on progress towards an end goal can lead to rigid, joyless training. Happy, enthusiastic participation is a far better goal than task perfection! And this doesn’t just apply to dog training btw – it goes for your business and lots of
Myth Buster 2 Reward Incrementally for Better Results Read More »
Myth Busted: “Fade Out Lures ASAP” 🚫 Heard you should fade out lures as fast as possible? 🤔 Think again! Rushing can zap the fun out of training and make training feel like a chore. Lures help dogs understand what we want. Fading them too quickly can kill the joy in learning. Take your time
Myth Buster 1 Fade Out Lures ASAP Read More »
Karen Pryor died on January 4, 2025. Famed for teaching the world how to use a simple tool to teach skills to animals (very much including humans), she had a long life filled with adventures and animals (very much including humans) of many kinds. The photo you see here shows Karen Pryor at the 2019 Ig Nobel Prize
Sad News: Karen Pryor has died Read More »
Does your organization offer a youth program? Youth programs are an excellent way to establish relationships and integrate families into your programs and organization. The positive effects of guide dogs on their handlers’ lives are well known: helping to reduce everyday challenges faced by vision-impaired people can create more space for handlers to grow and
Youth in Guide Dog Programs Read More »