Training Articles
The How to Tell When Someone Claims to, but Doesn’t Actually Understand Dog Training Starter Kit:
Won’t use “corrective” tools in dog training, but yells at their dog constantly for not listening. Allows their dog to pull on a “gentle” leader with the strap almost in the dogs eyeballs, but touts that prong collars are inhumane. Gives unsolicited advice on the internet and says things like: “Try humane ‘science based’ dog training instead,” implying that only positive reinforcement is science-based. This is the age we live in. We live in a sea of experts simply because people have a keyboard and Google. Believers in positive reinforcement (+R) only training, from my experience are some of the
“Insecurities are loud, confidence is quiet.”
This statement is CERTAINLY true with people and it’s absolutely true with dogs. The catch is that dogs, like people, are not one thing or the other. They’re not simply insecure or secure. We are all multi layered. We all have things that make us feel less than and we have things about ourselves that empower us and make us feel confident. Some dogs and people are consumed by their insecurities. It takes over their life and makes them act out. Kiana’s insecurities began to slowly take over her life and her owner’s. Dogs that struggle with stranger-danger issues or
Flash Dog Training’s Shadow Program
Shadowing a reputable professional through their day-to-day routine as they practice their craft is a great way to learn a trade. When that craft is training dogs in a home-based environment, it’s great insight to what this “lifestyle” is like. It’s not just about the repetition of teaching the dog obedience, you are watching the ins and outs of what it’s like living with dogs that have behavioral issues and what the process looks like to resolving them. We have had shadows work with us for a weekend, week, month and even 3 month period. The length of stay is
Taking the Bite Out of Bark Collars
The bark collar is a tool that doesn’t get enough credibility or exposure when dog trainers talk about all the tools in their training belt. Years ago before I knew anything about bark collars, intuitively I thought that if you put a bark collar on a barking dog and they got corrected, it would make them more anxious and frantic. What bark collars do is actually the stark opposite of that. When dogs bark continuously they adrenalize themselves, essentially working up into a frenzy. That frenzy can lead to very dangerous behaviors, like breaking out of kennels, lighting up at
Stubborn? Not Your Dog
Why are people so quick to call dogs stubborn? Stubborn implies that the dog understands what is wanted by the human and then refuses to comply. As a trainer, I know that dogs are rarely stubborn. They truly don’t understand what is being asked of them because they’ve never been properly taught. If one of my dogs blows off a command, it’s likely because there is a competing motivator in the environment, not because they are being willfully defiant. Just because a dog will sit for a hand lure with a treat, does not mean that they understand sit while
Half of Dog Training is Doing Nothing
Dogs don’t know how to do nothing. They’re really bad at it and they need our help at making them feel like it is a comfortable option. Let’s be real, left to their own devices dogs will make really, really crappy decisions. Even if they are well trained, in the absence of the owner they can make really poor choices. Most dogs do not know how to self soothe in any way. Crate training, place command and obedience commands with duration, teach dogs to control their impulses, regulate their adrenaline, and feel comfortable doing nothing… even when the world around
Baby Talking to Dogs: Good or Bad?
How dreadful, how dare I! I’m going to reinforce her fear by baby talking to her! Oh, no! How selfish of me. There are many grey areas in dog training. There are many things that are incredibly counterintuitive as well. It has become popular opinion that baby talking to dogs is a terrible thing that reinforces all kinds of bad behavior. Here’s what I have to say about the topic: Reinforcement has to be something the dog wants. It also has to be something the dog wants in that particular moment. Could baby talking to a dog and coddling them
Why You Shouldn’t Take Dog Training Advice From Your Vet
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a dog training client tell me, “My veterinarian said not to take my puppy into the world until he’s four months old because he could get sick.” or “My vet said that my dog is dominant because of how he reacted during his exam,” I’d be rolling in cash. Not a single word of this blog is intended to badmouth vets. We need vets and their knowledge of physical health should not be undervalued. But as with any other service, you should contact a professional that is qualified and has
