DeltaDogz

19/01/2025

16/01/2025

16/01/2025

I spent six days last week working from a beach house in Los Angeles, California. Hermosa Beach to be exact. It was an unbelievable week for many reasons. A big part of it was the people who were there with me. I have belonged to a small mastermind group for six years now. We get together in person

23/12/2024

19/12/2024

A great detailed post about how to create a safe space for dogs. Particularly important during the festive season when your dog may struggle with the many challenges this entails.

07/12/2024

If you like it, pay it.

The EASIEST way to start seeing more of the behaviours you like, is to start reinforcing them.

Reinforce with food rewards, petting, play, praise etc. If you see kore of those behaviours, your dog finds your actions reinforcing. If you don't see more of it, change what YOU are doing.

Examples

- quiet behaviours
- settled behaviours
- checking in with you when outdoors
- coming back to you
- disengaging from social interactions with people and dogs
- 4 on the floor

Build this as a daily practice.

What behaviours are you working in with your dog?

06/12/2024

If you hear dog training advice based on the Dominance Theory, it’s time to rethink that approach. I’m diving deep into what you need to know about dog train...

30/11/2024

20/11/2024

Wonderful work that will pay a lifetime of rewards.

13/11/2024

I get complaints about a dog snapping when touched while he’s resting way too often. A little respect for a dog’s private space goes a long way towards keeping everyone safe.

10/11/2024

A simple fun game that will help preserve your recall cue, so your dog will come when called every time.

03/11/2024

I think we should collectively agree about something. Here it is; relationships are not actually the way they are portrayed in the movies. If you attempt to smack your significant other across the face during an argument, don’t count on it ending up in some mushy romantic scene on the closest sofa...

30/10/2024

This sentence is used to justify a lot of things around dogs as well.

The way things were are not always the way things should be. We can’t change the past. But we can shape a kinder future.

30/10/2024

"Life isn't "purely positive" so I can use a prong/shock collar to train my dog..."

This is a ridiculous trope which is often served up as some kind of gotcha. But it's not.

When we are growing up, life is hard. Many of don't need to imagine this because we've lived it but imagine going through life as a child or teenager and not being able to come home and finding safety or support from your parents abd siblings. Imagine doing a task at home and being worried about being berated or physically harmed by your parents. Would that be necessary for life?

Imagine going into a new place of work where your teammates/supervisor are hostile. Would that help you learn how to do your job? Would it make it easier or harder? Now you not only have to worry about the new skills your learning but you have to defend yourself and let people know you won't be treated that way (or dogs don't have that option under these conditions, if they communicate this, it will lead to more punishment).

You go into a new gym class and either (or both) the instructor and other participants are sneering and nasty. Would you go back? Our dogs don't have the option not to go back.

Let's flip that. A child goes home from a particularly hard day at school and are supported by their parents, who then equip them with the skills of how to deal with the hardship.

A new employee joins your team, are welcomed, and taught properly. Do you think they will give a better performance?

A martial arts class has a new student. The instructor starts at their level and partners them with someone who will meet that level and gently expand their comfort zone.

I could give loads more examples - school, college voluntary work, interactions with people in the street.

Yes, life is hard. We don't need those who are in the position to teach and support us pouring on more pressure when we are already struggling.

Our dogs are the same. Life for them in a human world is hard. They need us to teach them kindly, humanely and effectively and this can all be done by reward based training.

They don't need the added pressure of prong collars, choke chains, slip leads, grot/garotte collars, shock collars etc. It's hard enough for them as it is.

N.B. this page is not a place for anyone to promote, endorse, justify or excuse the use of so-called "balanced" training methods or tools. Take it elsewhere.

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