Come On, Let's Train

11/28/2024

Three friends all lost dogs earlier today… They will ALL understand this post… Hugs to all of you… I’m sorry.

11/26/2024

Things to think about… Doesn’t matter if you’re working with donkeys, or cows, or horses, or dogs and cats! Think about your approach - EVERY TIME!

11/26/2024

We’re ALL trainable! LOL!

11/26/2024

I Believe in Dogs…!

11/16/2024

When I was a kid, we “broke” horses by getting on and riding until they gave up… NEVER AGAIN!

Warwick Schiller made his name as an expert trainer. An enigmatic little horse completely changed his outlook.

10/24/2024

How’s your training going? Will your dogs do this?

10/04/2024

Think about it… not all of us humans like huge social gatherings. Not all of us want to go to the concert, the fair, the football game. Some of us enjoy getting together in small groups, some with one or two close friends… and yes, there are those of us that prefer observing from a distance… Don’t expect your dog to be any different! And be willing to meet them where they are…!

Can we please stop expecting that EVERY dog wants to go to dog parks, daycares, patio parties and have birthday parties with other dogs! Nobody loves dogs more than me, but I’m here to tell you that dogs aren’t human children. They don’t want to do everything a human child does. Breed can matter when deciding what is fun for your best friend. Your Husky may have the energy to run, your Retriever may want to retrieve and your terrier may want to chase and grab. So yes, raising them with kindness is paramount, but paying attention to their needs is too. I said it.

This mentality that every dog has to be “social” with other people and dogs is keeping my shelter full, my days long and my heart broken, because I see the best dogs passed over, because they wouldn’t do well at a dog park or daycare. Not every dog needs to like your friends. I keep my dog in his room when people come over, because he isn’t comfortable around everyone, and I don’t want to set him up for failure. Love your dog enough to respect her boundaries.

Your dog doesn’t want to meet every dog. The reality show you watched about dog training and dog adoption is fake, I’ve worked in television, it’s edited to create a good story, not necessarily a real story. Let’s stop these narratives on dog ownership that are SOLD to us and based on making money. Dogs aren’t a business they are our best friends. Remember that.

Your dog can be perfectly safe and happy without overstimulating daycare or doggy birthday parties. Those things are fun for some dogs, but not for all. I want to take my dog everywhere, I want to give my dog the things I would want, but for the love of dogs in shelters everywhere, let’s ask dogs what do they REALLY want?

Dogs want more sniffs, waterlogged sticks, a quiet place to decompress, a space to stretch their legs and you to respect their body language and boundaries. They are talking to you…listen.

10/01/2024

08/13/2024

Edited to add additional information as requested!

Maximize your ability to help animals by understanding the science behind behavior. If you'd like to learn more about the research behind behavior change, please join my mailing list:
http://eepurl.com/hY-7hr or listen to my podcast: https://researchbites.buzzsprout.com

My Science of Fear course covers the limitations of counter-conditioning in more detail: https://sciencemattersllc.com/science-of-fear

And for more information on stress and resilience, check out my Unlocking Resilience course: https://sciencemattersllc.com/unlocking-resilience

Here are some citations for the research:
Keller, N. E., Hennings, A. C., & Dunsmoor, J. E. (2020). Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: Past and future directions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 125, 103532. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796719302189

Bouton, M. E. (1988). Context and ambiguity in the extinction of emotional learning: Implications for exposure therapy. Behaviour research and therapy, 26(2), 137-149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0005796788901131

Thomas, B. L., Cutler, M., & Novak, C. (2012). A modified counterconditioning procedure prevents the renewal of conditioned fear in rats. Learning and Motivation, 43(1-2), 24-34. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023969012000021

08/13/2024

THIS! ALL! DAY! LONG!

Edited to add additional information as requested!

Maximize your ability to help animals by understanding the science behind behavior. If you'd like to learn more about the research behind behavior change, please join my mailing list:
http://eepurl.com/hY-7hr or listen to my podcast: https://researchbites.buzzsprout.com

My Science of Fear course covers the limitations of counter-conditioning in more detail: https://sciencemattersllc.com/science-of-fear

And for more information on stress and resilience, check out my Unlocking Resilience course: https://sciencemattersllc.com/unlocking-resilience

Here are some citations for the research:
Keller, N. E., Hennings, A. C., & Dunsmoor, J. E. (2020). Behavioral and neural processes in counterconditioning: Past and future directions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 125, 103532. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796719302189

Bouton, M. E. (1988). Context and ambiguity in the extinction of emotional learning: Implications for exposure therapy. Behaviour research and therapy, 26(2), 137-149. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0005796788901131

Thomas, B. L., Cutler, M., & Novak, C. (2012). A modified counterconditioning procedure prevents the renewal of conditioned fear in rats. Learning and Motivation, 43(1-2), 24-34. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0023969012000021

06/15/2024

Great advice! Teach your kids how to respect their pets!!

Let's talk about this photo. It's cute, except it's not. I see a dog who cannot get up without telling the child to get off. How do you think a dog is going to do that?

The 7 Golden Toddler Dog Rules:
#1: If a dog walks away from you, you DO NOT FOLLOW.
#2: Always leave room for the dog to walk away from you.
---that right there is 90+% of dog bites eliminated---
#3: We do not climb on the dog.
#4: We do not grab or pull on the dog.
#5: We do not hit or throw anything at the dog.
#6: We do not touch the dog's food.
#7: We do not go into the dog's kennel.

I promise these are not overly difficult concepts for littles, nor will they rob a kid of their bond with the family dog. It will deepen that bond, while keeping everyone safe.

"Oh, it looks like Moose is walking away from you. She is saying she wants a break. Let's play with this instead!"

"It's Moose's dinner time! Let's give her space to enjoy her yummies."

"That is Moose's room(kennel) and only she is allowed to go in there."

"If Moose wanted a break, could she walk away from you right now? No she really couldn't. Let's move away from the play house. You can keep playing but now she can leave when she wants a break."

In conclusion, ***parent your child or your dog will do it for you, and you will not like how they do it.***