Funwalks Dog Training

04/06/2025

Scratch board. Save your money on nail clips.

Order here: https://geni.us/rBf892l From Amazon! (As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn from qualifying purchases)Is this the best dog scratch nail board you...

04/06/2025

Pain seminar in Louisville, KY June 17-18

04/06/2025

I forgot why I blocked KB. Until I remember, I'll feature this, in comments... since she is trying to get shelter dogs DNA tested so the people know what kind of dog breed characteristics they might encounter. (Busy young families shouldn't have terriers, imo).

I say that based on client compliance and the fact rescues and shelters don't have the ability to do HOME CHECKS... One of the reason I was shunned at HRA is because they adopted out an adorable beagle named Wyatt to a crazy busy family with FIVE kids under five (twins). Their nanny was a pothead and they lied about what I said about crate training. Wyatt was returned and euthanized, at 5 months old. (Wyatt's third placement).

That's when I learned a no kill shelter means they still kill. That was before they changed their name to HRA. Same place though... That's also when I found out how much of a back stabbing liar JO was, too. She met Dawn in October at a Dunbar conference in October and Dawn died in January.

JO only watched four of Dawn's classes. She was a new volunteer at the shelter. Not four class sessions. Four hours. It's funny how little time people spent volunteering, yet listed places on their resume.

A trainer isn't qualified to lead a reactive dog class after coaching/assisting six weeks for instance. (Especially with no formal reactive dog education).

04/06/2025

More awesome articles from Zak George and Bree. Studies listed at the end, as usual.

Dogs aren’t “misbehaving”. Their brains might be more like ours than you think… and the evidence continues to support a new approach to training.

Could your dog’s hyperactive behavior actually mirror ADHD in humans?

A comprehensive Finnish study surveyed over 11,000 pet dogs, and discovered striking parallels between canine behaviors and human ADHD symptoms, specifically hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

Nearly 1 in 5 dogs displayed pronounced inattentive behaviors, and about 15% exhibited significant hyperactivity and impulsivity, far beyond typical puppy energy.

Like humans, these traits were more common in younger dogs and males, with social isolation amplifying the symptoms.

Breed differences also emerged: Dogs historically bred for active roles (like terriers and working breeds like German Shepherds) showed higher tendencies toward hyperactivity and impulsivity, while companion breeds showed lower levels. Interestingly, breeds not specifically selected for intense tasks often scored higher in inattention, which is evidence that selective breeding can shape canine cognition significantly.

Still, it’s really important that we don’t oversimplify this. Every dog is an individual, and breed alone never tells the whole story.

Beyond genetics, the environment plays a substantial role. Dogs left alone frequently exhibited increased hyperactivity and attention issues, highlighting the importance of enrichment and social engagement.

Moreover, this research unveiled critical links between “ADHD-like” behaviors and anxiety-related issues in dogs, including obsessive-compulsive tendencies and aggression. Dogs displaying extreme impulsivity or inattention often showed coexisting anxiety or fear-based behaviors, so there could be a potential underlying neurobiological connection. This mirrors findings in human ADHD, where anxiety and compulsive behaviors often coexist.

Why is this significant? It underscores the critical need for compassionate, positive, neuroaffirming training methods rather than outdated, punitive approaches. Aversive techniques, such as leash corrections or shock collars, have been shown to heighten stress and exacerbate behavioral problems, making ADHD-like symptoms worse.

Conversely, structured, positive, enrichment-focused approaches help these dogs channel their energy constructively, significantly improving their focus and emotional stability.

It’s important to clarify that “ADHD-like” doesn’t mean your dog has human ADHD. It’s an analogy that helps us understand their behavior better without anthropomorphizing. Recognizing these behaviors allows us to better support dogs struggling with focus and impulsivity, and improve their quality of life through targeted, humane training.

This research invites us to shift our mindset: Dogs often labeled as “stubborn” or “unmanageable” might actually be neurologically predisposed to hyperactivity or distraction.

Rather than applying harsher discipline, we should lean into empathy, structure, and enriching activities. This evidence supports what many trainers and behaviorists already advocate: understanding and positive engagement, not punishment, bring out the best in our dogs.

Source: Sulkama, S., Puurunen, J., Salonen, M. et al. Canine hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention share similar demographic risk factors and behavioural comorbidities with human ADHD. Transl Psychiatry 11, 501 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01626-x

"Training methods based on punishment compromise dog welfare, study finds." ScienceDaily, 17 December 2020. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201217095536.htm

Related: Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S. et al. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Sci Rep 10, 2962 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z

A couple of articles discussing the study referenced in this post:
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/931717
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211015184215.htm

04/05/2025

04/04/2025

I'm a bit late, but emails are listed.

It has come to our attention that an attempt may be made to attach the text of SB 122 to another bill tomorrow morning at 9:00 am.

Please call and/or email asking the House Local Government Committee as well as your own legislators not to consider a substitute or amendment to SB 25 or any other bill that contains the text of SB 122, the retail pet sales bill.

If this bill passes it could be catastrophic for Kentucky animals and the advocates that fight for them.

800-372-7181
Phone lines open - 7:00 am - 6:00 pm EST

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected];
[email protected]

after calling and emailing -
TUNE IN:
House Local Government Committee
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
9:00 am EST
https://www.ket.org/legislature/

03/31/2025

For compassionate dog guardians who want to give their puppies the best start – and for dog pros ready to shift from obedience-based classes to trauma-informed foundations. Are We Asking Too Much from Puppies … and Missing What They Actually Need? Most puppy training focuses on teaching puppies ...

03/30/2025

At Five Below for a $1.00. I felt joy! It was immediately squashed when I saw a hand off from a board and train in a grocery store parking lot. The poor dog was cowering, panting heavily. It's 59 degrees out, was hand shy, hundreds of lip licks, hyper vigilant and jumpy, slammed to the ground when the trainer went to touch his or her head. I waited until the hand off was complete, remote control included. I asked if she taught classes. Nope. Just board and trains. Been doing it 30 years. I asked her to take my card if she ever considered having group classes. I doubt it, but we shall see.

03/29/2025

Now, catch up.

Words from my book The Strength That Stays 🌹

03/26/2025

03/21/2025

New Development: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants Officially Closes the Door on Aversive Dog Training

Another domino has fallen in favor of modern, humane, and scientifically sound dog training methods.

We want to acknowledge the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) for officially moving beyond LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) as their guiding framework and explicitly rejecting the intentional use of positive punishment.

The issue with LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) is that while it was intended to prioritize minimally intrusive, positively reinforcing methods, it still allowed trainers to justify outdated, aversive techniques, like shock collars or prong collars, as a supposed ‘last resort.’

This effectively provided cover for outdated ‘balanced’ training practices, an approach that we now clearly understand is not supported by scientific evidence. IAABC, a prominent global certifying body for behavior consultants, has now recognized this flaw and moved beyond LIMA.

Scientific evidence clearly shows aversive methods, even as a "last resort", don’t address underlying behavior causes; for example, shocking a dog who displays aggression doesn’t change their emotional response, it simply suppresses their communication.

This loophole permitted methods based in pain, fear, and intimidation, methods clearly shown by behavior science to be ineffective at addressing underlying causes of behavior and ethically indefensible.

To be clear, LIMA is not a framework endorsed by credible behavior science. In 2025, it is pseudoscientific by definition because it incorporates unsupported, aversive techniques under certain conditions. The term has become deeply problematic in professional dog training.

True scientific professionals, behavior analysts, and animal welfare experts consistently affirm that methods using aversive tools or techniques are unnecessary, ineffective long-term, and detrimental to animal welfare.

By adopting an explicitly ethical framework, IAABC has joined organizations like the Pet Professional Guild (PPG) in setting a clearer, science-based standard.

Today, only a small number of certifying organizations still explicitly allow aversive training methods or cling to the ambiguous and outdated LIMA standard.

Quick update on major certifying bodies stance on aversives:

The Pet Professional Guild (PPG) remains committed to force-free, modern methods. https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/about-us/position-statements/

International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) now explicitly rejects intentional aversive methods under their new ethical framework. https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/iaabc-free/

Association for Professional Dog Training International (APDTI) retains the term LIMA (“Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive”), and even explicitly states that aversive methods are not justified "in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies." However, their guidelines do not categorically prohibit aversive methods, leaving open the possibility of their use when trainers determine other interventions are “ineffective”. This lack of absolute clarity can lead to confusion and indicates APDTI would benefit from adopting explicitly force-free terminology. https://apdt.com/membercertificant-announcement/?highlight=LIMA

Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, Inc. (CCPDT) still permits aversive methods as a “last resort”. Their outdated position is clearly at odds with current behavioral science, leaving significant room for improvement if CCPDT aims to gain credibility as a leading certifying organization. https://www.ccpdt.org/about-us/standards-practice-code-ethics/