Bad Dog Good Dog Trainer

06/30/2024

I love this concept.

I'm not sure if I'm Reggie's Kahu or he is my Kahu. What do you think?

05/21/2024

I know one of my students is paying attention in the virtual Mind Games class. No wonder Milllie is rocking the class!

05/01/2023

I can use a creative boost from the collective mind. I will be starting a local radio show to highlight fun facts about pets, behavior, and training and to answer questions about pets. I need a name for my show. Any creative souls out there have some suggestions?

04/29/2022

There is a new study on the connection between breed and personality... and guess what... there isn't one!

Are pit bulls aggressive? Golden retrievers great with kids? Not necessarily, researchers found, with breed alone explaining very little about dog behavior and personality.

10/17/2021

We shouldn't forget that all of our dogs come to us with things they are more likely to do than other dogs. If you live in an apartment building and are concerned about your neighbors and barking... don't get a beagle or a pomeranian.

09/28/2021

Working with other species can be really fun.

09/09/2021

Dogs can tell the difference between a mistake and deliberately doing something. They just keep showing how much more sophisticated they are than we think.

An experiment involving dog treats suggests our canine pals may understand the difference when a human withholds a treat by accident and when they do so on purpose. But don't press your luck.

05/19/2021

Attitudes about many things seem to be changing in a good way. This article may be about Simone Biles, but what attracted me is the approach of her coaches. They are using positive training principles rather than criticism. “Attention! Only Positive Attitudes Allowed in this Area!” is the sign in their gym.

"And when one girl mutters, “That’s sooo bad!” after a shaky showing on bars, he chides: “Why do you say that? If you say that, you’re going to believe it! Just make a change.”

Sounds like a shaping plan to me.

Cecile and Laurent Landi had a plan to help the Rio gold medalist get even better, but first she had to face personal pain.

05/18/2021

Turns out laughter as part of play is a lot more common than we thought. Another "human" characteristic isn't so human after all 🤣

Laughter is spread widely across mammals and occurs in birds, too.

05/02/2021

There is no alpha in a wolf family. It was a misunderstanding of early, poorly designed research. And dog social structure is even looser than it is for wolves. Let us put the concept of canine alpha to rest. Please!

The researcher who introduced this term tried to clear the confusion up two decades ago, but the myth still lives on.

04/19/2021

I have no desire to socialize with every person I see or meet. My dog doesn't either. Let's respect that.

04/17/2021

Those of us with dogs have always believed that dogs can be jealous... now there is some evidence to support our anecdotal stories. Dogs are proving to be pretty sophisticated in the way they perceive the world and themselves.

Nearly 4 in 5 dog owners report instances of jealousy from their pooches, and new research suggests those behaviors can be triggered even if a supposed rival for affection and attention is out of sight.

04/12/2021

Spring Classes Starting Soon
It's time to start planning for more fun things to do with your dog. Now that the weather is getting better we are starting our inperson Parkour Class in Germantown as well as our Zoom classes. All classes are 6 weeks long (outside classes meet six times as weather permits) for $145. Let me know if you are interested and I will sign you up and send you information on how to pay and the address for the in-person class.

Training tip:
Before I get to the classes, I want to offer a free training video for a common problem. Many dogs are uncomfortable having someone take them by the collar. They might not even like their necks being touched. The Gotcha Game is a fun way to help them get comfortable with you taking them by the collar or even having to pull them back out of trouble that way. Practicing the Gotcha Game is a good way to prevent redirected aggression if you do ever have to move your dog by the collar when your dog is highly aroused. Check it out. https://youtu.be/UhaNcXjPAaI

Parkour in Germantown
This is an in-person class. Masks are required. Dogs of all ages and skill levels welcome. Learn skills you can practice on walks or in your house. This is a thinking sport so is a great way to tire out even the most energetic adolescent. Every team's journey is individual so you work at your own level. Even if your dog has some disabilities, parkour is doable with modifications. We have worked with dogs with hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and arthritis.
Meets Sunday at 4:30pm Starts April 18

Parkour on Zoom
Use everyday things in your home as obstacles. I will give you suggestions if you have trouble thinking of something. This is perfect for dogs who aren't ready for group dog classes as well as people too far away for the in-person class. You will learn things you can practice on walks as well as in the house. Some of the reactive dogs who have been taking this class are having enough fun on walks that they are better able to ignore those pesky dogs across the street. Also for dogs of all ages and skill levels
Saturday 9am and Saturday 10:30am. Starts April 24

Tricks on Zoom
Learn tricks that are simple or start on working on some of those more showy tricks. You can use tricks to rev your dog up or to help your dog calm down. This is a fun way to give your dog a lot of really good mental exercise as well as teaching useful skills like picking up something you drop and giving it back to you. You can even earn trick titles to showcase your dog's skills. Good for dogs of all ages and skill levels.
Thurs 7pm Starts April 22

Created with Corel VideoStudio.

03/30/2021

Those that know me know that Susan Friedman is one of my behavior heroes... I try to be more like her every day. I love this story and these mugs. What a wonderful reminder that being kind is something we all should aspire to be.

THE MEANEST THING YOU COULD EVER SAY

I received these extraordinary mugs today made by expert animal trainer Amy Schilz Giraffe Training and Enrichment. The perfect union of art and craft, i.e., form and function deeply actualized. It occurs to me that we also aspire to form (the least intrusive, effective procedure) and function (outcomes of value to the learner) when we teach and train.

What on earth can the saying on the blue mug mean? Here’s what Amy said, “I’ve heard you talk about disingenuous praise and it has helped me observe behavior more carefully and give more honest, informative feedback. I wanted to put the meanest thing I’ve ever heard you say on a mug as a joke; I remembered this lesson and knew that if you ever said ‘nice blinking’ to me, it would mean you could find absolutely nothing else to reinforce! 😂”

So, the moral of the story is this, praise genuinely and informatively. And, if nothing comes to mind, look harder. ♥️

03/21/2021

The more we look, the more we find that other animals feel much the way we do. That includes feeling depressed when confined or living in suboptimal situations.

Device gives scientists rare glimpse of what’s going on inside an animal’s head

03/12/2021

It took us a long time to really look at the intelligence of birds just because their brain is structurally different and we didn't understand it. Now we are learning that marine animals can also show types of intelligence we have never associated with them before. I love the way our understanding of learning, the brain, and cognition are expanding.

The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future.

02/23/2021

The best official advisor

🐾 Who’s the bestest boy who pawrticipates in meetings in the Oval Pawffice? I am! This is why the mean hoomans are jealous, because guess who’s ? I am, and I’m here to stay! Awoooof! - ♥️

Photo credit: Adam Schultz

02/23/2021

One more experiment to show that dogs have body awareness that doesn't use a mirror. Of course a dog fails the mirror test... the dog in the mirror doesn't smell like them. This one doesn't depend on vision or smell. I love it

Pets asked by their owners to pick up an object attached to a mat they were sitting on understood they needed to move in order to complete the task, researchers report.

02/18/2021

Tricks classes starting soon! Learn new tricks that are just fun like rolling over or useful like putting their own toys away. Contact [email protected] for more info

01/24/2021

This is so true... and I certainly feel like "biting" my significant other over things he thinks are funny....

My partner likes to annoy me. He's just playing. He's having fun. It's funny. Right? Sometimes it's really not a big deal. He'll block my way as I'm moving about the kitchen. We laugh and then carry on. Sometimes it bothers me a bit more. He adds "joke items" to our grocery list. Why is milk on here...