FACT Academy, LLC

06/30/2020

Stuck at home because of COVID-19? Mental enrichment has never been more important for your dog. Check out Director Camille Dabney Asmer as she explains the what, the why, and the how of mental enrichment for dogs!

Learn from FACT Academy Director, Camille Asmer, CPDT, CBCC, as she talks about what mental enrichment is, the benefits, and how to provide it for your dog! ...

05/04/2020

Teaching loose-leash walking can be one of the most fun behaviors you teach a high-energy dog! Watch as FACT Academy Director, Jill, demonstrates her favorite method for teaching the "heel" BEFORE transitioning it to loose-leash walking.

Jill Beitel, Fact Academy Director and owner of Courteous Canine teaches "Heel" using an adaptation of Pamela Denison's method. This detailed instructional v...

04/27/2020

FACT Academy Director, Jill Beitel, showing a detailed explanation of teaching a dog to lie down using luring.

Jill Beitel, Fact Academy Director and owner of Courteous Canine teaches “Down” using the lure/reward method. This detailed instructional video is geared tow...

07/22/2019

Are you using negative reinforcement with your animal? Be careful

Let's untangle the confusion between automatic (natural) negative reinforcement and socially mediated (contrived) negative reinforcement.

07/07/2019

The same is true for our dogs. When they enter Fight or Flight mode, they don’t hear you and they can’t respond to cues. This is why we use food to redirect - it engages their prefrontal cortex with the smell and the taste.

Learn more with FACT Academy.

07/01/2019

Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is never easy. The decision as to when to euthanize is agonizing. This quiz may help you assess your pet’s current quality of life. I still struggle with my decision to euthanize our little Maltese 2 years ago. But taking this quiz he scored only an 8. 😓

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/19/well/family/19petgoodbye-quiz.html?fbclid=IwAR3YCsY-wJ4hRX-Pg7fmAqYuIhFRiCupi9Y_WdSC19kQMafdIGt0xiZq6B0

To help pet owners make decisions about end of life care, a veterinarian developed a decision tool based on seven indicators.

06/30/2019

So this raises questions. As you may recall, studies into calming signals have not shown that these signals alter other dogs’ behavior - or “calm” them. Could lip licking be either a response to a drying nose during stressful situations (changes in stress chemicals causing the nose to dry) OR during social interactions is it best to have a wet nose to gather smells?

Hmmm...

The philtrum is the vertical groove between the base of the nose and the border of a dog's upper lip, and it has a purpose. Every time a dog licks his lips, a bit of saliva stays in this groove and is drawn upwards due to capillary action. This keeps the dog's nose moist, if not wet, which enables the dog to capture scent particles from the air. Pretty cool, eh?

Image from Wikicommons

06/30/2019

Littermate Syndrome. We’ve see it. Best to avoid it.

Think twice before adopting a pair of puppies from the same litter; find out why you may want to resist the temptation and not have to regret your action later.

06/27/2019

It’s amazing what R+ training can do!

06/25/2019

Very interesting information on how events experienced in our lives can change how our DNA is read and can, therefore,be passed down. Studies have shown that descendants of Holocaust victims have higher levels of anxiety.

Our children and grandchildren are shaped by the genes they inherit from us, but new research is revealing that experiences of hardship or violence can leave their mark too.

06/22/2019

How to shave a dog in the summer? DON'T! There are much better ways to keep your dog cool -- without messing with his coat.

06/18/2019

Are Europeans on to something?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201702/are-there-behavior-changes-when-dogs-are-spayed-or-neutered

Spaying or neutering dogs can cause unexpected and unwanted behavior changes.

06/17/2019

Very comprehensive write up by Emily Larlham.

https://dogmantics.com/resource-guarding-protocol/

Resource Guarding Protocol By Emily Larlham Some dogs have the tendency to guard resources while others don’t. One dog put into the same situation as another might never exhibit guarding his whole life while another dog will. In animal abuse cases, you will see some dogs that have been starved who...

06/17/2019

So much we don’t know

A team at the University of Vienna painstakingly gathered 947 hours of giraffe noises over an eight-year period at three European zoos.

06/16/2019

There are certain facts that are hard for some people to accept, like a round earth, climate change, and dogs are not pack animals.

http://www.deaf-dogs-help.co.uk/help/packleader.htm

Barry Eaton's - Dominance in Dogs, Fact or Fiction has helped so many people gain a better understanding of this topic

06/16/2019

Cool!

Orange fur is actually the perfect choice of camouflage for tigers—even if this seems counterintuitive for humans who can see red, blue and green.

06/15/2019

Sad story but important info. Follow Dr Reisner for more information on dog bites.

The family of a 4-year-old boy who was attacked by a pit bull hopes the dog’s owners will come forward to take responsibility and to prove the dog has been

06/15/2019

Advice for those with dogs that get car sick.

Your dog doesn’t actually have to throw up in the car for you to know he has carsickness. Panting, restlessness, and anxiety are all signs he’s not feeling well while on the road. Short of never leaving home, what can you do? Here’s what I told a reader who has a 12-hour drive coming up …

06/15/2019

Our shared history with dogs goes waaayy back!

Dogs and humans have a long history of living and working together, unique among species on this planet. In the modern age dogs wear many hats…companions, herders, protectors, search and rescue, gu…

06/11/2019

Had to share!

There are so many dog breeds, it's incredibly easy to mistake one pooch for another. Luckily, Grace Gogarty a.k.a. Little Tunny has created a comprehensive comic series that will help you identify most doggos.

06/11/2019

"According to the data obtained from dog owners, [puppy class] may help prevent canine behavioral problems as it reduced familiar-dog aggression, non-social fear and touch sensitivity related problems as well as improved trainability."

Puppy classes seem to have a lasting impact on several aspects of dog behavior.

06/10/2019

Sometimes, the answer can be simple.

http://www.drjensdogblog.com/keep-it-simple-if-you-want-to/

A couple of years ago, I did a behavior consultation for a young hound mix I’ll call “Tilly.” As behavior issues go, her main problem was fairly benign. She didn’t bite family members, …

06/09/2019

Could t have said it better ourselves...

Science has indeed spoken about the use of punishment in training, the role of dominance in the dog world, the effectiveness of positive reinforcement and more.

06/08/2019

Why do trainers use food to train animals?

To truly comprehend why food is so powerful, you must first understand the powerful influence it has on the dog’s brain.

06/08/2019

Important information for rescues and shelters:

https://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/2019/06/05/animal-welfare-an-open-letter-to-shelters-rescue-organizations-humane-treatment-transparency-about-behavior-no-hassle-returns/

Animal Welfare – An Open Letter to Shelters & Rescue Organizations – Humane Treatment –Transparency About Behavior – No Hassle Returns < A version of this article was published in the May 2019 issue of Downeast Dog News> A short link to this post – http://bit.ly/WWM-OpnLtrShltrs-MAY2019 > ...

06/07/2019

Do birds have empathy? Maybe!

These crafty birds might be capable of interpreting and internalizing the emotions of others.

06/06/2019

Have you ever wondered why your dog always brings you a toy when you get home? Find out what is behind your dog’s behavior of greeting you with his dog toys.

06/06/2019

Pet expert Steve Dale offers scientific evidence and support for positive reinforcement dog trainng, pointing out humans don't need to be an alpha dog

06/05/2019

It’s never easy seeing our best friends get old. But here are some important things to consider when you have a senior dog.

When I talk with people who are struggling with the decision to let their senior dogs move on to their next expression of spirit the issue of dementia often comes up, but I’ve found that people are sometimes unwilling to consider euthanasia if the problem isn’t physical. Somehow it’s easier (w...

06/05/2019

“A puppy or a kitten that is fearful of something—it’s normal to startle—should come right back and investigate that stimulus … within a couple of seconds,” she says

Puppies and kittens who exhibit ‘straight-up fear’ or won’t investigate stimuli after being startled are outliers in need of treatment, says Fetch dvm360 conference speaker and veterinary behaviorist Dr. Lisa Radosta.