Janice Z Dog Training

07/01/2025

Rest in Positivity Karen Pryor!

"When you stop relying on aversive controls such as threats, intimidation and punishment, and when you know how to use reinforcement to get not just the same but better results, your perception of the world undergoes a shift. You don't have to become a wimp. You don't have to give up being in charge. You lose nothing of yourself. You just see things you didn't see before."
Karen Pryor. 1932-2025
Nice words, but can you back them up? Oh, you can.
Books:
On My Mind: Reflections on Animal Behavior and Learning – 2014
Reaching The Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals – 2009
Click to Win: Clicker Training for the Show Ring – 2002
Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles –ed. with Kenneth Norris; University of California Press, 1998
Don’t Shoot The Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training – 1984, 1999, 2002, 2006
A Dog & a Dolphin 2.0: An Introduction To Clicker Training – 1996
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats – 1999, 2002, 2004
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs – 1999, 2002, 2005
Lads Before the Wind – 1975, 1994, 2000 (Harper & Row 1975)
Nursing Your Baby – 1963, 1973, 1991, 2005 (HarperCollins Publishers 1963)
On Behavior: Essays and Research – 1994
Crunch and Des: Classic Stories of Saltwater Fishing – 2002
How To Teach Your Dog To Play Frisbee – 1985
Pryor, K. (2014). A dolphin journey. Aquatic Mammals 40th Anniversary: Special Issue, 104–115.
Pryor, K. & Chase, S. (2014). Training for variable and innovative behavior. International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 27, 218–225
Pryor, K. & Ken Ramirez, K. (2014) Modern Animal Training. In The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Operant and Classical Conditioning. McSweeney, F.K and Murphy, E. S. (Eds.).
Pryor, K.W (2001). Cultural transmission of behavior in animals: How a modern training technology uses spontaneous social imitation in cetaceans and Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24, 352–352
Pryor, K. & Shallenberger, I. (1991). School structure in spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) in the tuna purse seine fishery in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. In Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles. Pryor, K. & Norris, K.S. (Eds.). Berkeley: University of California Press
Pryor, K. (1981). Why Porpoise Trainers Are Not Dolphin Lovers: Real and False Communication in the Operant Setting. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 364, 1, 137
Norris, K.S., Pryor, K. (1970). A Tagging Method for Small Cetaceans. Journal of Mammalogy, 51, 3, 609–610
Pryor, K.W., Haang, R., & O’Reilly, J. (1969). The creative porpoise: Training for novel behavior. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 12, 653–661
Lang, T.G., Pryor, K. (1966). Hydrodynamic Performance of Porpoises (Stenella attenuata). Science, 152, 3721, 531–533.
Pryor, T., Pryor, K.,& Norris, S.K. (1965). Observations on a Pygmy Killer Whale (Feresa attenuata Gray) from Hawaii. Journal of Mammalogy, 46, 3, 450–461.

07/01/2025

Unfortunately, anyone can call themself a dog trainer. Find out from the leading organization of veterinary behaviorists credentials you should look for and recommended training methods, at the link:https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf

06/01/2025

To brighten your Monday morning, my puppy client August. That is all!

06/01/2025

I worked with Scout's dedicated guardians in my Essential Manners training package, including the all-important coming when called. They recently emailed me:

"Thank you for all of your help. Scout is doing so well — she did her first off-leash ski with me last week."

Have a short and sweet update? I'd love to hear about it below!

05/01/2025

The Windham County Humane Society is hiring - please share this job posting widely!

The Event and Marketing Coordinator is vital to WCHS’s development and fundraising work. This position is responsible for developing, planning and implementing a robust calendar of one-time and ongoing large-and small-scale fundraising and community outreach events in a deadline-driven, fast-paced environment.

The successful candidate will work both independently and as part of a team, anticipating project needs, setting priorities, meeting deadlines with little supervision, and be willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.

For additional details go to: windhamcountyhumane.org/employment

To be considered, please email your cover letter outlining your professional experience as it pertains to this position, along with a resume and 2 professional references to:
[email protected]

Only applications with a cover letter and resume will be considered.

04/01/2025

I, for one:

Play with these two!

Stuff Kongs for these two!

Go on long walks with these two!

You get the idea ... what do you do with your dogs on Saturdays? Let me know, below ⤵

03/01/2025

Don't be a three-time loser at the vet!

I just know if I let Petey explore the ravine he'll find a porcupine (for the third time) or even a hibernating bear. He stays on leash and we practice "leave its" at a level he can succeed at. Know your dog's proclivities and keep everyone safe!

02/01/2025

Training Tip Thursday: All dogs are motivated by food, so use special food and plenty of it.

Research shows that the most effective way to teach your dog is by using food rewards, which need to be super-special (such as boiled diced chicken or diced cheese) and given frequently in a training session, which keeps the dog’s attention.

Quantity matters, too
When teaching a new behavior, a generous quantity of food for a particularly good response makes a big impression on your dog, who will think "Oh yeah! I think I'll do that again!" Try out a few different rewards to see which motivates your dog best!

01/01/2025

What are your goals or intentions for this year? Share in the comments!

01/01/2025

Best wishes for a happy, harmonious year for you and your beloved canine companion!

Get started on those pesky behavior problems in my free online consultation: https://janicezdogtraining.com/book-a-free-consultation

With love from Janice Z ❤

30/12/2024

Sometimes our goals for our dogs can feel overwhelming. Some single steps might be:

- Being consistent with your training: a few minutes a day, a few times a week, to keep behaviors from getting rusty

- Everyone in the household being consistent with training, so your dog can't jump on some people and not others.

Progress, not perfection, is always an achievable goal!

30/12/2024

In a digital world, I still love my paper planners, bookmarked with paper clips. Anyone else get excited when it's time to start a new paper planner (to-do list already begun on the new planner, bottom)?

28/12/2024

Daisy wishes you all a happy Saturday ❤️

27/12/2024

Intentions vs. goals:

An intention might be: "I intend to find a credentialed trainer to help me with my dog."

A goal might be: "I want my dog to stop jumping on people."

Intentions are action steps that can help you achieve a goal.

My intention is to arrange my environment to make it easier to take morning dog walks. Do you have an intention for your dog this year? Let me know, below! ⤵

26/12/2024

Sweet Nellie hit a personal best in her most recent separation anxiety reassessment, feeling comfy for 9 minutes after her guardian drove away! Here she is hanging out on the sofa, as opposed to frantically looking for her guardian, having accidents, and barking.

Driving away is extremely upsetting for most dogs who panic when left alone as they have learned it means their person is likely to be away for quite some time.

Slow and steady wins the race with separation anxiety work and Team Nellie is doing great! I couldn't be prouder of them 😍

25/12/2024

To those of you who celebrate today, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! I hope you have a moment to find the sunny spot, like Petey always does.