Natural Dog Behaviour

My dog has to do it! Ignore your dog!" Handler decides when to play, when to work! I am tired of the prevalence of such advice. Be with your dog, enjoy the time you spend together. Learn to communicate with him. Learn about his needs and learn about what reinforces his behavior. Use reinforcement to communicate. It’s a universal language. ... Change your mindset. Stop thinking about obedience, control, think about conversation, cues. Life together is not about competing for control. It’s about mutual understanding. Learn to ask your dog what he wants. Pet your dog when he asks for it, play with him when he brings you toys, respond to his behavior. Be there for him when he needs you. Give him tools to shape his environment. Learn how to arrange the environment so it plays in favor of both of you. A respectful relationship in which both parties trust each other should be the core of our life with animals. Agnieszka Janarek

Easter Bunny? Never heard of it.

Please share this everywhere. This dog must be removed from this person asap. https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/i-was-really-disgusted-video-ap

Dog-dog play is often misunderstood. It can be noisy and vigorous and sometimes it is difficult to tell if the dogs are playing or fighting. Fortunately, dogs use communication that tells their playmate whether it is play or not. We can learn this communication and enjoy watching play without worry! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzEgrLcxtUQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIjMBfhyNDE

Mans best friend isnt always the brightest...

FIRM VOICE MYTH Old beliefs die hard. Myths about being the "alpha" or "pack leader" persist, despite scientific evidence that has corrected this misinformation. Along with the pack leader myth, I still hear people repeating to each other - and to me - the belief that a firm voice is needed in dog training, that without it, a dog wont obey. Lets start with the "firm voice" myth. Realize that using a firm voice is relying on intimidation to get a dog to comply, and if you ...need to rely on intimidation to get compliance, thats really nothing to brag about. Whats really more impressive to me is a dog trained on verbal cues who responds promptly and accurately when the cue is spoken in a soft, non-threatening tone of voice. How do you get a dog to "obey" you without using a firm voice? By using sound training principles, and these, as I tell my clients, are not intuitive. The more you know about learning and training, the less you need to rely on force in any form, including "commands," and the more reliable the behavior will be that you see as a result of your training. See more

Very interesting read.

I had a good chuckle over this one.

A muzzle does not need to be a bad thing. They are used for many different reasons. Take the time to desensitize the dog to muzzle so it is associated with something more positive.

As with many aspects of dog training, when teaching a give cue its important to consider not just the end result (does the dog drop the item from their mouth) but also the dogs emotional state. The reason that this is so important when teaching give is that creating a negative association with surrendering valuable items to a human is one of the things that can create a serious resource guarding problem. Resource guarding is when a dog takes action to prevent something t...hat they find valuable being taken from them. Its a fear-based issue that occurs when a dog is nervous about losing their valuable resource. Its very common for dog owners to unintentionally use intimidation to get a dog to drop something from their mouth. Giiiiivvvee! we say sternly, frowning firmly at the dog. If the dog doesnt drop the item, well usually reach into their mouth and pull it out. This teaches the dog that if they dont drop something when we ask, there will be unpleasant consequences the intimidating tone of voice and body language of our stare, or the human taking the resource away. Dogs that are taught to give in this fashion will usually do so slowly and reluctantly. If theyre far enough away from the human theyll usually try to run away with the item, or if its small enough, swallow it quickly before the human can intervene. As well as being only marginally effective in the short term, in the long term a give taught by intimidation will be creating a negative association with surrendering items to humans. The longer this continues, the more likely the dog is to try using aggression to maintain possession of the resource. Instead, we recommend teaching a give cue using positive reinforcement teaching the dog that voluntarily dropping a resource leads to good things for them. Because the give behaviour is voluntary, it doesnt matter how far away the human is. The dog drops the item because they want to, not because the human is close enough to force them to. In the long run, this method helps to create a positive association with surrendering objects to a human, and can help to prevent resource guarding from developing. A good way to check if youve accidentally taught your dog to drop things by intimidating them is to take note of what tone of voice you use when you ask them to give up an item. A great give cue is said in a happy, up-beat tone of voice, with a smile on your face. If your dog will only give when you say the command sharply, or drawn out in a threatening tone, it may be worth revisiting the behaviour from the beginning and creating a happier association for your dog.

I dont care. What do you want? Are you talking to me?

The complete data is not yet out on this so it is best to be safe than sorry. Continue the social distancing even with your pets.

https://eileenanddogs.com//space-invaders-humans-pressure/?

Beating the Boredom Blues: Sniffing Out New Opportunities for Dogs Using a dogs keen olfactory acuity and providing them with opportunities to use their nose can promote mental stimulation and reduce boredom. For example, allowing dogs to perform olfactory foraging behaviour (searching for and consuming food) provides them with the opportunity to express natural behaviours. These are necessary for animal wellbeing as foraging is both stimulating and intrinsically rewardin...Continue reading

I am innocent and I have nothing to prove I am not.

https://www.businessinsider.my/prevent-separation-anxiety-i?

Please stay home unless absolutely necessary. Lets beat this thing and get on with our lives.

With all of the recent upheaval, we know that many of our members are struggling. From dog trainers and walkers to daycares and boarding kennels, most of us off...er our services in close contact in person, or rely on people being at work and out of town for our customers, so anyone working with pets is being hit hard. While you try to find your footing in this "new normal," take a look at this wonderful webinar cohosted by Michael Shikashio and Dr. Melanie Cerone (licensed psychologist and dog behaviour consultant). In "Coping & Self-Care in the COVID-19 Crisis," Melanie offers some insight into how we respond during stressful times and what we can do to keep ourselves mentally healthy. While directed at pet professionals, this webinar is a great watch for anyone struggling with anxiety and stress. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdqvsS2tVlo