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Stress in dogs has such a monumental effect on every aspect of your dog training, and yet, it can be so often totally overlooked by owners when it comes to trying to deal with problem behaviours. But in this article, I’m not necessarily talking about …
2020 has been a year like no other, there’s no denying it. Never before have we spent so much time at home – so much time without excursions, visitors, errands or distractions. It’s no surprise that the price of a puppy has more than doubled …
If you own an unpredictable dog and you’re looking for help on how to get to grips with reactive dog training, then this is the perfect place to get started! As dog owners, one of the most frustrating things about ‘bad’ behaviour in our dogs, is how incalculable it can be, especially for those of us who own reactive dogs. It could be that 75% of the time you are able to walk your dog nicely (or at least reasonably!) past other people, or other dogs, or moving vehicles… whereas on other occasions, for no reason you can visibly fathom, your dog absolutely loses the plot when he sees any of these triggers, and becomes a barking, lunging mess. Continue reading Reactive Dog Training: The Stress Bucket Explained
It’s one of the most commonly raised dog behaviour problems out there right now – how to stop a dog from barking – but it’s certainly not the only unwanted behaviour that drives dog owners crazy! Luckily, what we are about to explore in this …
If positive dog training is what you’re all about when it comes to raising your four-legged friend, then you’re probably already familiar with why we need to reinforce good behaviour. As a rule, if your dog makes a choice that you like – make sure …
B. F. Skinner is well-known in the world of dog training for developing the theory of operant conditioning – in layman’s terms: the idea that a dog’s behaviour will be determined by its learned consequences. It may sound straightforward, but it’s the foundation of everything we do in dog training today! Professional trainers refer to these consequences applied by trainers as the 4 quadrants of dog training.
Continue reading The 4 Quadrants of Dog Training: And How They’re Wreaking Havoc With Your Progress!
Training a recall is one of the most valuable lessons any dog trainer can teach you – not only does it make walking and exercising your dog so much easier… but it’s a vital behaviour your dog needs to understand, in order for you to …
Building confidence and optimism is one of the best things you can do for your new puppy. An optimistic dog is not reactive; he is calm and confident in the face of adversity, whether that be busy streets, noisy traffic, the vet’s office, or any …
At Listen Dog Training we are massive advocates of the ‘ditch the bowl’ approach, and it’s one of the first pieces of advice we’ll discuss at a consultation. But what does it mean? Never feeding your dog? Nope! Depriving them of their one or two meals a day that they love so much?! That’s one way to look at it. But how about looking at it this way – your dog loves their dinner. When they see you get out the food bowl, their little tails start wagging and they do that happy dance every dog owner knows! That food is valuable. And where are you pouring all that value? Straight into their bowl. And how long does it take for an entire day’s value to disappear? Anything from 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on how quickly your dog inhales their dinner! Just minutes after it has begun, that enjoyable experience is over for your dog, and what have they learnt? To pay all the attention in the world to where their food bowl is… and nothing else.
Continue reading Ditch The Bowl: How To Train Your Dog Without Using Dog Treats!
Magic Hand is such a fantastic game to play with your dog – they won’t realise they’re learning anything, and yet you’ll actually be teaching them super focus, incredible walking to heel, loose-lead walking, and more!