Operant or Classical Conditioning In Dog Training: Is It Possible To Use Just One?

If you're new to the world of dog training, you may be wondering what operant conditioning and classical conditioning are, how they differ from one another, and if you can use them separately from one another. Both operant conditioning and classical conditioning are important elements of dog training, and it's important to understand the difference between the two in order to be the best trainer possible. Here's a brief overview of each type of conditioning, as well as a history of their respective pioneers, Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner.

Scared For Life: Single-Event Learning In Dogs

Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for. They can experience something so impactful that it only takes a single time for them to understand that the experience is something to be avoided or scared of. This is called single-event learning (sometimes called a one-time learning event), and it's more common in dogs than you might think. If you have ever trained your dog, you know that usually, it would take many repetitions for your dog to understand the consequences of certain events or actions. However, single-event learning can be so frightening (or in some cases, pleasant) that your dog develops an avoidance, fear, or phobia with a single exposure. Keep reading to learn more about how single-event learning works and what you can do to help your scared dog.

How to Prepare Your Aggressive Dog for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends, enjoy a delicious meal, and give thanks for all that we have. For many of us, our dogs are part of the family. However, the increased activity level and the number of people in the home during Thanksgiving can be overwhelming for even the calmest of dogs. If your dog is aggressive or reactive, it is important to take some extra precautions to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday. With some careful planning and management, you can make Thanksgiving a success for both you and your furry friend.

Aversive Dog Training Methods: The Fallout and Why It Matters

Dogs are trained using a variety of methods, some more effective than others. Aversive dog training methods (e.g. methods using primarily negative reinforcement and positive punishment) can actually do more harm than good. When training your dog, it is important to be aware of the consequences of using aversive training methods because the fallout from methods falling into their category can be difficult to reverse and take you further away from achieving your dog training goals. While aversive training methods might achieve the desired result in the short term, they can have long-term negative consequences for your dog's behavior. Read on to find out more about a few ways your dog can present fallout from these training methods and why they should be avoided.

Five Helpful Tips For Living With A Fearful Dog

It can be heartbreaking to see your dog cower in fear or tremble with anxiety. Maybe you just adopted a new dog and they aren’t as outgoing as you hoped. Or maybe your shy dog has always been a little more reserved than others. Regardless of the reason for your dog's fearfulness, there are things you can do to help ease their anxiety and make them feel more comfortable in their home environment. Here are five things you can do if you find yourself living with a fearful, shy, or anxious dog.

Two Types Of Leash Reactivity In Dogs: Which One Is Your Dog?

If you are holding onto your dog’s leash for dear life on every walk because your dog tends to bark, lunge, or growl at each passerby, your dog could be displaying leash reactivity. This can make daily tasks like exercising your dog; or taking your dog to potty nearly impossible and oftentimes, embarrassing. However, people rarely know that there are actually two emotional states that can cause this behavior and it doesn’t always mean that their dog is a truly aggressive dog. This blog post will discuss two types of leash reactivity, frustration-based reactivity, and fear-based reactivity, and their differences.

How To Help A Fearful Dog Gain Confidence

If your dog is fearful, you may be wondering what you can do to help them feel more confident. Some dogs may be more fearful or hesitant than others, which can make training more challenging due to past experiences, social learning from other fearful dogs in the household, or even genetics. Luckily, there are positive reinforcement-based training methods and behavioral modification techniques, like desensitization and counter-conditioning that you can use to help your dog gain the confidence he or she needs to thrive. Keep reading to learn more about how to help a fearful dog gain confidence by using positive reinforcement and behavior modification techniques.

Knowing When to Say Goodbye: When Behavioral Euthanasia is the Right Choice For Your Dog

If your dog is exhibiting aggressive behaviors that aren’t improving with training, you may be wondering if behavioral euthanasia is the right choice. It's a difficult decision to make, but it's important to remember that you are not alone. Many dog owners have found themselves in the same situation, and there is no easy answer. In this blog post, we'll explore the topic of behavioral euthanasia in dogs and offer some guidance on when it may be the right choice.

Can Dogs Really Be Trained Not to Be Aggressive?

Owning an aggressive dog can be a life-changing experience. A dog owner can quickly go from being the central hub for their entire family at Thanksgiving to never having anyone enter their home because they fear what their dog might do. Oftentimes, when a dog exhibits aggression, dog owners start to think euthanasia might be their only option after training technique after training technique fails. Before making this difficult and painful choice, it is important to gather information from a professional dog behavior consultant (we are quite different from dog trainers!) about your dog's behavior.

The Difference Between Dog Training and Dog Behavior Consulting—And How to Know Which One You Need

If you're a dog owner, you know that there are a lot of different services out there purporting to help with your furry friend. But how do you know which one is right for you and your dog? In this blog post, we'll be discussing the difference between dog training and dog behavior consulting, and outlining when you might need each service.

The First Steps To Managing Aggression in Dogs

Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that they are capable of exhibiting a wide range of emotions, from happiness and excitement to fear and aggression. Unfortunately, even the best-behaved dog may exhibit aggression under certain circumstances. If your dog is exhibiting aggressive behavior, it is important to take steps to manage the aggression in order to keep both your dog and those around him safe. The best-laid training plans start with the management of the dog’s undesirable behaviors to prevent further reinforcement. In this blog post, we'll discuss three strategies for managing aggressive behavior in dogs: using training equipment like muzzles, rearranging the environment for success, and preventing your dog from practicing undesirable behaviors.

Halloween and Your Anxious Dog: A Guide to Keeping Them Calm

It's that time of year again - the leaves are changing color, the air is getting crisp, and Halloween is just around the corner. For many of us, Halloween is a fun and festive time. But for our dogs, it can be a very stressful holiday with the constant stream of strangers coming to your door to the spooky noises (and movements!) of Halloween decorations. If your dog is anxious about strangers knocking on the door or the novelty that Halloween brings, here are a few steps you can take to help them feel more at ease.

Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning for Aggressive Dogs

Dogs can become aggressive for a variety of reasons, whether it’s due to fear, insecurity, frustration, mistrust of strangers, or just a general lack of socialization. Whatever the reason may be, dog owners need to be aware of the signs of aggression in their dogs and how to properly (and safely) address it. One way to help an aggressive dog is through desensitization and counter-conditioning. In many cases, aggressive behaviors like lunging, barking, and growling can be decreased through a process called desensitization and counter-conditioning.

Facing Judgement as a Dog Owner in a Judgmental World

Often when dog owners come in for training, they immediately expect us trainers and behavior consultants to judge them.

They will say things like:

"My dog sleeps on the bed. I know he isn't 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 to, but..."

"Sometimes I give my dog a treat just to give them a treat. I don't make them do anything to earn it. I know I am not 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 to, but..."

Caution Areas in Multi-Dog Households

Spring is almost here - which means it is time from spring cleaning! While completing my spring cleaning this year, i noticed that I do something that probably most normal people don’t do: I arrange my furniture and spaces in a way to prevent dog fights and disagreements in my home.

You may be thinking to yourself, “What? How could your furniture arrangement cause dog fights?” There are many reasons this could occur like spatial resource guarding in dogs in the household, dogs bumping into each other by mistake due to limited space, or even dogs becoming conditioned to get overexcited or frustrated in a certain space.

Puppy Training: Building Confidence In Your Puppy

Building confidence in our dogs is overlooked. We believe that all dogs will be friendly, sociable, and happy-go-lucky. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Dogs of this nature are hard to come by these days. The odds are usually stack against us when we first get our puppy.

Introducing a New Dog: Adjusting to a New Home

Introducing a new animal into your family is always an exciting (though sometimes, stressful) process. When Googling “adopting a new dog”, you will find a wide range of suggestions from the science-based to personal opinion. This can make the process of introducing a new dog into your home smoothly seem challenging and taxing. However, it definitely doesn’t have to feel this way.

Training During COVID-19: Conditioning Your Dog to People Wearing Face Masks

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, wearing face masks has become a way of protection from the virus. However, some dogs might have difficulty adjusting to this change. This can cause some dogs to bark, growl, or hide when they see a person in a mask.

So, why are masks scary to dogs and what can you do about it?

Treasure Your Puppy Today: Adjusting To A New Puppy

In today's world, we are used to instant gratification. We can have items shipped to us from across the world in mere days, we can download a new game in less than an hour, and we can have a fully cooked meal given to us through a drive-thru window within minutes.

However, there is nothing like living with an animal (especially a young animal) to teach you patience.

Puppy Biting - Is My Puppy Aggressive?

One of the most common questions I get as a professional dog trainer from students with puppies is about aggression and biting. We unfortunately have even had people email us inquiring about signing up for classes to have them reply back that they rehomed the puppy before class even started because the puppy was "aggressive".

True aggression in puppies is extremely rare. I have only seen one to two cases of true aggression in a puppy under four months of age in all my years of working with dogs.

So, what are puppy owners actually seeing then?

Dog Training & Behavior Tips

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