Dog Training & Behavior Tips
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..."
Lauren Tsao Nominated for Best Positive Dog Trainer In Mississippi!
Our trainer Lauren Tsao has been nominated as one of the best positive-reinforcement trainers in Mississippi for a SniffSpot hosted contest!
Your vote would mean a lot and thank you for the nomination!
Please vote for Lauren Tsao at the link below by selecting her name and casting your vote.
Call For More Mississippi Dogs for Research Study
Our trainer Lauren Tsao who is working towards her Master's degree in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare from Virginia Tech is looking for the final dogs needed for her dog activity research study.
She is looking into dog activity levels in different environments. Your dog will wear an activity measuring collar for two weeks and you will send the collar back to us afterward! Click to read more to see if your dog qualifies.
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.
Husbandry Training: Conditioning Your Dog to a Harness
Need a step-by-step process to get your dog to wear their harness comfortably? If your dog is growling, fleeing, or biting when you attempt to put on their harness, using positive reinforcement-based husbandry training could be the answer to your problems. Follow the steps in this article to help your dog love their harness!
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.
Bird Training: When Things Go Wrong
My flock and I have been together for a little over a month, so socialization is the most I’ve done with these birds. As rescues between the ages of 4 years and 4 months, their background is completely unknown. My flock loves millet sprays, so it is my treat of choice when socializing and clicker training. Hades, my albino budgie, is possibly my bravest boy. Too brave, in fact. During a session, he got so brave that he flew out the door of his cage and into the training room. However, Hades has probably never flown outside of a cage his entire life, so this experience for him was extremely scary.
New Products In Stock for Fall!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering shipping to our current and previous students with their usual student discount on dog toys, treats, leashes, and more from our store! If you need products for your pup shipped to you fast that you know your trainer gives the seal of approval, this is a great way to do just that. Below is a list of the items we currently have in stock, our student pricing (without shipping cost or tax included), and some information about each product.
COVID-19 Update from the Faithfully Yours Team
This is a COVID-19 update for students who had their program paused due to COVID-19, re-scheduling for your private programs starts Nov. 1st, 2020 for January 2021 private session dates!
You guys are getting first pick of the dates before we open enrollment to the general public again on Dec. 1st, 2020 for January 2021 sessions. So, make sure you get in touch with us when you are ready to restart your program by using the contact form at this link.
Please keep in mind, restarting your program in January 2021 means you will be asked to wear a mask during your session and that sessions will be held outside only with our staff wearing masks.
Teamwork As A Trainer: Overcoming Negativity in Teams
We have finally reached the end of our Teamwork for Trainers series about the takeaway for pet professionals from the Ferrazzi’s book, “Leading Without Authority” (2020). The final chapters of the book included several gems about overcoming negativity within team settings, which is something all pet professionals will experience at some point in their careers; whether this is with students or other professionals. Gossip, negative remarks, and bringing down others is something everyone will fail victims to dishing out and receiving at some point throughout their career.
Should I Adopt A Parrot?: First Time Bird Owner Tips
You may have walked through big box pet stores and seen the cockatiels or budgies (parakeets) and thought about buying one. They are relatively cheap pets, and many people adopt them for their children as a distraction or something to care for to learn responsibility. However, the life of a parrot owner is not as simple as you may initially think. Here are some things to consider before adopting any type of parrot or pet bird…
Teamwork As A Trainer: Importance of Co-Development
As we near the end of this blog series, as I was reading in Ferrazzi’s book, “Leading Without Authority” (2020) we are following for this series, I wondered when we would reach the topic of positive reinforcement. Any experienced animal trainers know how important reinforcing desired behavior is, but they also know about the positive effects on psychology in both animals and humans. And finally, that chapter has come!
Photo Credit: https://puppyhero.com/breed/nova-scotia-duck-tolling-retriever
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?
Teamwork As A Trainer: Collaboration Success In Training
Life, however, doesn’t just give us people we agree with, and sometimes there will be a good reason for us to need to peacefully collaborate with people whose ethical stances are different from our own. Even in professional debates and conversations at conferences, there is a chance for each person to input their opinion into the conversation for review by the group.