Dewey1WireHairedPointingGriffin

  Dog owners tend to wince at the suggestion of using a correction.   So many dog owners associate the word "correction" in dog training with punishment or treating their dog harshly.  This is not what is meant by most dog trainers or dog sports enthusiasts. My definition of a dog training correction is to further advance a position, speed, or behavior through communication the dog understands to mean what they had just done is not what was wanted and therefore offers another option or stops something. Some examples of corrections are verbal markers, spatial pressure, and the use of some training equipment.   Please note that corrections should not be used, generally speaking, until the dog has started and advanced through the f irst stages of dog training , which is teaching.    Once a performance can be reliably predicted to a standard, then you are ready to correct errors or non performance. NOTE: CORRECTIONS ARE NOT USUALLY USED IN DOG TRAININ...

  If you have ever looked into finding a complete dog training plan for your dog, you probably found a confusing amount of information out there.  Some of one method's rules probably contradicted another's method rules. Does this mean some people are using methods and training and that don't work?  Why can some methods be so different, but still seem to get great results for the dog training team? I have put a list of dog training definitions used, and the way I have interpreted them to help you if you find yourself stuck on a term that is not familiar to you.   Please go to   this post . Just because a method is different than another, does not mean it does not work on it's own merits.  It is really about how the plan came together, the logic of the plan, if the plan has been proofed, and what the results are for individual teams.  A well crafted method or dog training plan takes into account the strengths in particular of both dog and owner....

  Dog lovers know that a dog's physical appearance as far as size, hair length, hair color, ears shape, curly or flat coated, age, and so on.   Dog's are also individuals, and these internal characteristics do not show on their outsides.  These personality traits and temperaments can vary wildly from playful, wary, suspicious, defensive, resource guarding, driven, active, laid back, and so forth.   Add to the mix that some dogs have some training or real life experiences that may be useful as a dog owner or trainer creates a training plan.  Recently, one of our blogs went over  why there are so many different methods, techniques, and tools  that help a dog owner to train their dog. A professional dog trainer will look at the dog you have right now (as best they can in the time they have) to determine the right path to start down.  A dog owner who is honest with themselves can begin to assess this too.   None of these traits det...

  Engagement in dog training is the ability to create a relationship with your dog where you are the reward. Engagement done well will have your dog insisting on continuing the activity with their owner. In other methods of training, there are some elements of this as well, but the engagement that I am talking about is much more. Engagement in dog training is more about play with their owner or handler to create that very strong bond and work ethic. As with anything, it can have it's pluses and minuses. I really enjoy this method, because I get to play with my dog and train. The thing that motivates me in this method, is seeing my dog have fun while we are doing it. Why do I also use other methods other than Engagement and Motivational methods? One reason is this is a bit slower process than some other methods in the shorter term.   Sometimes if you really need to stop your dog from jumping on your elderly relatives, while including them in your family activities, you mig...

A common mistake that a lot of dog owners make, is to wait until a situation is out of control before seeking to control it.   Signals and signs are not recognized or ignored for far too long.   This can makes situations that were easy to solve and prevent in the present, instead become big behavioral problems in the future. To me being a reactive human dog owner is one that has missed opportunities to calmly and gently get potential problems under control in the past.   Because the owner has not been leading the way and allowing their dog to feel safe, the dog starts to make some decisions and actions that us, humans, won't be totally happy with.   When the opportunity to correct this has been missed in the past, it appears to force the humans into a reactive role.   To your dog this does not command respect or obedience, because the human appears unbalanced or terribly inconsistent in their rules and communication.  Remember ...

  If you spend time working with the dog you have, you will grow to appreciate them for who they are. A professional dog trainer will be able to design a training plan that will help you maintain an incredible working relationship:) I have said before, I do not see dogs as a listing of their faults as their total personality or "the real dog".   I always see dogs as them plus their potential.   That being said, not every dog's potential is to be the idealized "bomb proof" dog who loves everything and anybody no matter what.   A dog with behavioral problems does have a very statistically high probability of dramatic improvement in some way.  If we get beyond the point expected for the team, I will gladly take that.   Sometimes and not often a dog does much better than I imagined for them.   Owners should take that kind of success, if it happens but should know not to expect more of their dog than they can deliver realistica...

  Patterns, as I define them in dog training and behavior modification, are manufactured predictable events.  That is they are a sequence of steps  that become predictable with repetition and consistency.  Remember, canines do not share our human language.  We can not tell them what is coming up, but our actions to create patterns and structure can place them on more predictable ground. ​As humans we take this for granted for ourselves, but if you think about it, our every day patterns and structure lend to the feeling of safety and security for human children and adults alike.   Of course we can talk to each other should an unanticipated event comes up.   Can you imagine how scary some events are to dogs who do not have that sort of heads up?  We can make everything smooth sailing (or smoother sailing anyway) by adding a little pattern and structure to certain parts of our canine's day.  When training very young pupp...

  Many dog owners, who have trained their dogs, do not realize the tools for working on many dog behaviors that are problems to us are the  training commands  themselves. The ability to use these commands repetitively in different situations can help build the types of reactions that dog owners prefer from their dogs in many situations. Here are some common dog training issues and the commands (trained well) that can help your dog know what you want in certain situations: NOTE: ALL OF THESE ARE ASSUMING YOU ARE IN SIGHT AND SUPERVISING THE DOG ISSUE: MY DOG COUNTER SURFS OR BEGS AT THE DINNER TABLE  Let's go (which is an informal type of recall) or recall (come command) away from the counter to you. Also a back or go command can be used if you are in the counter area. A place and or down stay command can be used to station the dog away from the area. There are also other options that are not in the basic commands such as negative space training, or training...