The Modern Dog Trainer Blog
Underlying Causes Of Aggression In Dogs
As you become a better trainer and further your knowledge and chops in the training world you may want to start seeing behavioral cases. The one thing I learned to do very early on is to rule out anything medical first. There are so many illnesses that can masquerade...
Top 3 Mistakes Made By Trainers Using BAT
This is part 3 of a 3-part series on Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT), created by Grisha Stewart. In the first posting you learned about the basics of BAT and how a “perfect” session should look. In part 2, you learned why it is so effective for reactive/aggressive...
Trainer Ethics: Calling Your Well Trained Dog A “Service Dog.”
You may have missed the social media explosion resulting from a blog post by a well certified dog trainer admitting she passes off her pet dog as a Service Dog. At first glance this may not seem like a big deal. After all, the dog is well-behaved and giving a good...
Dealing With Difficult Clients: Standing Your Ground When You Know You’re Right
After 10 years in business nothing surprises me. There is no client that can intimidate me, bully me, or otherwise make me feel like I did something to wrong them. I have built a reputable business with thousands of happy customers. Yet, despite that, there will...
SPARCS 2015: “Reducing Stress of Dogs in Shelters” with Michael Hennessy, PhD
What Stresses Us? Types of Stressors Psychological stressors Job interview Traffic Death in family Disease diagnosis Physical stressors Broken leg Starvation Psychological stressors most highly activate the HPA system. Stress Responses Sympathetic (adrenaline)...
SPARCS 2015: Best Emerging Researcher with Regina Willen
Best Emerging Researcher "Developing a Practical Means of Reducing Stress in Animal Shelter Dogs" with Regina Willen The first three days a dog lives in a shelter the cortisol levels are highly elevated. Human interaction can be used to reduce stress in this...
SPARCS 2015: “Dogs for a New Century: Using Canine Science to Reduce Stress in Dogs and People” with Steve Zawistowski PhD, CAAB
Positives of Dog-Human Relationship Dogs provide non-judgemental respite in a complex world. Examples of beneficial dog-human relationships: Autistic children – helps with socialization. Military veterans Students facing exams Busy professionals – bring your...
SPARCS 2015: “Stress – Is It a Headache, a Killer, or Something Else?” With Miles Orchinik, PhD
Part 1 - Introduction Into The Biology Of Stress Is Stress A Headache? Yes, but it produces a lot of another physical annoyances (pain, heart beat, insomnia). But it is also more than a headache. Chronic and severe stress can cause a number of conditions. Affects...
SPARCS 2015: “When a Stray is not a Stray” with Kathryn Lord
Kathryn Lord’s talk focused on the comparison of the reproductive differences between the dog – Canis familiaris and its other wild relatives in the genus Canis. The genus Canis includes six incipient (inter-fertile) species: the dog (Canis familiaris), the wolves...
SPARCS 2015: What the New Science of Human-Animal Interactions Reveals About Our Relationships With Dogs with Hal Herzog, PhD
Review of Anthrozoology with Hal Herzog. Anthrozoology (also known as human–non-human-animal studies, or HAS) is the study of interaction between humans and other animals. The types of questions Anthrozoology asks are: Why do humans keep pets? Are there gender...
SPARCS 2015: The Potential Of Social Learning In Dog-Human Interactions With Dr Márta Gácsi
Utilizing Social Learning In Dog Training Most people view their dogs as social partners. Evidence indicates dogs view themselves in this way too. Attachment is a behavior system. Dogs develop an attachment bond to their owners based on dependency and on...
SPARCS 2015: The Laws of Connection with Peter Killeen, PhD
A Review Of The Laws of Connection The "glue" for each Law of Connection, ie, what holds the behavior together. David Hume: A Treatise of Human Nature - Contiguity, Similarity, Causality Ivan Pavlov: Classical Conditioning - Temporal contiguity Edward Thorndike:...
Chat Time Interview with Kevin Duggan of All Dogs Go To Kevin LLC
Chat Time Interview with Kevin Duggan CPDT Chat Time Interviews are held on Facebook. During these interviews, I talk to experts about their areas of expertise. For this interview Kevin Duggan of All Dogs Go To Kevin LLC joined me to discuss blogging, the dog trainer...
Review: DogReins No-Pull Harness
I was excited when I opened up my package, of two DogReins No-Pull Harnesses, a medium and a large, one with a bright red cozy and the other with a yellow cozy. The color of the harnesses was all black and came with the “reins”, a long multi-functional leash that...
Time Tracking Software Reviews
For months I've been on a mission to find the perfect tool to track my time and my client's time. Specifically, tracking prepaid package time for each client. On my list is a way to view package time use, alerts when payments are due, tracking prepaid money as...
10 Most Creative Dog Training Business Card Ideas
Business cards should quickly show who you are, what services you provide, and legible contact information. You should include a phone number, an email address, and your website at the very least. Your brand should show clearly so that people have an idea of what they...
IAABC Animal Behavior Conference 2015, Day 2
Due to the generosity of IAABC President Michael Shikashio, The Modern Dog Trainer was able to send a writer to the Animal Behavior Conference in Chicago, IL. Notes from day 1 can be found here. Living With And Loving A Pet With Behavior Problems, by Kristin...
5 Things You Should Know About Being A Service Dog Trainer
Helping someone train his/her own service dog or training service dogs for their handlers is a time-consuming commitment, but one that is extremely rewarding. This is a time for a trainer to be able to be involved long-term with a dog/handler team with specific goals...
5 Ways To Win Over Clients
Whether you have just met a client for the first time or this is their last scheduled session, all 5 of these techniques are important to use to maintain a lasting relationship between trainer and dog owner. 1. Empathy This requires exceptional communication and a...
Mental Stimulation Ideas For Dogs
Dogs need both mental and physical exercise to be balanced and healthy. Finding ways to do this can be challenging. Understanding the need for and providing opportunities for physical exercise is relatively common knowledge among dog owners. But the concept that...
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