The Compassionate Dog Trainer
Empathy is one of the most important skills we possess as humans. The ability to understand and relate to another person’s feelings from their point of view rather than our own. This provides healthy relationships in both our personal and professional lives. Empathy allows us to show compassion. Compassion is necessary when training dogs. Each […]
How Anthropomorphism Can Hurt Dog Training Efforts
What is anthropomorphism? Anthropomorphism is assigning human characteristics to an object or animal. Anthropomorphism is a human trait – a pattern of behavior that was introduced to us at an early age. Think back to your childhood. Our families humanized dolls, stuffed animals, even rocks. Cartoon animals were dressed in clothing and given a voice. […]
Why Do Puppies Bark At Their Reflection?
What do puppies see when they look in the mirror? Most will see a playmate, while some others view the reflection as a canine intruder. One thing dogs will never understand is that they are looking at THEIR OWN reflection. Their brains are not wired the same way human brains are, meaning unlike us, dogs […]
Ask The Trainer: What breed of dog does not do well living in a multi-dog home?
Thank you for your question. I honestly do not like listing dog breeds that do well, or don’t do well, in a multi-dog home. The reason is because everyone has their own opinion. I have read articles that list the Golden Retriever and Maltese as dogs who do better living alone. While other articles list […]
Think You Suffer with Imposter Syndrome? Tips to Help!
Have you ever felt that your accomplishments were luck rather than actual achievements? Although you are skilled and educated in your field, you think you’re fooling people into believing you are good at your job. If this fits your mindset (either now or in the past), you have experienced imposter syndrome. Don’t worry because you […]
Tips To Desensitize Your Dog to Face Masks
If the summer months don’t provide enough fearful triggers for our dogs– we’re talking fireworks and thunderstorms — this year we can add face masks to the list of possible reactivity issues. Throughout most of the United States, people are asked (or mandated) to wear facial masks while in public to prevent the spread of […]
Get Your Dog to Follow Commands Around Distractions
Your dogs refuse to follow commands that they know. What causes them to ignore you? Dominance? Stubborn behavior? Lack or respect? Human error? Well, my friend you likely failed to generalize the dog’s behavior. What does generalizing mean? Ability to complete a task in every situation and environment. Once humans learn a behavior, we maintain […]
How to Teach New Commands without Stressing Your Dog
Think back to history textbooks during your school years. Each chapter in those textbooks contained dozens of pages filled with dates and information. If your teacher were to assign the entire chapter at once and then give an test two days later, most of us would fail miserably. That’s why teachers break chapters down into […]
Charging the Mark in Dog Training
Charging the mark is the first step in training your dog. The starting point. Day One. First thing you teach your dog before you introduce commands. Charging the mark teaches the dog to associate the word “yes” or the sound of a clicker, to a high-value reward. Once the dog hears the marker word […]
Why Does My Dog Pee When People Enter the House?
Does your dog pee on the floor, or even worse, on people when they enter the house? Often times altering the dog will resolve this problem. What if it continues after altering? How do you handle this situation until the dog is altered? Jessica, Co-Owner and Mentor of ISCDT has the answer: […]