Animal Behavior
Acclimating Dogs to Face Masks
In the past few months, our lives have changed dramatically. Many of us have had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time at home with our furry family, which has been a luxury. There is a real concern for many of those pets that as we begin to go back to work, our…
Read MorePreventing Separation Anxiety as We Return to Work
For many of our dogs, the past few months have been a blessing. They’ve had their people home all day. Every day. It is their dream come true. A dog’s heaven. And now we’re beginning to head back to work. A lot of dogs will feel this shift very strongly. After months of total togetherness,…
Read MoreCanine Enrichment during the COVID-19 Pandemic
As communities begin taking direct action regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, people will be stuck at home for 2-4 weeks (or longer). Some areas have already begun this self-isolation while others are just gearing up. Working from home might keep you busy, but what about our furry family members? They may be used to going to…
Read MoreInvisible Fences: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Many homeowners rely on underground, or invisible fences to contain their furry family on their property. Sometimes this choice is made because the property is quite large, and a physical fence would be cost prohibitive. Other times, it’s the community rules that prohibit physical fencing for aesthetic reasons. The Good The only “good” part…
Read MoreSequential Overload in Pets
Stress isn’t all bad. Stress is needed to avoid potential dangers; it’s part of animals’ natural responses to threats: if they don’t respond to threats in nature, they don’t survive! Some level of good stress (eustress) is even needed for learning. Learn more in this blog on The Canine Learning Stress-O-Meter. Certainly, too…
Read MoreHow Much Stress Is Too Much Stress?
In the force free training world (aka positive reinforcement), we try to minimize the amount of stress our pets experience during training. But in order to answer how much stress is too much stress, we must first understand a little bit more about “stress.” Types of Stress There are two types of stress an…
Read MoreFree Pet Handling and Safety Education for Rescue Workers and Volunteers
ST LOUIS, MO – October 24, 2019 – Current news in the St. Louis area is shining a light on the harsh truths about working in the pet rescue field. Pet rescues and volunteers are challenged with providing quality care to pets without the resources and training to do it safely and humanely. It is…
Read MoreHalloween Can Be Scary For Dogs
Some dogs are comfortable with all sorts of people and are not put out by people in weird getups or strange makeup. But those dogs are the exception. Most dogs, even very people-sociable dogs, can become worried about seeing people in costumes. From strange makeup to full-face masks, and costumes that change our shape from…
Read MoreR+ Training: Using Positive Reinforcement
“All of those positive reinforcement (R+) trainers always use food for training.”…“The dogs won’t work unless they see you have treats.”…“My dog isn’t that food motivated, so R+ training clearly won’t work for us….” Have you heard these comments?…Have you made these comments? Let’s take a step back and address these common misunderstandings…
Read MoreWhen Your Dog Growls …
A stranger approaches your dog, and your dog growls. Your dog is dozing on the couch, and you sit down next to him, startling him awake, and he growls. Perhaps your dog is chewing on a favorite toy or eating his food and a child reaches for the toy or the bowl, and your dog…
Read More