Choose Wisely When Considering Shock, Prong or Choke Collars

Dog Owner Responsibilities by William E Campbell I think many professional dog trainers will appreciate what William Campbell said about using "shock collars" in 1999.  I too have referred to these individuals as "predators" taking advantage of dog owners, who either lack understanding what their dog/s are communicating or as Campbell suggests prioritizes needs of the individual, not the pet.

Water Retrieves with Boudicca

  Putting Chuck It ball next to "Spot" caused some distraction. Additionally, excitement level. However, her enthusiasm is excellent. I would not want to punish this, normally, her response to "Spot" is good. It was my mistake. Should have realized chuck it balls sink, so not good choice for retention pond when full of water. …

Continue reading Water Retrieves with Boudicca

Featured

New Literature Review Recommends Reward-Based Training by Zazie Todd, Ph.D.

New Literature Review Recommends Reward-Based Training A review of 17 papers concludes that reward-based dog training has fewer risks and may even work better than aversive methods. The review, by Dr. Gal Ziv (The Zinman College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences) looks at the scientific literature on dog training methods. Seventeen studies were identified that include surveys of dog owners, intervention studies, and reports from veterinarians. The paper identifies some methodological issues with the literature, but the conclusion is that people should use reward-based methods to train their dogs.