What is the Nothing in Life is Free program? Is it a good or bad training strategy for our dogs? Here, we consider the many aspects of NILIF dog training including its pros and cons, why it is used, and how it can be implemented.
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Dogs psychology tries of understand dog behavior from a canine perspective rather than from a human perspective. Dog psychology is important because it underlies all of dog training, and allows us to modify our dog’s behavior. Here, we consider the relationship between dog psychology, dog behavior modification, and dog training.
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To effectively leash train our dog, we want to pick the best equipment based on his unique temperament, energy level, size, and style. Using inappropriate leashes and collars may complicate training, worsen our dog’s behavior, and sometimes even cause physical harm. Here, we consider the strengths and weaknesses of leash training equipment, including choke chains, prong collars, harnesses, and the head-halti.
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One of the key debates in dog obedience training is about control. Proponents of aversive dog discipline argue that the choice is between total control and no control. Either our dog is a fully controlled Stepford dog, or he is an accident waiting to happen. We consider Stepford dogs, and whether they are better or happier than regular dogs.
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What are good first words to teach a puppy? The first words I taught my Husky puppy Lara was Good Girl! Today, she continues to love those words because they are always followed by a good food reward. Then comes Nose, Sit, Down, and much more. Come share with us which first words your puppy learned, and which ones are her favorite.
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Some dog trainers claim that prong collars or jabbing a dog’s neck is effective because it is just like a mama dog biting on her puppy’s neck. Mama dogs love their offspring, therefore the mama dog method of training is more natural, effective, and humane. Is this really true? Do prong collars and neck jabbing magically transform us into a mama dog? Here, we examine these mama dog training methods and whether they are truly better than other dog training techniques.
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Some people try to argue that certain dogs or certain dog breeds need shock collars or electronic collars. They say that strong-willed and independent breeds that love to run like the Siberian Husky can only be trained using electric shocks. What do you think? Do some dogs need a shock?
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I used to be very afraid of my dog – a Shiba Inu. I got him at about 10 weeks old and Shiba Sephy started mouthing us and everyone else as soon as we met him. Our vet recommended that we return the Shiba puppy. This story is about why I was afraid of my own dog, how I overcame that fear, and my relationship with Sephy today.
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Dog training is often counter-intuitive. When I started learning how to train my dogs, I found a lot of conflicting information. In addition, so-called dog experts would give inconsistent dog training advice and sugar-coat the facts. As a result, I made many mistakes with my first dog, but I also learned a lot from him. Here are some of the most common dog training mistakes that we make.
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Dog aggression may mean different things to different people. For some, a jumping dog is aggressive; for others, a dog causing puncture wounds just “does not know his own strength”. Dog aggression is also extremely dependent on context and on the energy of the surrounding people. Here we consider what dog aggression truly means.
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