Let’s talk about rewards (treats, reinforcers, bribes????). One of the things I talk about a lot during class and 1-2-1’s is the ‘value’ of rewards. It’s not the value to us that matters so much, it’s what our dogs find reinforcing. For some (well, the majority) it’s food, for others [...]
I’m very fortunate that I get to work with some great dog related folk, I may know about alot about training and behaviour, but thought I’d ask the professionals to give their thoughts on the things to look for in a dog walker / groomer and home boarder. This weeks [...]
How Can I Help My Dog? Bonfire night is fast approaching and that means fireworks and in turn scared pets. Why Fireworks Scare Dogs? Dogs are naturally frightened of loud noises. The unexpected sounds can make them anxious or afraid, and their survival instinct kicks in. Some dogs will run [...]
“Your dog is stubborn ! – Just make them do it!” I started to do this as a Monday ‘mythbuster’, but it got a little long, so I decided on a blog post instead. For those of you who don’t follow my Facebook page (@canineclicks), I have started a series [...]
Not all treats are created equal ! Lets talk about treats, they can make all the difference in training – and (in the early stages) we will be using a lot of treats so its worth finding out what your dog likes. I like wine (and chocolate, but mainly wine [...]
Did you realise that what you do at your end of the lead can affect your dog’s behaviour ? I often come up with blog ideas while walking my own two dogs, and this morning’s walk certainly helped. I was wandering down a country lane, one dog on lead (we [...]
There is a saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I’m not sure of the origins of the saying (google tells me it’s been around since about 1534!) but you may be glad to hear that it’s actually untrue. One of the questions I often get [...]
I recently was involved in an interesting discussion about different styles of dog training. If you have read any of my blogs of visited my website you will know that I am a strong advocate of reward based dog training (the carrot method). In simple terms, I want dogs to [...]
One of the most common questions I get asked is “how long is it going to take to train my dog?” If you came looking for a definitive answer I’m afraid you are going to be disappointed. But, what I can give you are a few ideas. There are so [...]
Which dog treats do you use during training? Did you know that the dog treats you use during training could be the difference between an enthusiastic student and one who isn’t? Picture the scene: The house is a mess, there are muddy footprints all over your nice clean floor and [...]