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Tag: dog training

Will My Puppy Grow Out Of This? Early Intervention For Behavior Issues

Will My Puppy Grow Out Of This? Early Intervention For Behavior Issues

As a veterinarian in general practice, seeing a brand new puppy for a wellness check-up is one of my favorite parts of the job. (I’d wager this is true for most vets – ask anyone!) Puppies are cute, and obnoxious, and very, very busy.  They sniff all around the exam room, jump up to say hello, and try their best to eat my shoelaces.  They chew on my stethoscope while I auscult their hearts.  They eat treats eagerly when offered,…

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Accidental Behavior Chains, Part 2: How Do We Fix Them?

Accidental Behavior Chains, Part 2: How Do We Fix Them?

Last time, we talked about behavior chains – what they are, how they work, and why it’s so easy to accidentally train your dog to do something you don’t want. We had some great discussion in the comments section of that post, and several readers asked for some additional information about how to apply this concept on a practical level.  Namely, if we’ve inadvertently trained a behavior chain that includes unwanted “links” like jumping on visitors or pulling on the…

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Accidental Behavior Chains: Are You Training What You Think You Are?

Accidental Behavior Chains: Are You Training What You Think You Are?

My family got our first dog, a long-legged sable Sheltie named Duncan, when I was sixteen years old. As a brand-spanking-new trainer, I had lots of enthusiasm but very little actual skill.  We went to classes and dabbled in a few different dog sports – including, most notably for today’s topic, competitive obedience. In the novice obedience ring, one of the exercises that dogs are required to master is the formal recall.  This involves leaving your dog in a sit-stay,…

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Crate Training: Your Dog’s Portable Safe Haven, And How To Help Him Love It

Crate Training: Your Dog’s Portable Safe Haven, And How To Help Him Love It

All right, gang.  Today we’ll be discussing one of the most common and versatile training tools in a dog owner’s arsenal – the crate. Also called a cage, or kennel, I find that the humble dog crate often doesn’t get the respect it deserves.  Some owners, especially if they’ve never used one, worry that confining their pup to a crate might be cruel or scary for them.  Others may take the crate for granted (“Dogs like dens, right?”), and simply…

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Introducing… My New Podcast, “Dog Talk With Dr. Jen”

Introducing… My New Podcast, “Dog Talk With Dr. Jen”

Hi all, I’m excited to announce that my new podcast is officially up and running!  The first two episodes are up – show notes and download links can be found here.  It’s also available on iTunes (as well as most other major podcast directory sites), so feel free to search for it there if you prefer 🙂 Not to worry, the blog is still going strong!  I realize that some of my readers may not be interested in the podcast,…

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The “Quick Fix?”: Neutering As A Treatment For Aggression

The “Quick Fix?”: Neutering As A Treatment For Aggression

Today’s topic is a juicy one with lots of real-life relevance, so I hope you’re excited!  If you’re a dog owner, or someone who works with dogs, how often have you heard some variation of the following: “My girl has been growling at me over her food bowl lately!  She thinks she’s the queen of the house.  I really need to have her spayed and nip this in the bud.” “Oh, your dog is barking and lunging at other dogs…

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Stressed Or “Disobedient” – Can You Tell The Difference?

Stressed Or “Disobedient” – Can You Tell The Difference?

When my dog Remy was very young and just getting started in agility, we were enrolled in a weekly class at a local training center in Columbus.  (This was during my vet school years.) Every week, the dogs practiced jumping, running through tunnels, climbing over A-frames, and running basic sequences of obstacles so that we could practice our handling maneuvers.  Remy liked agility, and he was a fantastic worker – as long as there were treats involved, he was laser-focused…

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Educational Opportunities For The Human End Of The Leash

Educational Opportunities For The Human End Of The Leash

For today’s post, I want to switch gears a bit and highlight some awesome ways that you can delve deeper into the nitty-gritty details of dog training and behavior – for those who are so inclined. From time to time, I have readers contact me to ask my thoughts on the best way to become a professional dog trainer.  I also have readers (and in-person students!) who simply find themselves fascinated with the science of how dogs learn, and how…

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Invisible Fences: Do or Don’t?

Invisible Fences: Do or Don’t?

Today, I want to discuss a topic that I (and every other dog trainer I know!) get lots of questions about. Are “Invisible Fence”-type containment systems a good idea, generally speaking?  Or, would this be a reasonable choice for your particular dog? Now, first things first. I want to acknowledge at the outset that this this can be a hot-button issue for many dog owners and trainers, with strong feelings on all sides – and that’s perfectly okay.  It’s fine…

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Clicker Training 101: A Quick Beginner’s Guide

Clicker Training 101: A Quick Beginner’s Guide

If you’re just getting started with training your dog, you’ve probably encountered the term “clicker training” at least once or twice. Maybe you’ve overheard another student in your obedience class raving enthusiastically about how she uses a clicker to teach her new puppy fancy tricks at home.  Or, perhaps it’s been mentioned in a training book or article you read – but you weren’t quite sure what it meant. If you’ve ever seen someone using a clicker to work with…

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