 Big news! My second book, a collaboration with top trainer and agility competitor Sarah Westcott, is now available! It's a complete (and really fun) manners program built exclusively from sports, games, and tricks. Get it on Amazon here or at any number of other booksellers.
Play Your Way to Good Manners shows you how to approach your dog's manners training as a collection of cool tricks, exciting sports moves, and interactive games, changing your dog's attitude from "I have to do it" to "I want to do it." Sarah and I have drawn from techniques used in canine sports, games, and trick training, and applied them to a positive-reinforcement manners training program that you and your dog can easily follow. Inside Play Your Way to Good Manners you’ll learn strategies to teach your dog:
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 Practice Stay outside, too! The doorbell rings. Lola starts frantically barking, jumping, and clawing to get the door open. You howl, “Lola, sit... stay. Stay! STAY!!” to no avail. Sound familiar?
If so, it’s time to give your dog’s Stay a makeover. Many dogs learn to stay when it’s convenient for them. This may include waiting politely while you prepare her food or standing still for brushing. But when your dog is faced with an intense distraction, such as a ringing doorbell or food that’s fallen from the table, Stay becomes much harder for her to maintain. Nailing these more challenging Stays starts with teaching relatively easy ones and gradually working your way up to high level distractions. We’re going to follow the popular method of teaching Stay using the Three D’s: Duration, Distance, and Distraction. This method isolates one variable (or “D”) at a time, so your dog won’t get overwhelmed or stressed. Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  Dogs need to de-stress, too! When my private training clients are faced with their dog’s behavior issue, I generally recommend we do “doggie therapy.” But when does a dog need “therapy,” as opposed to regular manners training? Do versus Feel Typical dog training is intended to teach your dog good manners: staying on his dog bed while you eat dinner, walking on a loose leash, or sitting while you open the door for him. This kind of obedience training prepares dogs to be polite members of your household and community by teaching them what behavior is acceptable and what is not. For instance, a well-trained dog is able to sit calmly when being pet by a stranger, rather than jump up on him. In essence, training teaches your dog to do something, whether it’s a sit-stay or recall. Then there is behavior modification, which is the technical term for doggie therapy. (I use the latter term with clients to lighten the mood and help them relate to the behavior modification protocol.) The purpose here is to encourage your dog to feel something rather than do something. But what does that mean, exactly? Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  It's important to be well-mannered AND well-dressed. One of the misconceptions about positive training is that you become a treat dispenser for your dog, constantly giving out food rewards for the rest of his life. While there are some situations that may require long-term treat rewards, there are also many others that rely on other kinds of reinforcement for good behavior.
Life Rewards The main principle of positive training is that polite behavior such as sitting is rewarded, making it a win-win for both dog and owner. Failure to do the polite behavior generally results in the owner withholding a reward. Therefore, only polite pups get what they want. But who says the reward has to be a treat? Enter life rewards, calorie-free reinforcement that gives your dog access to everything he wants... as long as he sits first. Click "Read More" if you don't see the text below. Puppies are cute for a reason. Those fluffy little jowls are hiding a set of razor-sharp, flesh-searing teeth, and between those floppy ears is a brain that is hard-wired to chew on everything in sight. Teething puppies simply cannot help themselves. Most puppies have an insatiable urge to chew whatever they can get their paws on, and when they play, they have little regard for your delicate human skin. Children under ten or so, as well as people with long hair or flowing clothes, are the most vulnerable to these petite predators, but really, no one is safe from puppy teeth. It takes months for a dog’s adult teeth to come in, so it’s important to have a plan to combat biting and chewing as soon as your puppy comes home. Here are ways to ensure your puppy will learn to be polite with his teeth. Click "Read More" if you don't see the text below.  Such purity, such innocence, such... insanely sharp teeth.  Does your dog sniff his food and then walk away? Take a treat, only to spit it out? It might be time to give your dog a new feeding routine, so he will live to eat, not just eat to live. Why Isn’t he Eating? There could be a number of reasons why your pup is turning his nose up at his meals. Before assuming that he’s stubborn, consider medical causes and discuss his lack of appetite with your vet. It would be cruel to start making lifestyle changes if your dog’s problem is in fact medical. Occasionally a dog doesn’t like his food anymore, possibly due to a change in the formula or simply boredom with the same old flavor every day. I’ve embraced feeding a rotational diet, as many nutrition experts now recommend varying dog’s diets among several high-quality brands and proteins. This is because every brand and food type (dry, wet, and so on) inevitably has a different nutritional makeup. One food, even if considered “complete and balanced,” may not meet all your dog’s nutritional needs and could put your pooch at a disadvantage over the years. Could you imagine eating the same meal every single day for your whole life? Even pizza would lose its appeal, and the missing vitamins in your diet would catch up with you eventually. Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  Jacob and Finn practice "reward for attention." Do you walk your dog, or does he walk you? If your dog drags you from shrub to shrub, or launches himself at every dog he sees, it’s time to brush up on his leash walking skills.
It’s no wonder that leash walking problems are the number one complaint I hear from my dog training clients. To a dog, leashes are completely unnatural and unnecessary. Dogs are designed to wander in this-or-that direction, following a scent or investigating things in their environment. A six-foot leash just can’t allow such freedom. But since leashes are necessary for safety and required by law, we have to teach dogs how to walk politely while tethered to you. Why Dogs Pull There are numerous reasons why dogs pull. Hint: none of them have to do with dominance. Do any of these reasons apply to your pup? Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  To some dogs, everything is a chew toy. If your dog or puppy has an appetite for destruction, it’s important to address it sooner rather than later.
While most of us humans see our home decor as something to preserve for many years, our dogs may have a different opinion. To them, nothing is more exhilarating than ripping a pillow apart, and chomping on an antique table leg is a great way to pass an otherwise boring day. Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  Even when it’s too cold to do much outdoors, you can create challenging activities for your dog to do inside your home. You can’t go wrong with scent games, as they are naturally fun for any dog and can even carry behavioral benefits. On bad-weather days, scent games are the perfect way to break up the monotony of being cooped up indoors. If you have an elderly or injured dog who spends most of his time inside, scent games provide a mental and physical challenge, but you don’t need to worry about overexertion. These activities can also help active dogs burn energy in a small space without getting overly amped up.
Click Read More if you don't see the text below.  Are we there yet? Have dog, will travel. Just make sure your dog is as excited about the trip as you are! Follow these guidelines to teach your dog to love his carrier.
It’s getting increasingly easier to take your dog with you to hotels, cafes, bars, and all kinds of shopping. If subway, train, or even air travel are needed to get there, first you’ll have to teach your pup how to travel comfortably in a bag. Read the full article here at petguide.com, or click Read More if you don't see the text below. When you share your life with an active dog, there is rarely a dull moment. Energetic dogs are almost always ready for a game, sport, training session. And if you don’t give them these outlets, woe to the furniture that will be devoured, or the children that will get herded, simply out of boredom. Whether naughty or nice, your energetic pup will love these gift ideas!
Read the full article here at petguide.com, or click Read More if you don't see the text below. Does your dog thrash and squeal while you prepare his food as if to say, “Hurry up, human”? Bark at you when you don’t throw the ball fast enough? Protest when the treats or playtime ends? You may have a Bossy Barker on your hands. Canine vocalizations can have a number of meanings, expressing everything from elation to fear. If you consider your dog’s barking a nuisance or problem, it’s important to identify the underlying emotions for the outburst. The Bossy Bark generally indicates frustration intolerance; that is, the dog gets frustrated because he wants that food/ball/attention NOW. By implementing a few rules based on force-free training, you can teach your pup patience, which will in turn reduce or stop the bossy barking. Click "Read More" if you don't see the text below. “Max coughed up two socks last night,” “Zippy’s sidewalk snacking has cost me thousands in ER vet bills,” and the horror stories go on and on. Teach you pup a reliable Drop It cue before you have a traumatizing story of your own. Drop It instructs the dog to immediately spit out whatever is in his mouth. In extreme cases, it can mean the difference between life and death. The problem is, your dog put that half-eaten pepperoni pizza slice in his mouth for a reason -- he wants it! Once it’s firmly in his mouth, it’s really up to him whether he will drop it or not. So it’s your job to convince him that spitting out the pizza is actually more fun and rewarding than eating it. Here are three levels of Drop It. Work your way up by increasing the difficulty in very small increments, to ensure your dog is successful at every step. In real life, do not tell your dog to “drop it” unless you are almost certain he will. If your dog is still a the beginner levels of Drop It and he picks up something delicious (to him) on your walk, use the Level 1 method to handle snacking emergencies. Read the full article here at petguide.com or click Read More if you don't see the text below.  Here, we’ll look at pros and cons of adopting a fully mature adult dog. (Considerations for puppies are outlined in a separate post.) Pro: You know what you’re getting Adult dogs are more “what you see is what you get” than puppies are. If you go to meet an adoptable adult dog at a foster home or shelter, his temperament, sociability, and activity levels are fully developed. (That said, a noisy, confined shelter can make many dogs anxious, shut down, or irritable. Bear the environment in mind.) If the dog has a behavior problem such as leash reactivity, you are likely to see signs of that during a meet-and-greet. Furthermore, you can easily know the dog’s size and have a better idea of his breed(s) just by looking at him. Read the full article here at petguide.com, or click "Read More" if you don't see the text below.  A typical day with adult rescue dogs. When a veterinarian and a dog trainer get together, what do you think they talk about? (Hint, the #1 topic is probably "#1" and "#2.") I had the pleasure of sitting down with friend and veterinarian Kaarin Vekman, DVM, to play a little game we called, "Whom should you call first: your vet or a trainer?" As a trainer, I get a lot of questions about topics that should really be directed to a vet. Likewise, vets are often asked behavior questions that are more in a trainer's territory. Then there are other cases where vets and trainers can work together to tackle a dog's issue from both medical and behavioral angles. And so when your dog is having a problem, it can be difficult to know where to start. Our game covers issues such as house training, separation anxiety, puppy vaccinations, nutrition, aggression, and nail trims. Though we were both involved in creating the questions, we didn't discuss our answers ahead of time. This game was also a good test for Dr. Vekman and me. Prior to playing the game, I was worried we would have widely differing points of view and possibly end our friendship over the contentious "puppy vaccination" topic. And while we do look at the same issue from different angles, it turns out these differences do not lead to confusion or conflict; rather, educating owners from both a medical and behavioral perspective can give them a more well-rounded understanding of their dogs' conditions.  Batman is pushing 15(ish), but he still has zero chill and craves practicing Rally-O on our walks. Sure, your dog’s Agility days might be behind him, and the gravity-defying tricks he used to perform are no longer in his repertoire. Still, there is a long list of activities perfectly suited to older dogs, to ensure his golden years are his best years.
Sports for Seniors There are several sports that don’t demand much of your senior dog’s body. Even if you don’t live near a training facility that offers sport classes, there are online schools that allow you to learn and practice at home. Rally Obedience (also called Rally-O or simply Rally) is a lighter version of competition obedience, and a great way for you and your dog to spend time training together. Rally involves you and your pooch performing a series of obedience-type tasks, laid out on a course. The tasks include lots of heelwork, sits, stays, and so on. Rally is perfect for older dogs because it provides lots of mental stimulation, but at a slow pace. Even at Rally trials, there is a division just for seniors, and exceptions can be made for dogs with disabilities. Read the full article here on petguide.com, or click "Read More" if you don't see the text below. Dogs just don't seem to share our love of mani-pedis. But can you blame them? Doggie nail trims often involve getting pinned down and possibly muzzled, plus enduring the crrrrrunch of the nail clippers on every toe and and the occasional sting of the hacked-up quick... The horror! While there is no instant fix, you can help your dog overcome his fear of nail trims by following the steps in my newest video. In most cases, it's all about building trust and comfort. The first few steps are simply to get your dog to find the sight and feel of the clippers comfortable, and to show him that you won't push him beyond his comfort level. Taking this kind of slow and steady approach will ultimately yield faster results, as your dog will be willing to accept the clippers without a fight. In the video, you'll see I used a nail file rather than clippers. This is because Beans had had a clippers-meltdown a few weeks earlier, and I decided to let her cool off from the clippers for a little while. Conditioning her to something new -- the nail file -- takes much less time than counter-conditioning her to her nemesis, the clippers. However, when I'm ready to re-introduce the clippers, I will use the same method as in the video. This method works for nail trims, bathing, brushing, toothbrushing, and any other grooming activity that normally makes your dog squirm. Contest alert! Beans recently got her DNA results from Embark Vet. She's a mix of four breeds. If you can guess just three of those breeds, you might win yourself a free copy of the BKLN Manners™ training book! You can submit your best guesses on Instagram here or on Facebook here. Want to see more photos before submitting your guess? Beans has got plenty here. How to enter: 1. Write three breeds (and no more) in the comments below by 7/30/18. All comments that correctly guess three of Beans’ breeds will be eligible to win. 2. Three winners will be chosen at random among answers with three correct breed matches. Winners will be contacted by DM on Instagram. Beans’ @embarkvet results will be announced 7/30/18. * Books can be shipped to USA addresses only. * Winners must respond by 8/30/18 to receive a free BKLN Manners book.  Just as kids learn life skills by playing team sports, dogs can learn everyday manners by practicing canine sports. If your pup struggles to walk politely on leash, it’s Rally Obedience to the rescue! What exactly is Rally Obedience? Also called Rally-O or simply Rally, this low-impact canine sport involves a series of heelwork tasks, plus lots of sits, downs, stays, and other “obedience” type behaviors. At the higher levels, Rally-O involves elements of Agility and other sports, too. A Rally-O course is set up in a large ring with 12-18 signs, each indicating a task for you an your dog to perform. Your job is to navigate your dog through the course, accomplishing each task that is printed on the sign and then proceeding to the next sign. Signs might ask you to walk in a spiral pattern with your dog, have him do a Sit/Stay while you walk in a circle around him, or do a Sit-Down-Sit series. (See the signs here.) It’s easy to practice these exercises at home. If you choose to enter a Rally Trial through WRCL, AKC, or another venue, a judge will score your performance. As you get more and more qualifying scores, you can move up to higher levels. Read the full article here at petguide.com, or click "Read More" if you don't see the text below.  Amanda and Lucy (@lucyimhome_) practice Rally to help Lucy focus on walks. You love your dog, that’s a given. But do your neighbors feel the same way? Make sure your dog has neighbor etiquette both indoors and out, so he brings a smile to everyone’s face. Well-behaved dogs are made, not born. To ensure your dog is a pleasure for everyone in the neighborhood to be around, a little training and management will go a long way to prevent bad habits from forming. Here are some ways to get started. Read the full article here on petguide.com, or click "Read More" if you don't see the text below. (Photo by constantism.com. Check him out!)  Susu is nailing her polite greeting, with the help of a little string cheese. |
Welcome!Kate is a certified dog behavior consultant and certified dog trainer with Doggie Academy in Brooklyn, NY and in Southbury, CT.     Categories
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