Keep Pets Safe During Noisy Holidays

In the United States, July 4th is the number one day for lost pets.  Please keep pets indoors during scary fireworks.

From the Mail Bag - Dog Barks When Left Alone

From the Mail Bag:  Hi, we have a 1yr old Bologco male who is an absolute sweet heart and very well behaved. The problem starts when we leave for work. He is roughly left for two to three hours maximum. He is put in the kitchen with food, water, stuffed Kong and his bed. But he barks and barks on and off and is driving the neighbours mad, which I totally understand. He has no access to a Window so is not being disturbed or scared by anything. There is no drool, scratching or any signs of distress when we get home, he is quiet on our arrival so I know he has ceased barking at some point. He is happy to be alone in the house when we are maybe upstairs. He sleeps all night long in the kitchen without as much as a peep. Any strategies you could suggest would be very well received. Thank you.

Classical Conditioning. Part III. Thresholds

In our last post on classical conditioning, I talked about desensitization and starting the process at a point where our dogs are not afraid.  Another term we use is "threshold". We want to start with our dogs below threshold and we want to stay below threshold during the entire process.

Classical Conditioning. Part II. Desensitization

In our first post on classical conditioning, we talked about associations and how we can change a dog's feelings about something they don't like. An example was giving a dog a treat every time the mail delivery person appears.

Hands Off Dog Training Or Why We Should Not Use Physical Manipulation

When we use luring, capturing, or shaping ( all hands off), followed by a treat to teach behaviors, we are using positive reinforcement - much more pleasurable for the dog - and scientifically it's a better method.

Dog Afraid of Riding in Vehicle. Part III

Continuing our discussion on vehicle desensitization, so far we've made it to the bottom of the ramp leading up to the vehicle.

Dog Afraid of Riding in Vehicle. Part II. Foundation

Dog Afraid of Riding in Vehicle. Part 1

My Dog Chews Her Tether

From the mailbag: When I take my dog on outings, and I tether her to something, she chews through her leash.

Baths. Part V. Counter Conditioning and Desensitization

In our last post on baths, we talked about how we might make the process a bit less daunting for our pets.  If after applying those remedies, your dog still hates baths, you might need to work on desensitization and counter conditioning.