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Dog Trainer’s Salute

Genie Tuttle CP... | Wed, 04/18/2012 - 15:16

We’re sometimes known as bossy

Yet never need a posse

To help a dog be understood

What we do is find the good

And go from there to depths explore

All about the canine core

Nature, nurture and beyond

Sometimes we have a magic wand

Though some rely on books and lecture

Giving way to sheer conjecture

Filming Fido – Why a camera is a dog trainer’s best tool.

Drayton Michaels | Wed, 04/18/2012 - 13:39

When I attended a 2 - day seminar by legendary animal trainer Bob Baily last year I was not surprised when he said that the “greatest tool an animal trainer has is film”.

What I was surprised at was the small amount of hands that went up when he asked the audience of more than 200 people “who films themselves training”? …”and not just the dog” he added “how many film yourselves while training”? Even more hands went down.

Considering that just about everyone has a phone that also shoots film or considering how inexpensive a quality camera is these days, why are more people not filming their dog training?

Dogs And Children—Safety Rules And Preventing Rather Than Curing

Roger Abrantes | Tue, 04/17/2012 - 09:20

I’ve just published “Dogs And Children,” the first time the original little book in Danish is translated into English. Its goal was to provide dog owners with sound advice that would help them prevent accidents from happening and, as such, I believe that it can still perform the same role today as it did 26 years ago.

I cannot give you the whole book here, but I couldn’t bear not giving my faithful readers on Dog Star Daily at least some of it because this is an extremely important topic as far as I’m concerned. I chose, therefore, to write a short blog giving you a few extracts from the book. If you’re interested, you can read the whole book online and free of charge here.

DON'T HUG-YOUR-DOG DAY

Michelle Douglas | Tue, 04/10/2012 - 13:03

Today I posted a link to a video entitled “Dogs Don’t Like Hugs” on my facebook page. The first few comments have compelled me to elaborate on my position, and since today is HUG-YOUR-DOG Day, now is as good a time as any. Dogs don't hug each other. I do admit, if we socialize them early on with our quirky human behaviors, then they can learn what we do and that it means good. However, far too many dogs are not sufficiently socialized. I have personally worked with many dogs that are constantly stressed by things that make us feel good. HUGS are not understood to mean affection by your average dog.

Barking Mad

Chirag Patel | Sat, 04/07/2012 - 16:13

Barking is a huge problem for many owners and often I see so many people use various aversives to stop it. This video looks as possible explantions and suggests a few tips to try.

Har-Vest Special Via Pet Tech Radio

Rachel Friedman | Wed, 04/04/2012 - 10:47

Want to learn details about Har-Vest: 3-in-1 Backpack For Dogs AND get a great special good through April 30, 2012? Listen to Episode 4 of my interview with host Ken Jones of PET TECH RADIO and get a rare and generous FREE GIFT with your purchase.

Who Killed These Dogs?

Cindy Bruckart | Mon, 04/02/2012 - 11:34

A picture and the subsequent conversation on Facebook has compelled me to write this blog post. The conversation is about a picture making the internet rounds. It is a picture of four dead dogs lying on the floor of a shelter truck. At the top right of the picture are the words, "If you breed or buy, you are responsible for this."

Belly Ball - A game for dogs and humans

Drayton Michaels | Sat, 03/31/2012 - 16:43

Dogs and games with humans seem to be something that has existed since time and memorial. After all a dog that tracks prey could be playing the game called survival and the prize or “goal” or reward is the food.

Dogs and humans also both like games for the sheer fun of playing an activity that we find rewarding with no apparent survival contingency.

About 5 years ago as I tossed a ball towards my dog Keyshia it went under and through her belly and I said, “Hey that could be a goal?”

Belly Ball Overview and Description video - http://youtu.be/okfUai_islk

Do Dogs Have Self-Respect?

Roger Abrantes | Sat, 03/31/2012 - 07:32

Did she cheat me? Did she manipulate me. Or was it a proof that my English Cocker Spaniel had a sense of self-respect; that dogs behave intelligently?

It happened long ago, but I still think about it, trying to find a plausible and scientifically correct explanation. My dogs have always been fun dogs, independent and skillful, but manipulative and naughty at the same time. It’s my fault. I’ve brought them up to be that way. I trained them because at the time (the beginning of the 1980s) I was keen on demonstrating that there were other ways of training dogs than the traditional, mostly compulsory and often forceful methods of the old school. Since I believed (and still do) that the best way to have someone change is not by forcing, persuading or convincing, but rather by showing attractive results, I trained my dogs to help me in this quest, and none more than Petrine, my female, red English Cocker Spaniel did so.

Talking to the animals! with Rosie Barclay

Karen Wild | Fri, 03/30/2012 - 07:47

I owe the internet a debt of gratitude. Twitter and facebook, and of course Dog Star Daily, have opened up some great friendships and collaborations for me and have allowed me to meet some amazing dog trainers from all over the world. I have learned a lot and remain humbled by their skill, experience and compassion. I thought it was my turn to repay some of this debt by introducing some of the top pet behaviourists here in the UK so we can share their experiences, too. What makes someone choose this career?

Rosie Barclay BSc(Hons) MPhil CCAB is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Chair of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). As well as TV and radio appearances and working with dogs and owners, Rosie has used her skills to help the animals at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey. I asked Rosie how she first got into the training world.