QUEST: To leave no stone unturned, to search the universe and reveal the most deserving “Hero to the Animals” by New Years Day. WHEN: NOW until New Year’s Eve Midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Who: A hardworking, dedicated, talented, selfless person…
Blog Archives
Why Common Ways To Reduce Nuisance Barking Can Be Ineffective Or Worse!
Bark, bark, bark… Dogs bark, that’s a fact, whether we like it or not. But much like when children cry or scream, it’s very hard for us to simply ignore such vocalizations. Barking is loud and often disturbing to the…
Tagged with: Animal training, Barking, Dog, dog aggression, dog behavior, Dog training, dogs, Jennifer Cattet, Pet Tutor, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Fear, Separation anxiety
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Fear, Separation anxiety
Why getting your dog excited may affect your training session
“Rover, come!” shouted in a high pitch excited voice is likely to get a faster and more enthusiastic response than the same words expressed in a monotone, low key fashion. Most trainers rely at least at certain times, on how…
Fear, Fireworks & Neuroplasticity: What you should never do when your dog is afraid
Modern dog training recognizes that many of our dog’s problematic behaviors are the expression of an underlying fear. When Fido is scared, he’s going to automatically flee, freeze or fight depending on whether he’s dealing with another dog, a person…
Tagged with: Animal training, Dog, dog reactivity, dogs, Fear in dogs, Jennifer Cattet, neuroplasticity, reactivity, Smart Animal Training Systems, thresholds
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Fear
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Fear
There are 3 Es in modern dog training: Efficacy, Efficiency and Ethics
As trainers, we talk to dog guardians all the time. They come to us with questions and concerns about their dog and our job is to help them work out the best approach to their canine’s needs. Many have been…
Dog Training: Praise or Treats?
While we understand that good behavior should be rewarded if we want the dog to repeat it, there are different opinions about how and how much we should reward our pooches. We might consider that a “good boy!” is a…
Dog play: what’s the purpose?
While most species gradually stop playing as they grow into adulthood, our beloved pooches never seem to stop playing no matter how old they are. My 10 year old German Shepherd, Nala, still reacts like a puppy when an opportunity…
Tagged with: Dog, dog behavior, dog play, human dog bond, Jennifer Cattet, Pet Tutor, Smart Animal
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Misc, Psychology
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Misc, Psychology
Calming signals- Are they truly signals or calming?
Calming signals is a term brought forth by Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas (2005) to describe behaviors that dogs display when trying to calm down a situation. In animals living in groups, it’s important to have ways of communication that…
Tagged with: calming signals, Dog, dog behavior, dogs, Ethology, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal Training Systems, stress signals, Turid Rugaas
Posted in Dog behavior, Educational, Fear, Misc, Psychology, science
Posted in Dog behavior, Educational, Fear, Misc, Psychology, science
10 steps to getting a great dog from the shelter
I train service dogs for a living. Where do I get my dogs? From the local shelters! 100% of the dogs that we train and place as service dogs come predominantly from the local Humane Societies and rescue groups and have…
Tagged with: abandonment, animal shelters, Dog, human dog bond, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Misc, Resource, Shelter
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Misc, Resource, Shelter
Animal Madness – A review of Laurel Braitman’s insightful new book
“Given my choice, I would almost always choose to be a feral dog. Maybe you don’t live as long, maybe you don’t have shots, maybe you have mange, but I would choose that in a hot second over waiting for…
Tagged with: abandonment, Animal Madness, animal shelters, Behavior, Dog, dog behavior, dogs, fear, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, emotions, Misc, Psychology, Separation anxiety
Posted in Dog behavior, emotions, Misc, Psychology, Separation anxiety