Dog lovers from all walks of life are often convinced that they have a fairly strong understanding of dog behavior. From the dog guardians to the dog professionals, most feel confident about interpreting canine behavior and are quick at dispensing…
Blog Archives
When science and dog training come together – SPARCS 2014
Tagged with: #SPARCS2014, Animal training, Behavior, dog cognition, Dog training, Ethology, human dog bond, Jennifer Cattet, Pet Tutor, Smart Animal Training Systems, SPARCS 2014
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Educational, Misc, science
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, Educational, Misc, science
Is your body language helping or confusing your animal?
Humans and their pets understand one another on many basic levels. We can even extend this statement and recognize that we are capable of a certain level of interpretation of the intentions of wild species. We can identify most expressions…
Tagged with: abrantes, Animal training, Behaviorism, Dog, dog cognition, Dog training, Ethology, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, emotions, Horse, Misc, science
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, emotions, Horse, Misc, science
Dog barking: different types and treatments
Barking is loud, obnoxious, irritating and is very hard to tolerate. It’s meant to be! When a baby cries, we feel an insurmountable urge to do something about it. In the same way, when our dog barks, we’re compelled to…
Tagged with: Animal training, Barking, Dog, dog emotions, Dog training, dogs, human dog bond, Jennifer Cattet, Pet Tutor, reward based training, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, emotions, Fear, Misc, Psychology, Separation anxiety
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Dog/human relationship, emotions, Fear, Misc, Psychology, Separation anxiety
Reactivity and Aggression in dogs – Managing and Treating
It’s hard to enjoy a walk in the park, when we know our beloved companion can suddenly turn into Cujo at the first sight of a strange dog or a jogger. Not only do we have to face the challenge…
Tagged with: Animal training, dog aggression, dog reactivity, Dog training, dog walk, dogs, Jennifer Cattet, leash walking, reactivity, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, emotions, Fear, Positive Animal Training, Psychology
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, emotions, Fear, Positive Animal Training, Psychology
Learning theory basics – Part 2: Operant conditioning: if it works do it again!
Just waking up from a nap, the 2 month old puppy is now replenished and full of energy. Since he’s locked up in a crate, little Jake starts vocalizing and scratching at the door. Thankfully, Coleen, hearing her pup in…
Learning theory basics, part 1- Classical conditioning in dogs: beyond the training session
Most of us have heard of classical conditioning. Pavlov demonstrated how a neutral stimulus could become meaningful to a dog when followed by something that elicits a natural response. So when a bell, meaningless in itself, is consistently followed with…
Training ‘Do As I Do’: Fun and Efficient!
Through interactions with the world, animals learn that certain actions lead to pleasant or unpleasant consequences. Most of our training theory revolves around our ability to manipulate the animals’ environment to reinforce certain behaviors rather than others. However, not all…
Tagged with: Animal training, clicker training, do as I do, Dog, Dog training, imitation, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Positive Animal Training, science, Training tools
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog training, Positive Animal Training, science, Training tools
Enrichment – 8 easy ways to increase your dog’s quality of life
When we compare the lives of wild animals to that of our pets, there is a striking difference in their activity levels. Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters and gerbils of all sorts, spend a large part of their days just lying…
Tagged with: Animal training, Dog, Dog training, enrichment, human dog bond, Jennifer Cattet, Smart Animal Training Systems, Technology
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Psychology, Resource, Technology, Training tools
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Psychology, Resource, Technology, Training tools
Generalization in dogs and humans – the difference is in the brain
My dog sits perfectly during the training sessions, but looks at me with a blank stare when I ask her to sit when we’re in the park. Why is it that dogs can’t figure out that ‘sit’ in my house…
Tagged with: Dog, dog brain scans, dog cognition, Dog training, generalization, Jennifer Cattet, SMART, Smart Animal Training Systems
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Educational, Psychology, science
Posted in Dog behavior, Dog/human relationship, Educational, Psychology, science
When is controlling our dog too controlling?
When teachers, psychologists and parents are asked which methods are more acceptable when teaching our children, they consistently prefer a positive-reinforcement based approach over the use of punishment. A punitive approach to behavior is not only less effective, but it…