I recently had an epiphany at a Spring Pole. Typically, I train tug held by the handler first, and then we work our way out in responsibility and area of influence, to flirt poles and spring poles. And… That’s a solid plan that’s worked well. I’ve seen dogs that get put on a spring pole without an “out”, and a …
Speed Wobbles
You know what speed wobbles are? It is a term for when a vehicle goes so fast, that it starts to wobble and lose control. And here’s the thing…… ALL vehicles will get them IF you go fast enough. So…. a sound piece of advice may be “Avoid going so fast that you get speed wobbles.” That said….. If you …
Atten….. HUT!!!!!!!!
Not sure if that’s how you spell that, but you heard it in your head when you read it. Attention. Focus. Distraction Proofing. Temptation Resistance. Whatever you call it…. It’s the holy grail of dog training. If you ain’t got attention. You ain’t got shit. And it doesn’t have to be harsh. Here’s an example of us working on temptation …
Teaching Social Skills & Alternate Behaviors
https://youtu.be/G8DYSQpFyag
“Tug” For Rehab
Yep…. I don’t just use tug to biologically fulfill dogs, develop skills, language, and relationship….. I also use it to teach them to CHOOSE us over distraction. These dogs are not punished into not looking. They are choosing the game with their owner OVER the other dog. And make no mistake…. Both of these dogs were very reactive to the …
Why You Should Study Pickpocketing
Today….. I told someone that they should get good at picking pockets. Yeah. That’s the kind of advice you get from me. See……. We took their dog on an “Out & About” training session. It was on a busy walking trail in Amesbury, Mass. There were walkers. Bikes. Kids. Kids in strollers. And dogs……. Several dogs. Dogs stopped on the …
Tug…….. Ivan Balabanov Melted My Brain.
Man…… I took a trip to visit Ivan Balabanov like 8 months ago. And that set off a direction of thought or study, that made my brain melt. I realized that I had been looking at tug with a weak microscope. Like…… If you have a weak microscope you can see to a certain depth. But, if you get a …
Faith In Handler Drill
I wrote about this a long time ago. Back then I was calling it “Reverse BAT”. But, now I call it the Faith In Handler Drill. After that article, a ton of people have asked me to demonstrate it. Here’s a video of me showing to a dog/handler for the first time.
Extinction Burst
You walk up to the elevator. Push the button…… Wait. Push the button…… Wait. Push the button…… Wait. “One more fucking time, and I’m taking the stairs” you say. Push the button…… PUSH THAT STUPID PIECE OF SHIT BUTTON 55 GOD DAMN TIMES!!!!!! Quit, and take the stairs. That’s the extinction burst. It’s the burst or “trying” that happens just …
Why “Break Sticks” Are Shit.
If you’re a dog trainer with an interest in rehabbing dog aggression…… Please. Throw the “Break Stick” away. Look, I know why you have them. It’s a logical mistake to make. You want to break up a fight that involves at least one committed dog. (a concern you NEED to address if you work in rehab). Well….. Who has the …