I know…. I’m getting repetitive. But…. It’s hard for me to express how important this video is to me. Ivan just put out the preview and I had to share. This preview still doesn’t do it justice. You really have to se the whole thing. This should literally be required viewing for training with me. It’s that important to me. …
“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 …
Building and Breaking Trust
Everyone that reads this thing regularly, knows I do a lot of training through game play. And, not in the surface “Create a reward event to make them work” sort if way. But, in a profound way. Almost a spiritually fulfilling way. It impacts so many different levels. Gives activity which is physically healthy. Gives psychological fulfillment, as the activities …
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.
Jaxxy Doing Work.
This video has two purposes. Well, 3. One is celebrating my little idiot. God dammit I love that dog. Two, is showing progress to anyone following his little story. And, last, but not least….. Showing training doesn’t have to feel like this piece of shit chore. There was only about a third more of these activities that weren’t on film. …
Conditioned Relaxation Is NOT Massage.
OK……. Conditioned Relaxation is one of those hot topics going around. And, in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 6 months…… you’ve seen it. Or, at least heard it described. The typical view of CR goes like this: “CR is using massage to get a dog relaxed.” Massaging a dog until they relax IS NOT putting …
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 …
Sometimes…. It Works Out
Walking 2 of our dogs through the woods, and in the middle of a good conversation (aka not paying attention to the pups) we hear screaming and sounds of dog blowing up from around the corner on the trail. Yeah….. The same trail that Jax had just run down. I have the dogs on remote collars for recall, but…. no …