Quite Possibly The Best Post Ever On Operant Conditioning

Wow. Scientific information, AND, Southpark?!?! That, my friends, is a hard combination to beat. Check out this amazing post on TerrierMans Daily Dose. It is really something special. It has a layman’s description of operant conditioning that actually works. It has references to Cesar Milan, who as cliche’ as this sounds, was one of my big inspirations for starting this …

Leash Rant Revisited.

OK, when you’re REALLY, REALLY pissed about something, you have to stop and look at it and figure out, is my anger completely righteous,  or, did I contribute to it, and that’s why I’m so mad? Well, I was good and pissed. So, naturally the next part of the process was introspection. Mad, is only a good thing, if it …

Michael Ellis Speaks The Truth!

Man, I like Michael Ellis. Very balanced trainer. Very, very clear instruction. Solid science behind his methods. Tries like hell to use softer, enjoyable methods, but understands that “corrections” must be used in some situations. Still, attempts to use them as little as possible. And this is on SUPER high drive performance dogs that are VERY hard to manage. But, …

Hang In There!

We’ve always gravitated towards the difficult dogs. So, we’ve had our fair share of issues. We’re in the middle of one right now. Jax (our newest addition), is just reaching his new home crescendo. He’s been here long enough, and developed enough confidence to really open up and be a shithead. For example, when he first arrived, a sound may …

Tough New Years Day

In the spirit of making you feel better about your situation…. I thought I’d share our monster of a New Years Day. Awaiting the “New Year”, we have a lapse in attention of our newest member of the Bully crew. Jackson is still learning house manners, and will absolutely flip out at unexpected sounds late at night. Of course, when …

Dogs Are Crazy Super Fans

I like to use analogies when I learn. When I teach martial arts, I go to the analogy “well” quite a bit! I think they help everyone learn, not just me. So, one I came up with for understanding how some problems develop in dogs, is……. “The Super Fan!” None of the dog trainers that I’ve told it to, like …

Happy Holidays

Whatever you celebrate…… Enjoy it! A lot of people are either having guests over. Or are leaving their pets at home for longer than usual while they go somewhere. If you have a “difficult” dog, this can be daunting. I’m very familiar with the urge to cancel holiday plans because it just doesn’t seem worth the “dog” issues. But, over …

Can’t Make An Omelet Without…….

I’ve dedicated a ton of energy over the past 2 decades to change the public perception of the vastly misunderstood American Pit Bull Terrier. I’ve been responsible for changing the mind of countless people. I’ve personally been credited with a dozen or so adoptions that would NOT have gone with a Bully breed, had they not met my dogs. And …

Is Language Ruining Our Ability To Communicate?

We talk too damn much. Really……. That’s the point of this article. I have two main interests. Dogs, and Martial Arts/Self-Defense. These seem ridiculously unrelated on the surface…. But, in reality, they aren’t. I’ll explain: This is how I think animal communication goes. And yes…. Humans are animals. 1. Calming/Avoidance Signals 2.  Stillness 3. Pressure 4. Sound 5. Touch 6. …