Like a red-headed stepchild, it’s easy to overlook those little, everyday logistical behaviors, like taking off (or putting on) the leash, getting in and out of the car, taking the dumbbell from the judge. They are small, you usually don’t get any points for them, and...
It is important to remember, classical conditioning always only goes one direction. Bell -> Food The bell has to predict the food for the bell to cause the dog to drool. Food THEN bell will not have any effect. So if your dog doesn’t like a thing, and you want to...
I stand here confronted by the recipe and its associated collection of produce. Step 1: Thoroughly rinse produce. Peel, trim and cut carrots into small dice. My thoughts: How important is it to peel carrots really? How important are vegetables really? How...
Earlier today I was working on Rugby’s hold portion of the retrieve behavior, specifically looking to build a strong hold on the glove. He’s got very terrier tendencies (as expected), and has a high frequency of thrashing and shredding soft materials. So I...
Question: Does breaking down a behavior and teaching individual components take longer than teaching the whole thing in big chunks (*coughcough* lumps)? Answer: Nope! Not at all. (or not if you’re doing it right.) Most people will agree that breaking down a...
Retrieve Over the High Jump Your dog knows how to jump, and he knows how to retrieve. Let’s put it together. The hard part about the retrieve over the high jump is getting back and forth between the jump standards, especially considering the unpredictability of where...
