Snake-avoidance training can be a lifesaver for dogs that live among venomous snakes. A common way to train snake avoidance is to pair a strong aversive, like an electric

I am asked regularly, “What are the first behaviors that we should train our animals? Does the order matter? How do we determine what should be trained first?”

Luring is legal Let me start by saying that if you decide to use a food lure, you are NOT committing a “training felony,” and the “’lure police” will

The quest for greatness One characteristic of a good shaper is flexibility—a willingness to change course based on new information coming in. Good science shares that characteristic. As

Free shape—or not? Free shaping is a type of animal training where you teach the behaviors in gradual steps using a marker, like a clicker, and rewards. Shaping can be a great

Spooked? It’s autumn—the season of shorter nights, crackling leaves, the hunter’s moon, and, of course, Halloween. Costumed creatures come to your door and scary monsters parade across your

Why all the barking? Barking happens for a reason. Sounds obvious, right? It didn’t always, according to applied ethologist Julie Hecht, writing in the spring 2013 issue of The

Remember when? Do you remember when you learned to tie your shoes? Maybe that’s too far back and the details are fuzzy. How about when you learned to

Missing you Domesticated dogs naturally prefer the companionship of their humans. It’s one thing to have your dog follow you around the house amiably, however; it’s quite another

Potty Problems? Are you having trouble teaching your puppy (or even your adult dog) appropriate elimination behaviors? Don’t despair. There’s an excellent chance that your dog can be

What’s missing? “I don’t even know where to start. It just seems so huge and daunting. I don’t know how to define a plan, what steps to include,

Scent discrimination is one of the “advanced” obedience exercises, but it is actually one of the easiest to train. Why? You are working with the dog’s single most