Search Results for: New Baby, “Bad” Dog, and Behavior Modification
New Baby, “Bad” Dog, and Behavior Modification
As a trainer I have helped many clients prepare for their coming baby, but in going through this myself, I have adjusted my expectations, and also what I will be teaching from now on.
Fourth of July and Fireworks
It’s not that dogs aren’t patriotic, but many dogs, and also some cats are terrified of the loud and sudden bangs we call fireworks. It’s actually adaptive to be hard-wired to be afraid of sudden loud sounds. We jump at such surprising sounds, and we might also run the other way or hide if we Read More
The Importance of Remembering That You Are Only Human
Through my work as a trainer and behaviour consultant I work with a lot of dogs. I also work with lots of humans, more humans than dogs, as most dogs have several humans in their lives. I have spent time sharpening my people skills and feel that I do a good job of making people Read More
DogTV Launches Season 2 of Adoption Show
By partnering with over 100 animal shelters throughout the United States, the Adoption Show promotes pet adoption and showcases adoptable dogs in various locations around the country.
Penis crowning (don’t worry, it’s all G – rated!)
Here’s everything you want to know but didn’t want to ask about the dog penis.
Introducing Positively TV – The Official Channel for Dog Lovers
The future of dog videos online has arrived! Positively TV – Victoria Stilwell’s exciting new premium subscription video-on-demand service – has officially launched and is available worldwide. Positively TV is a new subscriber-based platform which contains the entire library of Victoria’s Positively video content plus exclusive new videos that will be released only to subscribers Read More
Thinking Outside of the Block: Why Your Reactive Dog Needs to be Walked
It has been something of a thing recently in some corners of the dog training world to suggest that keeping an easily over-stimulated and/or reactive dog in his own home environment for a bit, with enrichment toys is a better idea than taking said dog out into the world to be walked. I strongly disagree. Read More
Growth Mindsets in Dog Training
In some of my other worlds, parenting and school teaching, the idea of Growth vs Fixed Mindsets has taken off. You can read more here, but in a nutshell, you avoid labeling children as smart or not smart. You look for and acknowledge behaviours like effort, persistence, thoughtful choices, small steps taken and achieved; and Read More
Owner or enthusiast?
I have a car. I love my car and I look after it well. I drive it carefully, clean it, get it serviced regularly and always enjoy looking at it and driving it. The thing is…I really know very little about how it works. I can check the water and oil and top them up. Read More
Where You Lead, I Will Follow
Be a leader. Not a phrase that you would expect to be uttered by a positive dog trainer, right? We spend so much time preaching about how to listen to your dog, give your dog choices, respect who your dog is, that it’s unexpected that I should be talking about leadership. It’s the elephant in Read More
How To Train Your Dog to LOVE Staying Close on Walks with this One Simple 3-Minute Game
Do you ever feel like you have one of those Catch 22 situations, where you want to allow your dog to have more freedom but as soon as your dog gets any kind of freedom you worry that soon enough he or she will likely disappear to… Run in the woods Scent in the grass Read More
Self-Control – The Reason You Aren’t Getting Real-Life Results (You aren’t using Real-Life Pulse!)
Close your eyes and think for one moment what is the one thing that you absolutely love to do? No-one has to pay you for it, no-one needs to ask you to do it….it lights you up, makes you feel alive, excites you…. and if you could do it right now you would do it Read More
Starting out with your new puppy
You’ve been planning for months, and at last your new puppy is here! Your expectations are enormous: this is going to be the perfect dog you’ve always wanted. And maybe that’s right, and your little puppy will become your Brilliant Family Dog. But for many of us - and for many of our puppies - Read More
Victoria talks to HLN About Dogs Who Killed Their Owner
Victoria joined host Erika Hill on CNN's HLN this week to discuss the story of the woman who whose dogs are accused of mauling and killing her.
Positively Dog Training Episode 707
K9 officer Shawn Humphreys talks with Victoria and Holly about the world of police dog training, its challenges, and the changes he’s noticing with his move towards more positive training. Also, new VSA course dates, how to find a licensed trainer as well as leash-walking and separation anxiety issues.
Consider the Source
Before I started my career as a dog trainer, I studied broadcast journalism in college. I remember one of my professors constantly repeating the phrase "consider the source." That phrase has stuck with me throughout the years, and I've found it to be quite relevant to my work as a trainer.
Reality Check: Nine Things That Your Dog Wants You to Understand
Knowledge in all forms seems to wax and wane according to the dynamics of the times that we live in. This is consistent on all subjects but in particular, with dog behavior knowledge. We have come so far with an understanding of dog behavior and how to modify it, yet old school techniques and thought Read More
Positively Dog Training Episode 704
Why dogs and Halloween don’t mix, November’s pet awareness holidays, how to detect signs your dog is in pain. Also, consistency when paper training pups, mouthing puppies, constant barking, issues that come with adopting street dogs.
Your puppy is not a blank slate
Here’s why… Your puppy is a product of its parents’ genes. These provide the blueprint for appearance, temperament and behavior. This is why a Jack Russell looks and acts like a Jack Russell, and a Labrador looks and acts like a Labrador. If you want a dog that will look and act like a Labrador, you Read More
5 Little-Known Puppy Training Tips You’ll Be Glad You Found
I spend much of my time as a trainer working with young puppies. They’re little sponges, absorbing every bit of information we send their way – both good and bad. You’ll hear the same puppy training advice over and over: make sure to socialize your puppy, start potty training immediately, and the like. But in Read More
Positively Dog Training Episode 701
Victoria and Holly reconnect after a few months away and discuss how to recognize signs of pain in your older dog, keys to curbing rambunctious dog play, managing noisy nighttime behavior, overcoming anxiousness when guests visit your dog, and how to get dogs used to water.
Deaf Dog Awareness Week: How a deaf dog changed my life.
Deaf dog awareness week began on Sunday, September 24th. The idea behind this week is to highlight deaf dogs and show that they can make wonderful pets! 5 years ago, I had no idea this week even existed. Now, every day of my life is dedicated to deaf dog awareness, thanks to the amazing little Read More
Building Tolerance To Frustration
As a behavior specialist, I am always thinking ahead: how does what is happening today influence how the dog may behave in the future? An always-important aspect of dog training is to teach tolerance to frustration and to build impulse control.
It Pays to be Complementary! Dispelling Myths About Those who use Complementary Therapies
There is no lack of division in the dog world; training methodologies, training tools, cropping and docking, spaying and neutering are but a few potentially explosive topics. Complementary therapies however, are way up on the list of hot buttons to discuss. One person mentions something that even *might* fall into that category and everyone else Read More
Beyond the Fairy Tale
And they all lived happily ever after… I’m a sucker for those stories too. I love to see the heroes and heroines overcome adversity and wander off into the sunset for their fabulous forever. Sadly we all know that happy ever after is just a fairy tale ending to a fairy tale. Neither are real, Read More
Are you teaching or testing?
They aren't the same thing. Testing MEASURES what the learner knows/ can do. Test: measure; check the quality, performance, or reliability of something; reveal ... capabilities by putting them under strain; evaluate the abilities, aptitudes, skills, or performance of an individual or group. A test asks your dog the question; what can/ will you do right now in this situation? Read More
The Magic Hand Game For Focus And Concentration
The Magic Hand game involves placing food in the palm of your hand and gently pushing individual treats through your fingers for your dog to catch. Focus and concentration win the day! The more your dog develops the ability to focus and concentrate, the more likely she will succeed in learning tasks involving moving Read More
Off-Leash Reliability? Recall? Leash Off Game On!
Your dog focusing on you off-leash, recalling them away from other dogs or even them just choosing to stick close to you can seem so daunting. All too often, our dogs learn that when the leash comes off… the game is on with everything in the world but us. We teach each of our dogs Read More
Boundary Battlefields: Dogs, Yards and Walks
Every responsible dog parent who walks their dog(s) in their own neighborhood has a mental list of houses that they strive to avoid. Either because a dog is alone in a fenced in yard barking like a fiend or because a dog is often loose (and unsupervised) in an unfenced or Invisible “Fenced” yard. Either Read More
My Dog Doesn’t Like Other Dogs: 5 steps to Stop the Barking and Lunging
We’ve all seen it. Person and dog are walking along the street. Dog spots another person or dog and goes ballistic. Barking, lunging, ducking and diving, in a flurry of teeth and claws, looking for all the world as if she wants to eat everyone in her path. Then we see the poor owner trying Read More
Mighty Middle Game: Safety, Confidence, Control!
Protecting our dogs from the world and the world from our dogs can sometimes feel like a full-time operation. Not with middle! It’s the portable safe place that you can take anywhere and it’s the mainstay of our Leash Off, Game On off-leash reliability games that we show in our free DVD: https://game.absolute-dogs.com/leashoffgameon The benefits of Read More
Your new puppy – 9 steps to get it right from the start
“I wonder if I’ve done the wrong thing … Perhaps I’m not capable of looking after a dog.” I don’t know exactly what had caused such a devastating loss of confidence in what 30was clearly a capable individual. But Gwen voiced a sentiment I come across from time to time. Her family had left home Read More
Kindness Is Powerful Award Winners Announced!
After a months-long nomination period, we are honored to announce that the five winners of the inaugural Kindness Is Powerful Awards have been named. The Kindness Is Powerful Awards are granted to individuals doing heroes' work on a daily basis without regular recognition or praise on behalf of animals in the rescue world. Nominees were Read More
The frustration of the Growly Dog owner: it’s NOT other folks’ fault that they don’t understand
“Could he not SEE that my dog was upset?” “My dog was on leash and under control - it was his dog that was out of control!” “Why, oh why, do people let their ‘friendly’ dogs invade the space of my fearful, reactive dog, and then blame me for being a useless dog-owner with Read More
How to keep your dog happy and stress free whilst at a dog show
Family dog shows can be wonderful events to attend. They are great places to meet up with friends, spend time around lots of other dogs, show your own dog off and hopefully win some rosettes. Some dogs really enjoy these events and walk round the show ring with a relaxed body, bright eyes and a Read More
Letter From The Dog
Since when does “just a minute” only apply to humans? We dogs say it too, except when we do, you humans get angry. You let us off the rope thing to go run around and play and then you ask us to come back at the most inconvenient of times, just when we are having the best fun – playing with other dogs or chasing small fluffies. When we don’t respond, you get mad and tell us how bad we are, but apparently you don’t understand that when we hear our name, look back at you and then continue with our game, we’re also saying “just a minute”. By the way…..how long is a minute?
Victoria Launches New Online Udemy Course – Inside Your Dog’s Mind
Victoria Stilwell has launched her first publicly-available online course entitled "Inside Your Dog's Mind." Available worldwide on Udemy, this 3-hour course follows Victoria as she delves deep into the way our dogs think, feel and learn.
4 Ways to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Your Dog
Today is Cinco de Mayo! This holiday is in recognition of the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. While not a holiday commonly associated with pets, if you are anything like me, you are always looking for an excuse to celebrate any holiday with your dog.
Dear Dog Trainer, I See You
Dear Dog Trainer, I see you. I see you caring for everyone around you, sometimes forgetting to care for yourself. You're a caretaker, a teacher, a guiding light - sometimes a therapist - to your clients. You then go home and provide the same nurturing care to your own family and friends.
Lyme Disease: A Very Real Threat to People & Their Pets
Veterinarians have known about the increasing instances of many tick diseases, including Lyme, for years. In fact, many veterinary parasitologists call the situation at epidemic or near epidemic proportions.
