Sight

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Exceptionally Fearful Dog

The world that we live in, especially in the United States, is a scary world for many dogs but none so much as the exceptionally fearful dogs out there. The expectations placed on dogs here can be exhausting to their emotional state. The amount of fear/anxiety that dogs who are worried about people/things/animals in their Read More

A False Sense of Security: No Official Oversight in the Pet Industry

Without official regulations as well as professional oversight & a sad lack of requirements for well documented modern dog behavior knowledge, there is a risk.

Dogs are less reliant on their visual system than humans are. However, certain breeds (including retrievers, sighthounds, and sheepdogs) were bred to detect moving prey and retrieve game, so they are more visually adept than most other breeds. It is important to remember that dogs see the world from an entirely different perspective than people. Read More

End in Sight for Missouri Puppy Mills

In the battle against puppy mills, Missouri is ground zero. With approximately 3,000 puppy mills in the state, Missouri is the number one puppy producing state in the country. Approximately 40% of all pet store puppies are bred in Missouri, where almost 200,000 breeding dogs produce up to a million puppies a year. There appeared Read More

How To Manage Aggressive Behavior

If you live with a dog that displays aggressive behavior (lunging, growling, or even biting), using management to keep everyone safe is the first priority, along with a good behavior modification plan. What Is Management? One of my favorite descriptions of management is from the book “Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Read More

Most Dogs Already Wanted Social Distancing: Now They Get it!

But I bet that most of you know that already. The dogs who live in fear or anxiety of people/things/animals that they see in the environment are reveling in the fact that far fewer people are trying to be up close and personal with them now. Their owners probably feel the same relief. But the Read More

Dogs Want Us To Know: The Reality of Choosing to Live With Dogs

We as humans have made such progress with how we view dogs, but it seems with so many steps forward, we take a few more steps back At one time, dogs were given far more freedom than they have now, many having at least the daytime run of their neighborhoods. But that freedom also came Read More

The “Easy” Dog

A tribute to a very special 10 year old dog who should have never been given up, but boy are we glad she was! I don’t deserve to have an “easy” dog because I can handle a difficult one. I love the scaredy dogs, the ones who don’t love to be touched at first, the ones Read More

Shocking Answers to Shocking Questions

After an article about the use of shock collars in dog training appears, the same questions inevitably come up. Usually, the person asking the question is not really seeking an answer. Instead, they are posing the question as a rebuttal to our position, which is that shock has no place in dog training. Here are a few of the actual questions we receive, edited for clarity, with answers.

Food Issues

Follow a positive trainer around for a few days and you will quickly come to realize that we humans have food issues. Of course he is doing what you ask. You have food in your hand! (As in, I am paying you for this?) You’re sure giving a lot of treats. (Usually said in a 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

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

To Walk or Not To Walk

To Walk, or Not To Walk – It’s Not Even A Question Is It? All responsible dog owners walk their dogs once/twice/for two hours/three hours/45 minutes… per day. Everyone knows this, it’s what responsible owners do. But have we sometimes lost track of what purpose a walk actually fulfills – I think we frequently have. Read More

Baby It Is Cold Outside

To some dogs, the weather outside may be frightful. Other dogs my delight to romp and play in snow and ice, and how can you blame them? After all, Malamutes and Siberian Huskies live for the snow and cold. On the other paw, Toy Poodles would hop on a plane to Hawaii if they could, Read More

California VS AKC

California appears set to ban sales of dogs, cats and rabbits at pet stores, just as hundreds of communities and some counties have done around the country. The California bill is aimed at changing how cats, dogs and rabbits become family pets, and has cleared the California Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee with 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.

Raymond Parke Coppinger 2/7/1937 to 8/14/2017

Raymond Coppinger, 80, professor emeritus of biology and author of various books on dogs and about 50 published scientific papers passed away Monday, August 14, His Ph. D. thesis in biology at the University of Massachusetts is on the effect of experience and novelty on avian feeding behavior. He joined the founding faculty at Hampshire Read More

4 Dog Park Alternatives for You & Your Dog

Does your dog really love going to the dog park? In some cases, the answer is yes! For highly social pups, the dog park can be a mostly fun and stress-free experience. But if you've noticed that your dog spends most of his time at the dog park glued to your side or pawing at the exit door, it's worth considering some other alternatives.

Why did my dog’s reactivity get worse, when I’m trying my best?

Does your reactive dog seem to be getting more fearful, anxious, or aggressive? Here are key strategies for change that you can put in place very easily.

Dog Reactivity – what actually is it?

Got a reactive dog? A fearful, anxious, or aggressive dog? A dog who barks and lunges at everything she sees? This is just for you!

8 Reasons Why Birds Are Incredible

Birds are amazing for many different reasons, and National Bird Day is one day each year that we can acknowledge some of the reasons these creatures are so amazing. What makes birds so incredible?

Tips For Decreasing Reactivity in a Competition Dog

In the competition sport of agility, there are many variables to manage. When I created a behavior modification program for my own dog, here were some of the things I considered to help set him up for success.

These Three New Dog Breeds Will Make Their Debut This Week

“The winner is always that dog sitting on the couch with you while you’re watching the dog show. Your dog is always Best in Show.”

Rescuers or Fanatics? The Dark Side of Animal Rescue

Say the phrase "animal rescue" in any given circle of people and watch for a variety of reactions. Some people’s eyes will light up with hope and delight and others will start backing away with narrowing eyes, faces drawn with suspicion. The latter is unfortunate, but the truth cannot be denied that some of the Read More

Memoirs of a Former Explosives Detection Canine Handler: What It Really Means to Work Like a Dog

We’ve heard the phrase “work like a dog” but how many of us really understand what that means? I know and from my first-hand experience I’ll tell you why.

Making the Most of What You Have (Training in Small Spaces) – Part 1

For about a year and a half, I was living in New York City. I went from living in a large house on 2 acres to a small one bedroom apartment near a park. In this three-part article series, I am going to share how I kept agility in my life while living in a Read More

See the Victoria Stilwell Academy In Action!

Our first class of students are past the halfway point in their Dog Trainer Course, registration is underway for VSA’s next US-based class this fall, and spaces are quickly filling up in our first UK-based class this September. And we’re just getting started!

Why Does My Dog Eat Everything?

Why do dogs seem to want to eat everything in sight, whether they’re hungry or not? Science has the answer.

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Tug-of-War

I have been an instructor for several years and I never really got the value of tug until I no longer had it with Tricky. Isn’t that always the case—you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone

Terrier Shmerrier!

I thought I knew how to train dogs. Then I adopted a Terrier/Chihuahua mix puppy and named her…..Tricky! People warned me when I named her Tricky, jokingly and affectionately telling me she would likely embody the name I gave her. They weren’t kidding.

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