Canine Training & Behaviour Advice from Al Rankin BSc (Hons) CDBC
Agility training for dogs has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. Not only is it a fun and engaging activity for both dog and owner, but it also helps to improve the dog’s physical fitness, mental stimulation, and overall cue response. Agility training involves a series of obstacles that the dogRead more about Agility – Have You Tried It?[…]
Getting our puppies to do nothing is hard work, it’s kind of like asking a child to stand still in a toy shop! However it’s an important life skill that will serve our puppies well and knowing how to do this is very worthwhile. We tend to ignore the times when our puppy is sittingRead more about Getting our puppies to do NOTHING[…]
Socialising (habituating) our puppies is one of the most important things we can do and starting this as early as possible is a must. A great way to begin is by joining a puppy class that you and your new best friend can enjoy together. Puppy classes help lay the foundations for a well balancedRead more about What we teach at puppy class & why[…]
I would like to introduce Scruffy, a typical little 12 week old puppy who is full of fun and curiosity. As part of our 1-2-1 training I took him out and about in order to introduce him to different experiences such as travelling in the car and meeting new people. Our goal is to conditionRead more about Socialising Your Puppy[…]
What is the impact of using words such as “ahh” or “no” when our learners get things wrong? When I was in university studying a Bachelors of Science in Canine Behaviour and Training I decided to do my dissertation on the use of Non-Reward Markers (NRMs) which are effectively words or markers that tell ourRead more about Ahh…. You’re Wrong! Are Non-Reward Markers Effective?[…]
Misty bit me the other night – we were sat on the couch, she was cuddled up beside me and had just laid her head on my lap. I leaned over and stroked her from her head down to her back. Without warning she whipped her head around and immediately bit me on the hand.Read more about My Dog Bit Me – Considerately![…]
Dogs pulling on the lead is one of the most common behaviour issues that people contact me about. Whilst pulling for a number of these dogs is influenced by fear of traffic, people, other dogs or the environment and will require specific behaviour modification, for most it is simply a learned behaviour – dog pulls,Read more about Loose lead walking – are you getting the criteria right?[…]
300 Peck is a cool training method that makes increasing the duration or criteria of a behaviour easier for both the learner and the trainer; it’s systematic whilst maintaining an effective rate of reinforcement. When we are training animals most of us find it hard to increase the difficulty level gradually without making it tooRead more about How Pigeons Are Helping Dogs Walk Nicely – 300 Peck[…]
The message is getting through – not all dogs want to be petted! Today I was out walking with the dogs and two young girls came running over – I panicked thinking they were going to run up to my dogs and grab or hug them, but instead they stopped and asked “Hi mister –Read more about The first step when greeting a dog … ask the owner![…]
Recently I’ve been getting more and more enquiries from new puppy parents who are having difficulties when they take their pups outside into the big bad world for the first time – they are terrified of traffic, people, other dogs or the environment in general. The one thing that they have in common is thatRead more about Breeder Vaccinations For Puppies – Good Intent, But Not Helpful![…]