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Beautiful tortie kitten under a red gingham cloth
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Paying Attention to Our Dogs

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We can all learn when we decide to observe dogs in interaction with people.



By Zazie Todd, PhD

I think most people who use reward-based training methods do so for ethical reasons: they believe it’s the right way to train a dog. They also know it works.

Science is on their side. A recent review of the literature on how people train pet dogs concluded that reward-based training is best for welfare reasons (and it works). Training dogs with aversive methods risks unintended consequences, such as the risk of stress, fear, and aggression. Reward-based training avoids those risks and gives dogs positive experiences.

But what if we can’t recognize signs of fear and stress in our dogs? Then we might not realize when our dogs are not happy.

Here’s where it gets tricky for dog owners, because many people aren’t very good at reading canine body language. Which is not surprising, because it’s not quite the same as ours. You have to pay close attention to pick up on some of the signs.


For example, …
Read more

Don't Punish Your Dog for Peeing in the House

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Why punishment is the wrong approach for house training mistakes, and how you should house train your dog or puppy instead.


By Zazie Todd, PhD

Suppose your dog suddenly starts to pee in the house. You clean it up the first time but it happens again…. And then again.

Or your new puppy keeps having accidents indoors even though you take her outside often.

In this situation, some people will yell at their dog. Some might even try physical punishment like hitting the dog or an alpha roll. And we’ve all come across the advice that you should rub their nose in it.

Don’t do it.

Whether you're toilet training an adult dog or house training a puppy, here’s why that’s the wrong approach, and what you should do instead.


Punishment can make things worse
First of all, let’s think about it from the dog’s perspective.

Suppose they pee in the house and you yell at them. What do they learn from this?

It’s unlikely the dog will understand why you are yelling. This is especially the case if there is …
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Eight Tips to Help Fearful Dogs Feel Safe

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The most important things to know if you have a fearful dog.


By Zazie Todd, PhD
1. Recognize that the dog is fearful
The first step is, of course, to recognize the dog is fearful in the first place.

If you know that already, well done for recognizing the signs. Hopefully you will find the following tips helpful.

If you aren’t sure, you might like to read how can I tell if my dog is afraid? If the answer is yes, come back here for some tips.



2. Help the dog feel safe
Your first priority with a fearful dog is to help him or her feel safe.

That can look different depending on what the issue is. Maybe the dog needs a space of their own (like a crate or bed) where they can choose to go if they don’t want to be around any children or strangers in the house.

Maybe it means telling other people they can’t pet your dog, because your dog wouldn’t like it.

Maybe it means walking your dog at certain times of day when you’re not likely to come across whatever it is the dog is afraid of (other dogs,…
Read more