Kd Canine Training, LLC

09/30/2022

After much thought, I have decided to retire from dog training. I will still keep my KD Canine page so that I can periodically share interesting articles about dogs and behavior. I have just reached the age where it is time to focus more on my family. Thank you to all of the wonderful clients /students that I have had over the years. I learned from all of you. All dogs are different, so each one of the dogs I worked with taught me something. Please remember to keep training fun for you and your dogs!

05/02/2022

Not all dogs want to be petted by strangers. Growls serve a purpose -- it is just communication - and should give us a clue as to the comfort level of our dogs.

Why do dogs growl at people? Your dog is probably trying to protect himself, but there are some ways to alter their aggression.

02/13/2022

Nice layout recapping why most dogs become fearful and how to work with them. Feeling safe is so important - for humans and dogs.

It is important that you teach fearful dogs that their world is safe. Identify their fears and show them that the scary thing now predicts fantastic food. Changing fear is neither easy nor fast but with patience, love and persistence there is a very good chance that you will see improvement. Feel free to share this post if you find it useful.

01/19/2022

My new puppy Bubbles has just started training for hand targeting. This is our second session.

I always tell people to keep sessions short and always end on a positive note. Count out 10-12 treats if you aren’t sure of how long a session should be.

At this part in the training no verbal cues are used. I want her focused on my hand - her target. I use 2 fingers to make my hand look different from other hand movements I make. Verbal cues are added later.

Notice that on the 3rd and 7th presentations I went too far. This is when I brought my hand up, and presented it closer so that it would be easier for her - and she would be successful. We also had Monkey try and get in on the action. 😀. That was too much distraction- so that was another reason to back off and make it easier for Bubbles.

Training should be fun - we want our dogs excited about learning new things. The rugs all over our floor are also for her. She had a broken left knee that healed before we got her - but it did not fuse in the right place. The rugs give her more traction as she learns to navigate her world.

08/12/2021

The AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior) position statement on Humane Dog Training. I have always told my clients how I follow their guidelines. I really love the updated position statement. Check it out. "Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviors. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification."
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Favsab.ftlbcdn.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F08%2FAVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR07cFXIn-6D9M3ES57PLYA8XFXE17Fi-

08/03/2021

Lol

07/22/2021

Beautifully written article about the use of aversives (things like electronic collars, shaker cans, and spray bottles). If any of you would like to check out some of her other posts - I highly recommend you go to her website.

If a dog is performing behaviors to avoid something, it's not always clear what the motivation is. Here's how avoidance works and how to spot it.

07/16/2021

Interesting study regarding play bows. I love that more and more research is being done on dogs' body language.

New research casts doubt on an old explanation for the play bow – and suggests it’s all about more play.

06/24/2021

Where does YOUR dog lie on this sociability scale?

02/12/2021

I love this article and have not used the term "obedience" for years. Obedience implies that our dogs have to "obey' us. I prefer to teach and then ask our dogs for a behavior & then reward them when they comply. Even then - thought should be given as to why we ask our dogs for some behaviors & why our dogs might not comply at that moment. I have seen people asking their dogs to sit when outside on a cold, snowy sidewalk - why.? Would they want to sit down on that surface?

My tag line is "Training your dog and you as a Team." I love to use games when working with dogs - making it fun. One of the points the author makes is: "A focus on obedience neglects things dogs need (like chew toys) and it turns the dog walk into a heeling exercise in which dogs don’t get the chance to sniff, when we know smell is so important to dogs. "

We think of our dogs as extended family members - shouldn't that relationship attempt to bring happiness to all parties involved?

When we focus on making dogs happy, it’s better for them and us.