Dog Articles

Dogs are everywhere. In the United States there are approximately 78.2 million owned dogs with almost 40% of households owning at least one dog. In Seattle, there is approximately one dog for every five residents and dogs outrank children in town by approximately five...

Part 2: Training with a marker So now that your clicker or marker-word has been charged up and given meaning it's time to start training with it.  There are two techniques to marker training: free-shaping and luring.  For part 2 we are going to talk about luring due...

Clickers are phenomenal tools in animal training because the sound they make is consistent and salient in the environment.  When I say salient, I mean that almost nothing else in daily life makes such a distinct sound, thus the sound can carry tremendous meaning. ...

by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. An ethological approach to behavior and dominance in dogs Perhaps the most commonly used adjective from dog owners when describing canine behavior is the word ‘dominant.’  Traditional understandings teach that the most primary...

by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. What are we being sold when we buy a bag of commercial pet food? While the giant dog food manufacturers want you believe that their kibble (dry dog and cat food) is just what the pooch ordered, the unfortunate fact is that while...

by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Reactive and Fear based Behaviors in Dogs Many dogs suffer from a behavioral problem called 'reactivity' which manifests itself in the form of aggression, anxiety, and/or stress.  Often this will occur when the dog is being...

by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. The morality of teaching and using pain-based methods in Dog in training The use of prong collars, choke chains, and shock collars (e-collars) on dogs is a very inflammatory issue.  While stores are selling fewer and fewer of these...

Breed-specific legislation: a look at the evidence by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Anti-pitbull, anti-rottweiler, anti-doberman (etc.) legislation in dog politics. The heated debate over Breed-specific Legislation (BSL) carries a lot of emotion for many people. ...

Don't chew on my Jimmy Choos! by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Drive Behavior in Dogs When it comes to the lives of our dogs, perhaps the most crucial concept to understand is their need for activity.  While working with a client on a problematic behavior, I first...

Dog parks, friend or foe? by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Risks and courtesies to make the Dog Park a fun and safe environment. Dog parks appear to be a consistent source of controversy amongst dog owners and dog professionals.  Many professionals avoid the dog park...

Service Dog 2.0: the upgrade is here by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Service Dog training in Seattle Seattle is progressive.  It is filled with creative individuals constantly pushing the boundaries of our knowledge and practices to find new paths. We have seen this...

Razor-fanged Puppies by The Pawsitive Packleader, Inc. Aqcuried Bite Inhibition (ABI) and Jaw Prudence in Dogs Anyone who has ever raised a puppy knows that these peeing, pooping, chewing, furry balls of uncontrollable cuteness come with some seriously sharp fangs. ...

When it comes to the lives of our dogs, perhaps the most crucial concept to understand is their need for activity.  While working with a client on a problematic behavior, I first have to ask, “What do you want your dog to do instead?”  Quite often the reply is, “I...

Almost everyone has heard of “positive dog training”, it’s that thing with the clicker.  But let me tell you why your dog will work harder and be happier with positive training methods than other traditional methods and styles. The brain is incredibly complex and...

By now you have learned how to charge your marker and use it as a tool to install a visual and verbal cue. Now I am going to talk about one of the more advanced forms of marker training and that's free-shaping. First we have to understand the concept of "capturing"....