Blog — Holistic Dog Training
Dog Training Priorities
Many people wonder why their dog behaves well and obeys perfectly when there are no distractions, but as soon as they get outdoors, the dog seems to "forget" his commands.
A Positive Feedback Loop
The first step is always to observe what's happening with your dog. Take the time to look at what is actually going on: their body language, their state of "mind." After you've reflected on your observations, maybe even written them down, it's time to acknowledge and accept what's going on.
Am I a Dog “Trainer”?
I always hesitate to call myself a dog "trainer." What's that all about? Well, it's my gut feeling that dogs don't really need training, what they need is relationship. Once the dog has a strong relationship with his human counterpart, the training isn't really training at all, it's teamwork! See, dogs naturally want to please us, be in connection with us, and work in sync with us. It's selfish and self-less all at the same time. When we do well, they do well and vice-versa (the whole hunting thing).
Your Dog's Mouth is His Hand
All the things we do with our hands, your dog does with his mouth. We don't teach our children "grip inhibition," so why then do we insist on teaching puppies "bite inhibition"???
The Non-Duality of Dog Training
What I've learned so far in my dog training career, is that everything we do with dogs, at least everything that actually works, is counter-intuitive. Do you want your dog to stop barking? Teach him to bark on command. Want your dog to stop jumping on strangers? Encourage him jump on you. Want your dog to be social as opposed to aggressive? Let him play aggressively, even let him WIN the tug toy (a dog who feels good in his natural drive state will not display unnecessary aggression). Want your dog to be soft? Encourage him to bite hard. Want your dog to bite...