Are your dogs getting along well or do they sometimes freeze and stare at each other or even get into fights? Watch this video for ways to help keep the peace at your home.
Note: this could be a life-and-death situation, depending on how seriously your dogs are going after each other. As always, please consider hiring a dog trainer near you if your animals are in danger.
Walking two or more dogs at once can be a real pain but there are ways to make it easier. Watch this video for some useful tips on walking more than one dogs at a time.
If you have more than one animal to train at a time (like multiple dogs, your dog and your cat, your dog and your son…) it can be very helpful to use something called “stationing” to keep them from mobbing you. This is also useful for dogs who fight in the home…more on that later. Watch this video for several useful tips for training in multi-dog or multi-species households.
Dogs who have trouble hearing or seeing can still be perfectly happy in a family. Contrary to popular belief, dogs with sensory impairments can still function in society, but we do need to make some changes to the way that we communicate with and train those dogs. With some effort, we can help them to safely navigate their lives.
This video teaches you how to do “Conditioned Relaxation” with your dog – basically training the dog to connect certain sounds, smells, etc. with a feeling of relaxation. It can work for babies, kids, and even adult humans, too. Try it!
Does your dog chase after things without even a backward glance to see if you’re there? Does he pull your arm out of the socket as he dives after a squirrel or other dog?
Do you bring your dog over to other people’s homes, or want to start? Watch this video before you go. It’s chock-full of training and management tips to help your dog be a polite, safe houseguest.
Fireworks can be terrifying for dogs. This video explores some tips to help you get your dog comfortable with fireworks. It’s best to watch this video a month or two before fireworks start, so you have time to train, but it also gives you some ideas of what to do to help your dog on the day fireworks happen.
Have you ever come across off leash dogs on your walk? It’s fun to walk with your dog running free, but your dog being off leash may actually endanger other dogs or animals. Shouting “he’s friendly” is not enough when the other dog is on leash.
This video gives useful tips to help you keep your dog and others safe. It’s the neighborly thing to do whenever you choose to walk your dog off leash.
There are a ton of different dog training contraptions… clickers, choke chains, harnesses, long lines, e-collars, ex-pens, crates, and more. Which ones are right for you and your dog? Which ones can cause problems or harm? This video gives my recommendations on how to choose dog training and management gear.
This video shares tips on choosing the best dog trainer, groomer, vet, boarding kennel, or other service for your dog. You are your dog’s protector, and you owe it to her to choose her caregiving team wisely.
Teaching your dog with positive reinforcement doesn’t mean that you have to be a food dispenser for the rest of your dog’s life. Part of reliable dog training is having your dog listen to you without having treats in your hands or even needing to feed all the time. Humans, dogs, and other species don’t work for free, but there are a lot of reinforcers out there besides for just food. These tips and tricks will help you wean off of constantly treating your dog for every single behavior. Continue reading (Video 40) When Can I Stop Using Dog Treats?→
Does your dog sit at home, when you have a cookie, but not when you are out on a walk or when guests come over? With a fully trained cue, you should be able to get reliable behavior in just about any situation, and definitely not just when you have a treat in your hand. If your dog isn’t responding to your cues, that doesn’t mean he’s stubborn, stupid, or dominant. It just means that you have missed an aspect of your training. Watch this video for tips on building reliability, for dog training you can trust. Continue reading (Video 39) Top Tips for Reliable Dog Training→
Cues like “Sit,” “Down,” etc. are how we ask for behavior (similar to commands but different, as you’ll see in this video). Cues are signals that tell the dog that a specific behavior might earn a reinforcer. A cue can be anything the animal can perceive – hand signals, spoken words, random sounds, doorbell, scent, etc. This video will teach you how to add a cue to a behavior that your dog is already performing, as well as transfer from an old cue to a new cue. Watch my 4 Ways to Get Behavior video to teach them to do a behavior in the first place. Continue reading (Video 38) This Means That: How to To Add a Cue to Behavior→
Positive reinforcement is very effective, but how do you get the dog to do something that you can reinforce in the first place? One outdated option is to just force the dog into the position, like picking up the paw or pushing the dog into a sit. It ‘works’ but there is an emotional cost when you force behavior instead of setting up a situation where the animal will offer it. Fortunately, humans are pretty smart and have developed much more empowering ways to get behavior! Watch this video to learn how to use 4 essential ways to get non-verbal animals to offer behavior: shaping, luring, capturing, and modeling/copying. Continue reading (Video 36) 4 Ways to Get Your Dog to Do a Specific Behavior→
Does your dog or cat like the way you play? Are you sure? Each animal has his own preferences about what kind of play is actually fun and which kind is boring or even stressful. In this video, Grisha gives some tips on how to play with dogs other animals, how to know they are enjoying the games, what kind of play to avoid, and how to use play in training. Continue reading (Video 28) Play With Me! How & Why To Play With Your Pet→
Does your dog do things for the dog trainer but not for you? Part of the problem may be timing. For example, if you treat too early or late, your dog may be confused or could even be learning a behavior you didn’t mean to train. This video goes over some essential tips on timing, to make you a more efficient animal trainer. Continue reading (Video 35) Efficient Dog Training: How to Save Time with Good Timing→
Do you need help with grooming, vet care, or teaching your dog to be comfortable with touch? We can create a positive association using basic classical conditioning, but we can take that a step further to give the animal more control. The More Please Signal is a way for animals to cooperate in their own training and care. It’s a very important concept for dogs, cats, and all other species, so please watch this video! Continue reading (Video 33) The More Please Signal Will Change Your Pet’s Life→
Modern animal training techniques focus on helping animals WANT to work with us. This type of training can efficiently teach “dog obedience” type behaviors, set boundaries, and change problem behavior. But it also helps create two-way communication and meet the animal’s needs. This video shows the power of the modern training techniques used in the Building Blocks Academy.
In old-fashioned training, problems are blamed on the animal being too dominant. Ironically, the problem is not that they have too much control over us, but rather, they do not have enough control over their own safety and wellbeing. In this video, Grisha explains what empowerment means, and why empowered animal training is so helpful for problem solving. Continue reading (Video 02) Empowerment: How to Build Cooperation and Trust→
Boundaries define personal dignity and integrity. They are rules about what we can and cannot accept. Boundaries define ways that we feel comfortable interacting, how we want to be spoken to or touched. This video explores ways to set boundaries with and for your pets. Continue reading (Video 23) How to Set Boundaries for Animal Care→
With some notable exceptions, pet training is getting more and more humane over time. That’s why the more you learn about dog training, the more conflicting advice you seem to get! This video discusses the Humane Hierarchy and other useful ways to sort through fact and fiction. Continue reading (Video 22) What’s Really True? How to Handle Conflicting Advice→
Dogs and many other furred and feathered animals are fun to pet! That doesn’t mean they like us touching them the way we are doing it – if at all! In this video, Grisha goes through how to greet animals in a way that makes them feel more safe and happy. Continue reading (Video 13) Watch This Before Petting Another Animal!→