Muzzles can be used to prevent dog bites in situations where you are unsure of how your dog will react. Dogs should be trained in advance to be comfortable wearing muzzles, and this video explains how to do that. Muzzle training is actually a good idea for all dogs and puppies, because dogs who are injured can be unpredictable and may need to be muzzled.
Never put your dog in a situation where you think it’s likely he or she will bite, of course. But when you have prepared your dog for a greeting and you believe everything will probably go well, or when your dog needs emergency medical care, a muzzle can come in very handy.
Animals, including dogs, bite for a whole lot of reasons. The severity can be anything from a puppy play bite to a bite to kill. Watch this video to learn some of the reasons animals bite and what you can do to prevent bites.
Aggression is “intent to do harm.” Most of the time in dogs, barking, growling, and even biting are ritualized ways to get another person or dog to go away. This video gives you a starting point on what to do if your dog is showing signs of aggression or ‘reactivity.’
Note: this could be a life-and-death situation, depending on the severity. As always, please consider hiring a dog trainer near you if your dog or anyone else is in danger.
Does your dog bark at you for attention? Maybe he drops the ball and barks at you to throw it, throw it, throw it? This video explains how to look for more polite requests for attention and other ways to teach your dog to quietly let you know what he wants.
Even though many dogs chase cats, that doesn’t have to be the case in your home! The easiest variation of not chasing cats is to teach your dogs that “their” cat is part of the family and not to be chased in the house.
Note: this could be a life-and-death situation for your cat, depending on how seriously your dog is going after the cat. As always, please consider hiring a dog trainer near you if your animal is in danger.
“Wanna go for a ride?” We often think of dogs jumping around excitedly when they hear that phrase, but some dogs are afraid of riding in cars or trucks. This video gives you safe car travel tips and some useful advice on how to help your dog get over her fear and get back on the road.
It’s very common for a dog to protect his prize resources. The good news is that “resource guarding” – growling, snapping, biting over food, toys, socks etc. is the easiest kind of aggression problem to solve in dogs, unless you use punishment. Watch this video for some useful advice.
Hint: It’s not a contest. Using force can backfire and lead to people getting bitten, especially kids. The trick is to teach your dog that sharing is awesome.
Does your dog fight you when you try to trim his nails? Are you not even sure how to do it right? Or does it seem like a stupid thing to do, anyway? Check out this video for why and how to trim your pet’s nails.
Does your dog freak out when you try to trim her nails or brush her? It doesn’t have to be that way, and there are much better options than just holding her down until it’s all over. This video goes through ways you can specifically train your dog to be a cooperative and enthusiastic partner for grooming. This helps prevent bites but also helps your dog stay comfortable and calm.
Your dog’s experience at the veterinarian’s office doesn’t have to be full of panic and fear. This video goes through ways you can specifically train your dog to be a cooperative partner in his veterinary care. This helps prevent bites but also helps your dog stay comfortable and calm.
Do you live in an apartment or condo with your dog? This video has some useful tips to keep your dog quiet and your neighbors happy. It also has great tips for getting past distractions and safely in and out of your building. This is especially useful if you have a dog with reactivity issues.
If you have trouble figuring out what’s causing your dog to explode with aggression, frustration, or fear, you might be missing an important variable: trigger stacking. Check out this short video to learn how stress piles up for dogs.
Dogs have played with each other as probably as long as the species existed, but dog parks are a relatively new phenomenon. Dog parks are usually fenced in and can be great socialization locations but they also have a fair number of risks. Please watch this video before taking any dog to a dog park, particularly those who are most at risk – puppies, dogs with fear issues, and rescue dogs.
If your dog is destroying your house or looks ‘depressed’ it may be that you just don’t have enough mental stimulation. Brain games are excellent for preventing separation anxiety, teaching dogs not to chew your furniture or other items, and just generally making your dog smarter and happier. Dogs and puppies are not natural freeloaders – they would rather work for their food than lie around all day doing nothing. This video has several practical ideas to solve behavior problems and help your dog have more fun!
Clicker training uses a marker to tell the animal that the behavior was correct and has earned a reinforcer. It’s a way to say “YES, do that again!” But sometimes dogs, cats or other animals are afraid of the clicker sound. In this video, Grisha goes over ways to help pets get over their fear of the clicker – and how to train in the meantime. Continue reading (Video 26) How to Fix a Dog’s Fear of the Clicker→
When your dog barks at the doorbell or your cat hears the can opening and comes running into the kitchen, that’s likely because of respondent learning, also known as “classical conditioning,” a type of learning where one event is paired with another. You may be able to change your pet’s association with the doorbell, for example, by using a “counterconditioning” process: consistently following the doorbell sound with treats. This video explains how to use this cool scientific principle for socialization and the rehabilitation of fear. Continue reading (Video 30) Building Your Pet’s Confidence with Classical Conditioning→
In this video, Grisha gives an overview of counterconditioning, “Behavior Adjustment Training,” and “Treat and Retreat.” These three useful techniques are used in different ways to rehabilitate fear of people, other dogs, surfaces, body contact, etc. These techniques are essential for professional dog trainers and pet owners alike.
Vet visits are the single most common terrifying experience for dogs and cats. This video gives several tips that you can use in your next visit and some that you’ll need to train and practice first. Definitely watch this right away if you have a puppy, kitten, or other young animal. Continue reading (Video 16) Vet Visit Stress Tips for Dogs→
Learning when your pet is saying “I like that” or “more please” is really fun! Understanding happy communication gives you a better bond with your animals and also helps you meet their needs. Continue reading (Video 12) 10 Ways that Your Pet Says “I’m OK”→
Did you know that a wagging tail does not necessarily mean your dog is happy? Animals often ask us to back off because they are scared. Unfortunately, humans miss most of the signals and our pets have to bark, hiss, growl, or even bite to finally get the message across. Continue reading (Video 11) 10 Ways that Your Pet Says “I need space”→
In this video, Grisha shares some useful tips to keep your dog quiet in class and other situations. These tips can be used for barking and whining in training classes but also at home or when you are having coffee with friends. Continue reading (Video 05) Shhhh: 15 Ways to Keep Your Dog Quiet in Class→
Tired of a barking dog? Socializing a puppy? If you want your dog to be calm around other dogs, you can help your dog practice being calm. In this 11-minute video, I explain Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT), which I developed to reduce aggression, frustration and fear in dogs and other animals. Continue reading (Video 31) Quick Intro to BAT 2.0→
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