Monthly Archives: January 2012

Easy Shaping: Part 3

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

The first two blogs on this subject covered… 1. Raising Criteria (successive approximation) 2. Breaking Down the Behavior So now lets think about rule number ‘3’. 3. Vary the Reinforcement: Use different levels of reward so the reward each time … Continue reading →

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Easy Shaping: Part 2

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

As we have discussed so far; to become a really good shaper the first rule is… 1. Raising Criteria (successive approximation) which we covered in a previous blog. So now you have been practicing raising your criteria for your goal … Continue reading →

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Easy Shaping a Loose Leash Walk: Part 1

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

Shaping is a term used by clicker trainers to describe how we influence and communicate to our dogs the behaviour we want, without using corrections. I know that sounds almost unbelievable. How does the dog know what they are doing … Continue reading →

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What would you like in a puppy or dog group class?

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

As dancingdogs has grown, I have started to consider how to best expand so that I can reach more people and make my training more accessible. Classes might be a great way to do that! See the thing is, I … Continue reading →

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JPS Surgery/ Hip Dysplasia

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

My next big dog is definitely going to get this surgery… juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS).  I wish this was easily available in New Zealand, I know a lot of vets can do it now but at a significantly higher cost … Continue reading →

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My Trainers New Year’s Resolution

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

My resolution as a trainer is to get more information out to my community, concerning training, behaviour and dog welfare. I will do this by posting at least 2 blogs a week on my dancingdogs blog. I will start my … Continue reading →

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Growling and Intimidation

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

Is growling at your dog or puppy an effective way of teaching them that you don’t like their behavior? Critical Thinking: ask questions! 1. How is growling used by other dogs to communicate? -Growling is used as a “distance increasing … Continue reading →

Posted in Aggression, Animal Welfare, Anthrozoology, Body Language, Canine Ethics, Communication, Ethology, learning, Methods, Training Methods | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments


dancingdogs so far…

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

I would like to take a very short time to review dancingdogs’ accomplishments and growth in 2011. You all are probably aware that I have only lived in New Zealand since January 2009. My plan on coming here was to … Continue reading →

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