Monthly Archives: February 2012

Scenting and Tracking

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

I recently read the book “Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog” by Susannah Charleson, in preparation for a HITT (Hydration Intensified Tracking Training) weekend seminar I attended on the 25th and 26th of … Continue reading →

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Sleeping on the bed

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

I came back from a week and a half trip to Seattle a couple weeks back. As soon as I got home my first job (after a much needed shower) was to get the dogs from kennels (I use Homelands … Continue reading →

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Easy Shaping Part 5: Plan Ahead!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

So far we have worked on….. 1. Raising Criteria (successive approximation) 2. Breaking Down the Behaviour 3. Vary the Reinforcement 4. Relax Old Criteria When You Add New Criteria So lets talk about,  5. Planning Ahead. It sounds very obvious … Continue reading →

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Tyson! Dog of the Week!

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

If you are looking for a BIG HUNK of a dog, then you need to adopt Tyson. He is a Labrador, now 8 months old, with an enormous head! He is a really quick learner and he loves to clicker … Continue reading →

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What is a Reward Marker and why do we need it?

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

All dog training comes down to one talent.  The ability to communicate.   Being able to communicate to your dog what you want means, that with the right motivation, your dog will be able demonstrate whatever behaviour you need.  In human … Continue reading →

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Easy Shaping: Part 4

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

Ok, time to continue our discussion about shaping behaviours in your dog. Our first three points following Karen Pryor’s list from “Reaching the Animal Mind” are… 1. Raising Criteria (successive approximation) 2. Breaking Down the Behaviour 3. Vary the Reinforcement … Continue reading →

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Superstitious Behaviour Response

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

Superstitious Behavior Response happens when you have tried to teach your dog a cue, only to realize that he has decided the behavior you were looking for is preceded by something else… let me give you an example. Goal Behaviour-   … Continue reading →

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Why not use traditional methods? It works for Cesar!

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Marika S. Bell

I have heard many reasons why people still use ‘traditional’ or aversive methods to train dogs or deal with inappropriate behaviour. Even when kinder, cooperative training based on trust has been proven over and over again to not only get … Continue reading →

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