… by Averill Ring
The domestic dog’s ancestors were carnivorous beasts that hunted and killed other animals for food. The behaviors associated with these skills are “hard wired” into our dogs to some extent. Without these skills they would perish.
The dog’s inherent social skills enable him to coexist well with humans
The fact that humans have developed, through centuries of selection, an animal that coexists with us safely and peacefully is testimonial to the adaptability of the canine organism and to the creativity and intelligence of man. We must never forget this basic prey drive of dogs; Continue reading
Obedience classes have gone through an amazing metamorphosis in the past two decades. Methods well grounded in the science of operant conditioning in general and positive reinforcement in particular are being used routinely in the training of service dogs and other “dogs with jobs.” A great number of obedience class instructors have embraced these methods and offer them to their students in all levels of training. The pet dog obedience classes may be where these changes are met with the most astonishment because many pet owners have not taken a basic dog obedience class since they adopted their last pup. In some cases this could be over 15 years ago. The leap from “traditional” forceful methods to positive reinforcement may be a bit much to swallow for these pet dog owners at first. The good news is that these changes are effective, safe and fun!