Should You "Break" A Dog?

I have a new student. Nice pup, but with a few challenges. They signed up for a 2 week "board and train" program, paid the money up front... and decided not to go. They realized the obvious. This program was to "break" the dog... (MORE)

Dogs And Who Is The Problem?

An interesting phenomenon I have noticed for years doing dog training evaluations: 

It isn't unusual that one person in the home is the problem. It isn't the dog, it is that one person stirring up or even unintentionally causing the problem.

There are ways I can test for this, from what people tell me they are doing to “asking” the dog who the problem is. 

Good evaluations are evidence based. I can test assumptions. 

My main webpage photo is of me dressed up as Sherlock Holmes. I am inspired by that fictional character. Here are some of the maxims of Mr. Holmes:

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

"You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear".

"There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact".

"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important".

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes".

"To a great mind, nothing is little".

"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data".

"I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to the logical faculty".

"You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles".

The problem with a lot of dog trainers is they come in with assumptions about all dogs, and start applying their philosophies on the dog without doing a lot more background work and testing. The dogs get trapped in their remedies and the perps get away with what they have been doing, and the problem will crop up again and again. How many times have I heard someone say that on the first appointment, the dog trainer will show up and start in on correcting the dog right there, leaving the dog trembling and cowering before that first appointment is over... that isn't the way to do it folks. Or the dog is enrolled in their board and train program, not identifying that someone in the home is the problem. Do you want someone to "break" your dog and not address the root causes?

Those poor dogs…

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Vlogging

If you plan on doing high quality vlogging with your dog, for social media, you need a very good camera. While you can begin with something as simple as your cell phone, once you decide to go all in, you will need something significantly better.

Sony Alpha FX3 ILME-FX3 | Full-frame Cinema Line Camera

** Amazon affiliate link

Dogs And Shop Vacuums

Having a dog means cleaning up messes, ranging from spot cleaning carpets, to hair (especially after grooming), to spills, to cleaning up broken stuff, and cleaning up messes in your vehicle. I recommend every dog owner have a small shop vacuum with wet and dry pickup abilities. I have always had good results from Craftsman. My current one has to be at least 15 years old, and it is still going strong. 

Here is the vacuum I recommend

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Dog Bites, Who Is At Fault?

There are social media groups dedicated to the idea that all dog bites are the fault of the dog and the owner. Many focus on the breed of dog; guess which ones… 

In other words, the person who was bitten has no responsibility whatsoever in any circumstance. 

More social media garbage that won't prevent more dog bites.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Hiking

I have hiked a LOT with dogs. I have hiked a lot, period. 

I see way too many people on the trails that do not have sufficient water for themselves or their dogs. I have helped hikers with dogs that were in serious distress by giving them some of my water. 

Here is the backpack I recommend for hiking. Always bring more water than you think you might need. Also you need snacks and so does your dog. Some dogs can collapse on a hike (or hunting) when they get low blood sugar or electrolytes. Ask your vet for some recommendations for emergency supplements. 

I like the Camelbak Fourteener

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Dogs And Emotional Hijacking

Dogs have emotions. So do you. 

When a dog gets upset, or excited, or rude... our interpretation of what is going on can hijack our emotions and cause us to overreact. 

You have a choice in the matter. Humans can control their emotions and responses in ways that dogs can never do. You don't have to let the tachometer go into the red zone. Taking all that out on your dog isn't dog training, and is probably going to result in abuse. Flipping out in a rage or panic isn't dog training. 

Make a note of what is happening, and then afterwards come up with a plan to help your dog the next time. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Training Multi-Tool For Field Repairs

Real dog training is more than teaching a dog to Sit for a treat. 

 

Real dog training is a craft. Real dog handling is also a craft. You will find that toys, leashes, collars, crates, cages, and other equipment will require maintenance, modifications and repair in the field.

 

Sometimes a collar needs another hole poked in the leather or webbing to make it fit the dog better. Sometimes a wire cage needs to be bent back into shape. Toys need maintenance to cut off ragged parts. And I can think of many other things I’ve had to do in the field. 

 

That is why I carry a multi-tool when doing outdoors training, and even when hiking with a dog. Sometimes field repairs are a necessity, and you have to make do with what supplies you have. Sometimes you need to address a problem with your dog, such as removing cactus spines or wood splinters from your dog’s foot. You might even need to repair your stuff, such as your backpack. I use my tools all the time.

 

This is the type of Multi-tool I recommend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dogs And Calm Submissive Philosophy

As a result of the “dog whisperer” phenomenon, there has been the coalescence of a few online trainers preaching a calm-submissive philosophy of dog training. They might not all use that terminology, but that is how I would describe it.

The essence of the approach is ... (MORE)

Dogs And Grooming Tables

My first dog, Kate, was a Bouvier des Flandres. I learned a lot...

One of the lessons I learned by owning a dog that required very consistent grooming was that it was miserable to brush and comb out the daily mats in the hair of a Bouvier. Nail clipping was also a pain. So was the small scissoring needed to maintain a functional coat between overall grooming by a professional groomer. Sitting on the floor takes forever, is uncomfortable, and the dog comes to hate the entire experience.

I swore I would get a good grooming table if I ever got another dog that required extensive grooming. I want to be able to stand the dog and secure them from jumping off. Just like a pro. I also want to either be able to stand or sit while I am doing the grooming. I want the grooming to be fast and efficient. Like a pro. I want good footing for the dog so they don't slip. I want places to hang brushes, spray bottles, blowing driers, combs, clippers, nail clippers, etc. 

Yeah, I want all of that. I still recommend using professional groomers, but a lot needs to be done between appointments. You will pay a LOT more for a dog that has a coat that is full of burrs and hair knots. If you live far away from a local groomer, then you are the groomer. Learn how to do it correctly for your dog and get all the things. Dogs are not as happy (seriously) when they aren't clean and well groomed. Some long haired dogs suffer when the hair covers their eyes... they become sluggish and you can think they are disobeying when instead they can't see. You need to keep the eyes clear of hair (which isn't always what the dog will look like in photos of show dogs... many show dog cuts are not practical or humane). 

Many of the tables in the lower price range are too unsteady and flimsy. Yes, the heavier ones cost more, but they will be more stable and safer for you and your dog. The better tables are essential for the bigger breeds, but also small dogs will be easier to groom. 

Here is the type I recommend: A Heavy Duty, Hydraulic Pet Grooming Table with the Tool Organizer. 

** Amazon affiliate link

Dogs And Stress Inoculation

The latest fad is the promotion of the idea that you should engage in dosing dogs with stress, and then letting them recover from that stress, and the belief that the relief felt afterwards is beneficial. The assumption is that you can inoculate dogs to be able to handle more and more stress over time. 

The studies being used are rat and mouse studies. Rats and mice are not dogs, and have limited emotional processing compared to higher mammals, such as dogs. Dogs also can't practice the human version of Stoicism, deciding how they are going to view being in stressful or harsh conditions. It is never a good idea to extrapolate from one species to another as if you will get the same results, or that you understand what you are actually saying doing things this way. When I read a rat study, for example, I look for clues that might be useful. But it doesn't give me license to then try that thing on a dog. Further, most scientists know little to nothing about dog behavior, and they don't even try to know. They aren't dog trainers, and don't have the years of experience working with dogs of all ages, types, breed and mixes, and various environments and tasks.

I would not be surprised that one of the justifications will be the citing of the swimming rat studies, where the rats were left to swim for their lives for hours until given a chance to escape. The evaluation of stress wasn't the purpose of the study and wasn't assessed.

Traumatizing a dog in the hopes that it will recover is abusive. Not understanding why some dogs, based upon the 4 classical categories of temperament (choleric, sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic) confuses those trying to pick apart the results of over a century of animal experiments. Some are better able to recover vs. others, and it has nothing to do with such stress inoculation attempts. 

Your dog is not an experiment. To do otherwise is unethical. 

Plan accordingly. 

Bulldogs Are Territorial

We rely on the territoriality of our dog breeds. It is what causes your Golden Retriever to bark in the middle of the night when it hears someone prowling around the back yard, and causes the same dog to go and greet your guests when they come in the front door, or to run out an open door to say Hello to the neighbor across the street. Flock guards protect the sheep on the ranch. German Shepherds keep out intruders. Dachshunds warn of all strangers. And Bulldogs guard property against stray dogs. All of that is great when the territoriality fits our expectations and laws. It isn't great when any of the above happens outside out expectations and control. 

Bulldogs are territorial. There are many dog breeds and mixes that are considered bull breeds, or had bulldog as part of their creation. It is important to know the propensities of a breed in order to properly train and manage them. Pit bulls are one of many bulldog breed variants. 

A pit bull, whether pure bred, or a mixed bred version, is going to be territorial regarding other dogs. You need good fences, door protocols, early socialization, and obedience control to do a good job of owning them. If you don't have that in place, then bad things can happen, such as this story from Streamwood, Illinois... allegedly two pit bulls got loose from the owner's property and killed a couple of small neighborhood dogs and injured their owner... 

Mistakes happen. I get that. But even knowing that won't make things better if your dog has hurt other animals or people, being territorial in ways that are not acceptable to society or the law. 

Whatever breed or mix you have, educate yourself about their true tendencies and plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Monsoons

I tend to warn students when I know an Arizona Monsoon is on the way. Many dogs escape the property during monsoons and are never recovered. The dust kicked up, prior to the torrential rains and lightning, carries Valley Fever spores, which are also dangerous to dogs. Lightning is dangerous here, too. I encourage my students to watch the weather radar and to get their dogs outside to potty in advance of their arrival. 

I also cancel lessons when a bad storm arrives. 

Years ago, when I lived in the Seattle area, I had a morning appointment in Newport Hills. It was snowing, but I had made that appointment and I was determined to follow through. Well, as I got closer, the snowfall picked up. I then exited the 405 and headed uphill. More and more snow. Now it was getting dangerous. I didn't think I could make it to their house, and I wasn't sure I could drive back down the hill without sliding off the road into a ravine filled with very big pine trees. 

I called them and cancelled the lesson. I continued up the hill and figured out a set of sideways routes to get out of there and back home. 

After that, I decided to never endanger myself again with bad weather. 

Fast forward about 10 years. I was here in Phoenix, heading east from an appointment in the Surprise, AZ area. The sky behind me, on the 101, was black. In the middle of the day. The sky ahead also looked stormy. Well, I decided to head south on the 51 to cut down to I-10, then past the airport, and then to go home. I was looking at the clouds above me, and they were swirling in a big circle. I had never seen something like that before. There was a motorcycle ahead of me. When I drove into the rain, it came down so hard I couldn't see more than about a car length ahead of me. That was just the beginning.

Then it got worse. It was the heaviest storm I had ever been in. The winds were blowing so hard that the rain was going sideways, and tree branches and everything else was flying past my car. The highway was now inches deep in rainfall. The sound was like nothing I have ever heard before. Was this a tornado? I called a family member, told them what was going on. I wasn't sure I should exit the highway since I didn't know what I would encounter at the bottom of the exit. 

By the time I got to I-10, the ferocity of the storm had lessened considerably. And I got ahead of the storm the further I headed east. 

The next day, there were all the damage reports in the news. People who lived along the 51 had their entire roofs blown off in the storm. Micobursts. 

Monsoons are nothing to mess with here. You see them, hear about them, get your dog inside and wait it out. If there is covered parking, like a cement parking garage, maybe that is a good option if you can't get home with your dog in the car with you. 

Here is what I saw last night. It was a doozy. 

That lower part is the dust cloud; it looked like a giant fist. The clouds above were very turbulent. One minute it was just wind, then I drove into that cloud and everything changed. 

I heard some dogs howling during the storm, probably left outside. Another reason I don't believe in leaving dogs outside in Arizona. 

Dog Training Secrets (Part 1)

I’m going to tell you a dog training secret. 

This is not only for the benefit of other dog trainers, but for students looking for a dog trainer. So, here it is...  

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Oh, you already knew that secret?

I see a lot of dog trainers out there that treat others in the opposite manner.

What a turn off.

Do I have a temper? Of course, everyone does. But do I walk around with a chip on my shoulder and trying to provoke people to knock it off? Maybe a bit in my writing when debating some animal welfare issue, but not in how I deal with people directly. I'm not an angry person.

Yeah, we are all works in progress. 

I really try to be a nice guy to everyone. I’m definitely nicer to dogs than I am to people, but I’m trying… 

On the other hand, all of the above is addressed to those dog trainers that are just plain nasty, almost cruel. Your students aren’t there to be punching bags, and neither are their dogs. You see justifying statements like, "I know I'm smarter than everyone else, so that gives me the right to beat down all those lesser people whenever and however I feel the need to vent." Look at their pictures: never even a happy look on their faces, more like bared teeth... Some of this might be insecurity. But some of this is people who are actually very antisocial and aggressive.

There is no need for that. Who wants to be around that?

I spoke with someone yesterday looking for a new dog trainer. They recently signed up with another trainer, spent a lot of money, and the trust is already broken. 

Something is wrong, figure it out.

Dog training is a rough business. It can get under your skin. Figure it out. Don’t take that out on others. 

Dogs And Crate Training

I am an advocate of crate training for all dogs. 

I don’t train it to be a prison or a punishment. 

Young puppies, especially, can harm themselves when unsupervised. Even leaving a puppy in a closed room isn’t safe. I’ve seen and heard about enough accidents over the years to know, 100%, that a crate is an essential tool. Further, a dog might one day need to be confined, such as in a veterinarian’s office, in transport, or when recovering from an injury. It is then too late to do the training when the need is immediate. If the work had been done as a puppy, then if the need to confine the dog arises, the dog is ready and won’t panic. 

There are some dogs that are much more resistant to crate confinement. The worst thing is to force them in there, that makes the problem even worse. I get dogs to want to “kennel up”. I want them to think it is their idea, not some kind of a trap.

If you don’t know how, I can show you.

If you are forcing dogs in crates, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG... 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Chairs

I have attended numerous dog events over the years: dog shows, adoption events, competitions or dog fairs. Often there isn't any seating, so I bring my own. They typically weigh just under a pound: I always have one or two tripod folding camping stools in my vehicle for events. Sometimes I use them for lessons since sometimes one or more students need to sit (not everyone can stand for long periods of time) while the dog is being worked.

Here is a good example

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Dogs And Training Tool Bans

Politically correct opinions on dog training tools are doing real damage to dogs. These bans should be repealed. 

Here is where the dummies rule... and victims live... 

Dogs And Toys For Rewarding Skills

I use a variety of toys when rewarding dogs. I am selective in the types of toys I choose. Many owners waste a lot of money on toys that have little value. I can go through a toy basket in most houses and show that most of them have no interest whatsoever, or are sometimes risky to use, or are worn out and needing replacement. But, what to buy? 

One toy I like is the Jolly Ball, otherwise called the Tug N Toss with Handle. It is a very useful reward in the training if you use it properly. I generally have to show owners how to get the most out of their toys to make them optimally rewarding. Just buying this toy and leaving it around the house like a chew toy is a waste of money. 

Here is the 8 inch version I use for larger dogs

And here is a smaller version I use for a variety of sized dogs

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Dogs And A Good Example Of Prey Drive

What would trigger cougars to mass kill these 15 Alpacas and not even eat them? 

Tiara told SFGATE that the mountain lions were not likely killing for sport, but due to their prey drive. “If they get into a pen and there’s multiple animals, they’re in kill mode, right? As long as there’s movement, they’re taking out every animal they can get,” he explained. “It’s just a predatory response.”

 Next question: why did the cougars kill the dog? And why do dogs attack cougars?

Dog Training And Existential Feeding Board And Train Programs

There is a “business model”, for lack of a better term, that quite a few board and train programs use. You could probably find one in every major city in the world. What they are doing would be described as “existential food training.” (MORE)

Do Animal Control Officers Use Excessive Force On Dogs?

I have a pretty long history of animal welfare promotion. This latest story is out of Beaumont, CA... 

There have been verified stories of abuse by animal control officers across the country. Sometimes they get fired, sometimes the problems are covered up, which is easy to do in government controlled animal control shelters. 

Here is a current video of an animal control officer using a catch pole to lift a pit bull off the ground and toss it into the van. There is more to the story, so it is worth reading. 

What is your opinion? Especially if you have knowledge of this situation?

Competition vs Pet Dog Training

What are some of the main differences between competition and pet dog training? I’m not referring here to the dogs that are selected, I’m referring to the training... (MORE)

Dogs, Serotonin And Behavioral Medicine

The discovery that serotonin was a neurotransmitter gave great hopes for the possible treatment or cure of mental illness. Other such neurotransmitters have been found and offered similar hopes, and chemical analogues have been concocted by pharmaceutical companies.

Much of the creation of the “certified veterinary behaviorist” field in 1995 was a result of these hopes. Since then, from my observation, not much has been accomplished. Yes, some of the drug protocols have changed in the sense of new drugs. But the promised revolution hasn’t materialized. They have claimed the title, “behaviorist”, as if that now means more than it does, and often comes with a dose of a haughty attitude that isn't earned. The original behaviorists were followers of the school of behaviorism, the veterinary behaviorists just grabbed the term for themselves. Even the original behaviorism school of research has been discredited in many ways after the initial promises of their theories didn’t pan out as they expected. Science is never static and it isn't useful to claim to be all knowing. 

Just like the discovery of DNA by Watson and Crick seemed to promise the explanation of the origins of life and evolution... and failed... so the discovery of these neurotransmitters has not lived up to the initial hopes. Life processes are more complicated than what can be done in a test tube.

I rarely recommend drugs for behavioral issues anymore. Some places, shelters for example, hand out these drugs like they are candy, and people have been seriously injured as a result. Let the buyer beware.

I think I still have my original copy of “Clinical Behavioral Medicine For Small Animals” by Karen Overall (1997). I read that back around 1999 or 2000. If I still have it, it is collecting dust in one of my storage book bins. It is not useful to me anymore for the work that I do. There has been an updated version released, but I have not read it, so there may be useful protocols worth noting. I recommend reading the updated version, however. It is important to understand these biological mechanisms and to see what the most current research is indicating. No disrespect to Karen Overall: her work pointed me in the right direction at the time. I have other texts covering behavioral medicine, and those also have been very useful for my understanding, especially when they detail the experiments that have been done and the proposed analysis of the outcomes.

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Dogs Hunting And Eating Other Dogs?

There are a quite a few fools on social media promoting the idea that there are problem dogs that hunt, kill and eat other dogs.

I have done intensive dog rescue for about 25 years. I have never heard of any situation where animal control officers were called in to round up “predatory dogs” that were hunting, killing and eating dogs. I have also never heard of a problem in animal shelters, where dogs are in the most stressful conditions, coming from the most stressful environments, that dogs can’t be housed together because they have a tendency to kill and eat the other dogs in their enclosures. 

Now, I call the above “fools” because some people are fools. Like maggots on a wound, they find some news story about pit bulls (usually) and then go to work. With absolutely no evidence, but with sharp tongues and the tenacity of a bad case of a social disease, they keep at it no matter the treatments of truth that are applied.

What can I say? Maybe all that paste eating in grade school caused these long term side effects. 

Dogs And Heaven?

Will you see your dog again in heaven?

I believe so.

Another reason to figure out how you ensure that you are there.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Footwear

Over 20 years ago, I was with a friend at a dog show. I was there with her prized English Mastiff, 200+ lbs of muscle. I was walking the dog on moist grass towards the show grounds. The dog became distracted and took off... I went skiing that day. 

 

I had the wrong footwear. 

 

After that I switched to wearing hiking boots when working with dogs. I had better traction, they were waterproof, I had more foot support, and the wide toe box was easier on my feet after a long day of work. 

 

Yeah, I got some kidding from people wondering why I was wearing hiking books when I wasn’t hiking. I still get those comments. But they didn’t train dogs. They didn’t realize that not only did I wear them for traction, some dogs bite… and hiking boots have protected me more than once during an evaluation. 

 

My current working shoe is the Oboz Men's Sawtooth X Mid B-Dry Hiking Boot 

 

 

 

Women’s Version is the Oboz Women's Sawtooth X Mid B-Dry Hiking Boot

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dogs And You’re Doing It Wrong

A long time ago, many years ago, I was taking my dog for a walk at a park. Somewhere along the way, my car keys dropped out of my pocket. When I got back to the car… oops.

I took a chance. I had been teaching my dog to track, so I took him to where we had started the walk and commanded him to Seek.

Nothing. 

He also didn’t know how to find something with my scent on it in a field if commanded, so I couldn’t just let him loose and let him look around. All he would have done was run around. 

He was still too much of a novice to do what I had asked. I was as much of a novice as my dog regarding tracking and scent detection. You can't get results you haven't properly taught.

Good lesson for me that day. 

I see a lot of people who have tried training their dogs to do this or that, or to stop doing nuisance behaviors. But the dog didn’t have enough foundation, or the way they did the training was wrong. I see a lot of this when watching dog training advertising videos. If you know what you are looking at, you can see what the trainer thinks/ claims they are training isn’t what the dog is getting out of it. They are doing it wrong, and they don’t even know it. The owners will never get the skills they are paying for.

Plan accordingly. 

 

Dogs And Too Soon To Correct

I received an inquiry from a potential student the other day. The sum of the conversation focused on the question as to what I thought about e-collars. 

The dog is 7 months old, and they are already asking about how to correct their dog. 

I know that a lot of trainers, and owners, have no problem introducing advanced, adult-level corrections on any dog of any age. 

There is no way a 7-month-old dog, owned by a novice level handler/ owner, has enough foundation to do any kind of corrections as proposed. I know this even without ever seeing this dog. Corrections like this would be unfair and limit the potential of the dog, possibly permanently.

I get that some owners, and trainers, are impatient… and sometimes even lazy… and don’t want to put in the necessary work to get the foundation in place for every desired skill. 

Those aren’t the types of students I want. 

I do feel sorry for their dogs. 

We never even discussed, in any detail, what the dog had learned and what kind of methods had be used up to this point. The only interest was in figuring out how to correct this puppy with an e-collar, and picking my brain as to what I thought.

All wrong from my perspective.

If you train with me, we do things differently.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Veterinarian Costs

Everyone has noticed the significant cost increases in veterinarian care. 

Instead of blaming the vet, look to the overall economy. It has been broken for years and keeps getting worse. Until the reforms that are being made are fully in force, you are going to suffer. The government can't keep "printing money", taxing, spending and over-regulating forever. We are in "stagflation". I have been warning the rescue community for years what was obviously going to happen. I read the economic news and I am usually correct in predicting the general economic trends. 

I see people post negative reviews on Google about prices. I knew this was happening earlier than the average pet owner since active rescue groups noticed the abominable price increases happening over the past 4 years. Since owners only see their vet once a year, it comes across as sticker shock and price gouging. 

I know that you might be one of those who are scared about your finances. It is no fun to wake up in the middle of the night and wonder how you are going to make it at the end of the month. You are just going to have to dig in and make it happen.

Your vet isn't the problem. 

Just be glad it isn't a repeat of the Great Recession, starting in 2007. Back then, it got to the point where I had more cancellations per week than new students. The shelters were overflowing with surrendered dogs, and so many dogs were put down it was a horror. People will blame you (or abandon you) for not doing better. My advice: do what you have to do. Don't spend money on useless things or to keep peace in the home. If people leave you, then they do. Whining and blaming others won't pay your bills. 

Your veterinarian is also most likely struggling to keep the lights on. They don't control the prices of tests, drugs, electricity, wages, lease payments, insurance rates and such.

Also... there are always people who make a lot of money when things get bad. Find out what they are doing, there are always opportunities in the darkest of times.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And More On Wolf Safety

There is continued interest by readers here concerning human/ wolf safety. Here is an interesting quote (From the Division of Wildlife Conservation of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, 2008)

 

“A published review of wolf-human encounters in North America (McNay 2002a,b) revealed that the reported incidence of aggression by wolves is very low, but it has increased in recent years. For example, there was only 1 case of unprovoked wolf aggression documented between 1900 and 1969, but 18 cases of unprovoked aggression toward people between 1969 and 2000. Since 2000 there have been several more cases of injuries inflicted by wild wolves on people in both Alaska and Canada, and in 2005 a young man in northern Saskatchewan was killed by wolves. That increasing trend in wolf-caused injuries is occurring as wolves increase and reoccupy areas where they were formerly removed. Human populations are also increasing, and human activities such as camping, hiking, sightseeing and industrial developmental are increasing in areas occupied by wolves.”

 

They narrow the conditions where you might have an aggressive encounter with a wolf… shorter than what I postulated in an earlier blog post.

 

* Near an occupied wolf den and rendezvous sites (according to Conservation Northwest) 

 

* Near an animal that a wolf might be eating.

 

* Food conditioning and habituation, such as giving them access to human garbage sites

 

* Rabies.

 

So, I was pretty close to the mark. They didn’t mention situations like famine, which appears in other accounts from Asia. I’ll do a bit more digging on the topic. 

 

I had heard about the Saskatchewan case. And I have heard increasing stories from hunters who say they are encountering aggressive wolves. I also think you increase the risks if you have your dog with you.

 

If I find more, I’ll let you know. If you do go into wolf country, you should also educate yourself as to how to avoid encounters and what to do if you are confronted by a wolf. 

Dogs And Debates

You will rarely find someone in any field that agrees 100% with another person in their field, even if they are both experts.

On a personal level, there isn’t anyone I know I agree with 100%. 

We all have our opinions.

Then there is the dog world. Not only do the experts disagree, novices disagree with the experts as if the novices are experts. How infuriating is that? 

When I discuss something with someone else, all I ask is to be treated with respect, and that includes honesty. However, you can almost guarantee that an online discussion of dog topics, especially if they are open to the public, will eventually lead to mudslinging. 

Debate is partly how knowledge is tested. it is a good thing. You have your opinion based upon your knowledge. I have mine. Let’s do it. But if all you want is a debate, to win, to say whatever and without any social constraints, then I’ll tolerate it for a while but will eventually cut you loose. No one is a God, and I surely am not cut out for that role. Some people are so smart, they don't know a damned thing.

I bring this topic up, over and over again, because ideas always need working over. That is how progress is made. I’m not against a robust debate. I think all experts want, and even seek out, debate. We are social creatures, and we are compelled to do so.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Ravening Wolves

Now that I have your attention regarding whether wolves are a danger to humans, let’s do a bit more on this topic.

How dangerous are wolves to humans? Not much. If you are in the wilderness, you are much more likely to be injured or killed by injuries, bears, bees, or mountain lions (not much, but some risk). 

Wildlife biologists that study wolves note that while wolves are often curious about, and quite aware, of the presence of humans, they leave humans alone. There is much more of a risk of running across a dangerous bear than a dangerous wolf. 

On. The. Other. Hand.

We still need to explain the documented cases of wolves that have attacked humans. I have collected articles on this topic for several years, and these cases do exist. To brush those off as if they didn’t happen isn’t a way for making an adequate explanation.

While I am not a wolf expert, I do read about them, both in texts as well as in the news. Here are my theories on what causes most of these attacks.

* Being too near a den with wolf puppies. 

* Being near dead prey the wolf is guarding.

* Surprising a pack that has wolf puppies.

* Some kind of environmental disaster, famine or sickness (rabies) makes the wolves dangerous.

* Messing with captive wolves in a sanctuary or zoo. 

* Allowing wolves to become food conditioned to human garbage.

* In some instances, a lone child might be at risk.

Do I worry about wolf encounters when hiking in the West? Nope. If I had small kids, would I want them walking alone to a bus stop in a wolf habitat? No. 

I am more concerned with the danger a wolf poses to my dog. That is a real risk. Wolves will gang up and kill dogs in their territory. Few dog breeds can take on a wolf.

In North America, I would be more concerned about moose, elk, bear, mountain lions, Africanized bees, and feral cattle. You'll be lucky to even see a wolf, they are quite elusive and have better things to do with their time, finding food and fighting with one another over territory. If a wolf ever comes at you, you'll know it. It would look the same as a dog going after you, and you'd use the same solutions.

Plan accordingly. 

Emergency Dog Tools

I have run across dogs that were wearing collars that couldn’t be taken off. 

For example, I’ve encountered dogs with chain collars that were put on months ago, and now the dog’s head has grown, and the collar can’t be slipped off anymore. In some cases, the collar, metal or fabric, has been on so long it is embedded in the skin, and in those cases, the dog needs to be taken to a veterinarian. That is a medical emergency.

I have also encountered emergency situations where dogs got caught in a chain link fence or some kind of woody plant. Or a dog that was trapped in a wire crate. You might even have to free a dog from a hunter's snare.

Therefore, I have large diagonal cutting pliers in my vehicle. I can cut the collar, or wire, or branch and free the dog. I think such pliers are an essential tool for all dog rescue volunteers, especially for those who are trying to deal with tricky situations with stray or abused dogs in the field. 

Here’s what I recommend:

Diagonal 9 inch cutting pliers

** Amazon affiliate link

Bulldogs and Ignorance

I encountered some ignorant commentary the other day about bulldogs. This person asserted there was only one bulldog, the English Bulldog. Let’s clear this up.

Let's remember the bigger picture about the American Bulldog, Alapaha Blueblood Bulldog, Bullterrier, Pit bull terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bullmastiff, Dogo Argentino, French Bulldog, XL Bully, pocket bullies, bandogs, Fila Brasiliero, Olde English Bulldogge, Pug, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier, Ca de Bou, etc. Then there are the bull hounds, like the Catahoula Leopard Dog (which people crossed bulldogs into these dogs; check out the history). And there are others. Some of these dogs have more pronounced physical bulldog features, some less so but the bulldog in them was chosen for a purpose. 

A lot of the origin of the bulldog has been lost to antiquity. Some theorize it was a result of a cross between mastiff and terrier type dogs, but who knows. Some say the type was developed for animal baiting, and to some degree that is true. 

So, when I refer to the generic “bulldog”, I am referring to this type of dog and understanding all the variants that have been developed. I have met, and worked with, most of the aforementioned bulldogs in some way or another (the Ca de Bou being an exception). All interesting.

Before saying stuff, people should do their homework instead of arguing from a position of ignorance (usually to pump up their egos). 

Plan accordingly. 

NY To License Dog Trainers?

What a mess this will be. When training is subject to the whims of politicians, dogs will suffer and people will get hurt. 

Can Wolves Be Dangerous To Humans?

There are countless stories of wolves that were dangerous to humans. Yet, today, we are told in popular media that wolves are never dangerous to humans.

What is the truth?

I think we are not being told the entire truth. Some observations:

1.) There was the wolf attack in China: “Up to five of the animals surrounded the small farming community before viciously mauling the six people living there, leaving two seriously injured in a previously unheard of attack.” – Daily Mail, 8/13/14

2.) There have been documented attacks on humans by wolves as a result of illness.

3.) I read a story (I'm trying to locate it) from Siberia where a number of hunters were attacked by a pack of wolves, were injured but survived. I saw another such story from Saskatchewan.

4.) “A Fish and Game biologist said a trio of gray wolves appear to have killed a dog and then pursued the owner during a hike in the mountains near Anchorage. The episode offers a textbook look at what to do -- and what not to do -- when you are among wolves, he said.” -- alaskadispatch.com, June 24, 2014

5.) In Yellowstone Park, the regulations say that humans are to distance themselves at least 100 yards away from wolves. Is this for the benefit of the wolves or the public? I think both.

6.) If a wolf, just like a bear, becomes too food conditioned, they can become unafraid of humans and a danger: Isle Royale kills problem wolf after increasing number of ‘concerning incidents’ – Mlive, 8/15/25

7.) A female employee of the Kolmarden zoo in central Sweden was mauled to death in the wolf enclosure on Sunday morning – The Local; 6/12/12

8.) And here is another interesting resource 

9.)    There are numerous accounts of hunters, in North America, that have stories of dangerous wolves and in some cases where they had to fend them off or kill them.

Apex predators, like wolves, can be dangerous to humans. Even our own park service admits it, and hazes the wolves to keep them away from humans. Why does our own park service say that visitors should remain at least 100 yards from wolves AND to carry pepper spray? They know the truth. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Clicker Training

I first used clickers back in the 1990’s. I subscribed to Karen Pryor’s newsletter, bought her book, Don’t Shoot The Dog, and purchased some clickers. I even had a brief phone call with Karen Pryor about their usage. I read other material as well, got videos, discussed with other trainers, etc. 

Over the years, I faded out the use of clickers. The promise of clicker training didn’t live up to the hype. It used to be that you’d see a bucket of clickers at the checkout of the major retail pet stores. That went away, too. Go into your local pet store and you’ll be lucky to find one, and if you do, it will usually be a large and clunky version for too much money. 

I got to the point where I stopped using them altogether.

But I’m never static. I re-visited them about 3 years ago, and I have found new ways for my students to use them. I have a clicker in my pocket right now.

I teach and use them without the mystique. They have very useful purposes when blended in with other methods and tools. Sometimes old is new.

If you are looking to upgrade what you are doing, then clickers are worth a second look. However, if you buy a lot of the old videos and books, you will get turned off as I did. No need to wade through all of that. 

In the right hands, with the right instruction, there are good results to be gained. However, the old style, purely clicker programs are still making the same mistakes from years ago and getting nowhere. If you are interested in my classes and want to discover the nifty ways I now use them in training, then schedule some lessons. Here are the types of clickers I use:

Box Clickers: Inexpensive, easily hidden in a hand.

Larger clickers with a lanyard: Best for situations where you don’t want to lose your clicker since it is on the wrist, on your training pouch, or on a counter.

I recommend buying multiple clickers. It is too easy to lose them or forget them on the way to a lesson. Have a couple at home, one in the car, one in your training pouch, and another in your pocket. I generally purchase 10 at a time. **

** Amazon associate links above

Off Leash Dogs And Whistles

Hunters do more distance off leash work with their dogs than any other type of dog handler. Here is why that is important, and something we can learn from them.

About a decade ago, I was hiking in the Superstition Mountains during the summer. It was a 104 ° F day. I was in excellent shape and was used to hiking year-round in AZ heat. I had good gear, lots of water, and had been drinking lots of water. 

All our hikes were fast. Very fast… as in, few people could keep up with us anywhere. So, we had been hiking for an hour or so, had made it up to the top of the ridge, went down into a valley, and then were powering up a relatively steep incline. I sat down to take a quick drink and told my brother-in-law to keep going and I’d catch up. 

He takes off to get to the next landing. I drink some water, put back on my gear, and… I’m out of gas. I’m overheating. I wait a bit and try again, but no energy. I call out to him to tell him I’m in trouble, but he can’t hear me. The outdoors absorbs a lot of sound. Eventually, he came back down the hill to find out what was going on. We eventually made it back down the mountain and back to the truck, but I was wiped out for the entire week. 

He couldn’t hear me. 

After that, I started carrying a whistle in my backpack. 

When a dog gets away from you, even with their excellent hearing, they can sometimes not hear you. A rushing stream, traffic noise, crowds of people, the plants and terrain, can all drown out your calls. Furthermore, if a dog is highly focused on something, they will also have trouble hearing you. 

That is where dog whistles come in handy. I recommend that all my students who plan on hiking with their dogs teach some basic whistle commands to their dogs. Just like they do with hunting dogs. People are so focused on teaching this or that skill, but don't think so much as to how it is going to work out in the real world. If a dog can't hear you, they can't obey you.

I have tested a variety of dog whistles over the years. You don’t want one like they use in sports, with that internal pea. You want a clear, high pitched, loud whistle. You also want one that is easy to find, so I prefer the fluorescent orange ones. 

FIND IT HERE: My current favorite is the Roy Gonia Special, without the pea.

 

** Amazon affiliate link above

Dogs And Quick Fixes (Con’t)

For decades, I have been preaching against using quick fix methods for dog training. One of my earliest articles is “Dog Corrections You Shouldn't Use.” These are all examples of what I am referring to. You can find these in old books and in new social media posts. They never seem to go away, and new people have to learn the hard way again and again.

Every once in a while a new wave of dog training miracle workers come out, promising quick fixes, either instantaneous, or within a week or two. My article generally describes one or more of the methods they are going to use.

Proper training, and proper behavior modification, takes many repetitions over a reasonable amount of time for a dog to create a new memory. The brain “wires” new connections between neurons, and that growth takes time to gel. With normal learning and memory formation. 

What I’m referring to are methods and techniques that use some kind of trauma to give the owner a picture of a fixed problem. What isn’t discussed are the side effects of such. Thus, I did a video on this topic today, to remind people that they should avoid anyone who would do these things to their dog. 

Here’s that video:

Instagram

YouTube: 

What Came First, the Behaviorist Or The Certified Veterinary Behaviorist?

What is the origin of the “certified veterinary behaviorist”? Who should be using the title, "Behaviorist"?

(MORE)

Dogs And Wolf Fights

"About 50% of adult wolves in Yellowstone die in fights with other wolves." - Rick McIntyre, Thinking Like A Wolf ** 

Most people think it odd that their dog doesn't like other dogs. Yet, it is all the more amazing that dogs like other unknown dogs at all, or even human strangers. In nature, territorial animals mostly stick to their own group and drive away outsiders. 

My expectation when socializing a puppy, or training an older dog... is that I'd just like neutrality around strange dogs and unknown people... neither too friendly (which can be an annoyance when walking a dog) or too defensive (which makes situations potentially volatile). I also don't expect every dog to get along with every other dog or unknown person. Some trainers promise they can make all dogs accept all other dogs and unknown people in all circumstances... which is unnatural.

Socialize and supervise your dog, but don't expect Lassie.

This isn't a TV show.

Plan accordingly.

** Amazon Affiliate Link

Pit Bull Attacks Dachshund Under Fence?

One of the latest news stories circulating online, is about an alleged attack by a pit bull, which went under a fence, grabbed and mauled a Dachshund.

That should be that. Awful if true. But it hasn’t ended there. 

Ignorant claims are being made:

Pit bulls are motivated to kill every dog.

These types of attacks are “predatory”, and all such predatory dogs should be put down.

Pit bulls kill and eat their puppies and their victims.

All pit bulls are vicious.

What is the truth? Well, since I wasn’t there, I can only postulate according to Occam’s Razor: what is the most obvious conclusion?

Bulldogs are territorial, meaning they will attempt to drive away other dogs in their perceived territory, even if that territory extends into an adjacent yard (fenced or not). Years ago, I spoke with John Johnson about his line of American Bulldogs. He said people in the Old South used to have a bulldog for various guarding purposes, including dealing with stray dogs that would be a danger to their livestock and family. It was normal and expected that the bulldog would either chase them off or kill them. The creation of the pit bull terrier didn’t remove this territoriality. People are having the same issues, as seen in the news, with XL Bullies. 

People say dumb stuff because they have no knowledge of dog behavior. They are novices, yet they have strong opinions on things they know nothing about, such as pit bull behavior, or dog behavior of any other breed. 

Someone I know was out in the middle of the night trying to rescue a stray Labrador Retriever in a vacant lot near downtown Phoenix. She had gone out there more than once to try and locate and capture this dog. There was a pit bull behind a fence in that area. The night she got the Lab, the pit bull then broke out of the fence, attacked the Lab, and it took her over 30 minutes of fighting to try and stop the attack. At some point, the owner of the dog called his dog back, the attack stopped, and she got the dog to the vet. It was badly beaten up. Bulldogs are territorial.

And not all fencing is appropriate for all dogs. If a dog is highly motivated to guard its territory, it will work to get past that fence to get at an intruder on the other side. If you own such a dog, you need to fortify your fencing and regularly inspect it. If you live on the other side, and you have a dog, then you should take defensive steps on your side of the fence to protect your dog… and possibly yourself. 

A good resource for studying territoriality is The Study of Instinct, by Tinbergen **. Of course, novices don’t get their information from experts like this. They will blabber on as if real science hasn’t looked into these topics. An interesting observation in the book. Within a territory, the resident will fight furiously to drive away an intruder. Once outside the territory, the same resident will usually avoid an enemy. 

I see varying levels of territoriality from all dogs, from just going and greeting guests to outright violence. Today, I could introduce you to a past student’s dog. If you meet the dog 50 yards away from the residence, the dog will come up to you, check you out as a new person, and you’ll be safe. However, if you get within 10 feet of the front door, the dog will suddenly change, and then you are in danger. The only way you can get in the house is if the owner facilitates a successful greeting between you and the dog before you come inside. 

Many mammals are highly territorial. Wolves for example. Many wolves die every year because of territorial defensive fights. Territories are defended because that is where they survive. Territory has existential purposes. Many dog breeds were created to do the same. Flock guards are out there to drive away predators, whether other dogs, or coyotes, wolves, bear, foxes or big cats. We seem to understand that. But when it happens in town, people’s brains turn off and somehow the dogs are supposed to understand human fences and property lines and not guard territory past our artificial boundaries. 

Now, onto the some of the other claims…

Pit bulls are motivated to kill every dog? No. Have you ever been around these dogs? Been to a dog show with pit bulls, or other similarly related breeds? They aren’t trying to kill every dog that passes them. 

These types of attacks are “predatory”, and all such predatory dogs should be put down? No. Look up “prey drive”. Dogs are not cannibals. What stimulates prey drive? The same elements that cause a dog to chase a tennis ball. Fights between dogs isn’t about the other dog being prey. This is an ignorant claim. Wrong diagnosis. While no one wants to see this kind of violence, this isn’t the same thing as predatory behavior. This is important, more important than the peanut gallery understands. If a dog defends its territory like this, while undesirable from the standpoint of the damage caused, the dog is not acting abnormally and should not be considered vicious. There isn’t something wrong in the dog’s head. The dog did what dogs do, guarded the property. The problem is with the containment of the dog. No amount of training can make a dog not be territorial. Sorry. And it isn’t just pit bulls that will do this kind of thing. Many Dachshunds will attack other dogs if they can get the chance, on the other side of their fences. It goes both ways. 

Pit bulls kill and eat their puppies and their victims? Do you really want to go there? Since social media platforms, such as Facebook, censor these types of stories, you’ll have to do your own searches on reasons why animals eat their young, or consume the flesh of their victims. If you are really worried about this kind of thing, just be sure to never own a house cat and pass away in their presence.

All pit bulls are vicious? No. Vicious implies a defective, mentally unstable dog. Pit bulls are a type of dog, often a mixed breed dog. They have traits that allow them to excel at fighting other dogs, but that doesn’t make them crazy. Raise them right, supervise, contain, and train them and you shouldn’t have any more serious problems than if you owned any other big breed of dog. I have other recommendations, but that is for another article.

In the end, the reaction to this tragedy has been more about the pit bull haters out there rather than a dissection of the motivations of what might cause something like this and how to prevent it in the future. Secondarily, as I have mentioned countless times, self-appointed internet experts suddenly appear on all hot stories, like flies on crap. Today, they are dog behavior experts. Tomorrow, foreign policy experts. Next week, they are telling doctors what treatments are best to cure cancer, maybe using magic crystals and CBD oil. Everyone is an expert on dog behavior, except they aren’t. They will argue with actual experts as if they are themselves experts. Such is the side effect of social media.

Anyway, this is a tragic outcome. Hopefully the small dog recovers and the owner is compensated for the alleged event; the new owner of the pit bull has been made aware of what happened and takes precautions so that it doesn’t happen again; and I hope the pit bull has a good safe life, especially safe from people who have zero knowledge of dog behavior. 

Have a pit bull? Educate yourself. 

Regarding this case, we can only go off the limited information that was presented in the news and online. What really happened sometimes, maybe often is, different than what we hear about. Remember, reporters are just as ignorant of dog behavior as the general public. So, it is kind of like the telegraph game when trying to find out what really happened. Add in personal biases, and who knows if any of this is accurate. Thus, back to Occam’s Razor.

Plan accordingly.

** Amazon Affiliate link above

Dogs And Behavior Terminology

Want to get in a dispute with online experts? Discuss dog behavior. 

Most people have no idea about the true meaning and implications of significant words and their definitions, or the implications of those definitions. 

Most are relying on hearsay.

It harms a lot of dogs because problems are misdiagnosed.

Lots of people who know a lot about nothing. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Internet Forums

I know a retired professional ball player. The sport doesn’t matter. He’s an expert at his craft. He’s seen it all. Done it all. Imagine if he joined an internet group for his sport, offering his expert opinion on ball handling, or strategy, or teams, or the best and worst types of equipment. And then some SAIE (self-appointed internet expert) totally contradicts him with their expertise based upon watching that sport on TV. As if the two are equivalent. 

That is the nature of social media debates.  Bring in the expert. Then SAIE’s come in like flies on dog poop. 

Such is the state of joining any internet dog forum, especially if you are a subject expert. 

Plan accordingly. 

 

Pretend Dog Trainers

Occasionally, I’ll get a sham call from a dog trainer trying to puzzle out what I do and my opinions on this or that dog training method. So they pose as a potential student.

Kind of like a secret shopper.

Want to know? Read my website. It is all there.

Dogs And Sorta Superior People

Years ago, I was at a grocery store, late evening, getting stuff. Two women came around the corner, and we all recognized one another. Then the “what have you been up to” conversation started. A few minutes later, we parted and went on our way. But I was left with something I didn’t expect. 

Somehow, I was still the sophomore in high school, she was the senior, and somehow, I was inferior to her. The whole attitude was so weird. Like, who the heck do you think you are? I haven’t seen you in, like, 15 years, and the years haven’t been all that kind to you in the meantime. 

Fast forward some more years. I had a student. Wealthy. After a while, I saw this same attitude. Husband was a professional, earned all the money. He died. Wife now had all the money… but she wanted to project that she was a cut above everyone, including me. It frustrated her that I talked with her as I would anyone else. Straight on, honest, just being me. Money doesn’t make you better and it doesn’t improve your IQ. Sorry. 

Had a similar encounter the other day. I came away thinking, how disrespectful. 

I have seen this kind of thing in the dog world. 

I remember a guy who held a dog training seminar about a million years ago. Walkin’ and talkin’ tough, about all kinds of gibberish. His claim to fame was he once… once… got a major title on a dog. He never did repeat that feat with any other dog. (In those cases, they owned a dog that figured it out, regardless of the methods used.) I hate all that posturing. 

You see this with many of these internet dog training gurus. Same pontificating and posturing. 

Hate. It.

I also see it with dog breed snobs. “My breed is better than your breed.” As if that is true. I observe this on internet dog forums. The ones who hate on pit bulls. The ones who act as if their favorite breed, which has no real-world accomplishments other than being pretty, is the tops at doing this or that. Hey folks, it is just a pet dog. It isn’t Michelangelo's famous statue of David.

Haughtiness is very unattractive, and everyone can see what is behind the façade. 

Knock it off.

Before you engage with such a person to confront them, maybe it is just better to leave them with their delusions. 

Oh, and they are not your friend. You are just another audience.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Bad Habits, Such As Jumping

Many dog problems are a result of the owner intentionally, or accidentally, practicing and rewarding bad habits over a very long time. Then, when they decide they don’t like the bad habit anymore, they crack down on the dog, often in some harsh manner they found on the internet or from friends.

How unfair.

And unrealistic... (MORE)

My Dog Is Growling At Me

I encounter a lot of dog owners that are concerned that their dogs are growling and snapping at them. In some cases, the dogs are biting.

Not good.

So, I will ask them to make up a list of every situation that provokes this kind of response. From there I can ask questions about each incident and determine the motivation for the growling/ snapping/ biting, and then propose solutions... (MORE)

Dogs That Wake You Up

Last night was one of those nights. I went to bed with too much on my mind and woke up at 3:30am, back to thinking about all of that stuff. Worrying, really. 

We all have stuff. Stuff to worry about. For me, last night, it was about technical issues with my website. So, I woke up, couldn't stop thinking about it. And I sent off an email to my webmaster to have him work on it today. 

I'm going to be tired today.

I see a lot of dogs with sleep issues. 

Some are medical, so those are referred back to the vet for diagnosis and treatment. 

Some are behavioral, and those need to be puzzled out. For young puppies, it is normal for them to wake up frequently. As dogs get older, then something is going on and that needs to be figured out. I have had students lose their cool with their dogs, and hired me to help them find a solution. It is no fun having a dog that won't let you sleep, for one reason or another. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Shoulder Chips

I know of someone, not more than a million miles from here, that continually tries to provoke others on social media because of their perceived grievances regarding politics. That person's hysterical posts are directly in conflict with their personal demeanor when you meet that person. Something is going on to cause them to vent like this. And while it is tempting to get into it with them, that won't solve anything. 

The same is true in the dog training world. There are a few agitators who stir up trouble for their perceived grievances. In these cases, I can only speculate on the motives. I think some of it stems from unstable personalities. Since I don't know them personally, I can only guess. The other part, I'm sure, is to generate clicks on their social media accounts, which translates into making money. Basically... internet harlots. While it is somewhat satisfying to engage with them online, just to prove them wrong, I'm not sure any of that will change what they are doing. All the incentives are there for them to keep doing what they are doing. 

So, when you see someone with a chip on their shoulder, tempting you to knock it off and start a fight, it will take some willpower to walk away. 

Are there fights worth having in life? Yes. There will be a threshold that meets the definition of self defense, even intellectually, where your self interests, or the interests of others, must be defended. I can't define that threshold, since that covers so much ground, but you'll know it when it faces you. 

Most of the time it is better to avoid mentally unstable persons that are looking to provoke a fight. That is especially hard when in front of a keyboard it is so easy to get involved. 

If you are the one with the chip, just remember, once you start a fight you might not be the one who finishes the fight. Maybe you shouldn't hit the Return button on your device. Maybe if you are really that upset and keep posting challenges, get some therapy. 

Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own - Proverbs 26:17

Dogs And I Offended A Potential Student

Sometimes I get an inquiry from someone who, whether they know it or not, has been abusing their dog. 

I tell it to them straight. Either I can break them out of it, or I want nothing to do with it.

Too bad. So sad. 

I won't tolerate dog abuse. Won't sugar coat it. Won't try to work around it. 

For the few who are willing to change, I will bend over backwards to help unravel the damage as best as I can.

Plan accordingly. 

Dogs And Prairie Grizzlies And Mountain Lions

Mountain lions are associated with, well, mountains. But they are increasingly reclaiming habitat in Great Plains states such as Nebraska and Kansas. That follows patterns seen from other species, like grizzlies expanding back into prairie areas.

So, you think that once you are out of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana you don't have to be concerned about grizzly bears and mountain lions? Think again. 

Pets are usually first on the menu. Are you listening Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas? 

Plan accordingly. 

Jogging Girl Mauled By 16 Dogs

Girl, 17, asks 'am I still pretty' after being mauled by 16 dogs while on morning run

I will say it again. 

You should always have a defense with you when alone in public, especially in areas where there might be stray dogs. You are less vulnerable in a group. Alone, you are a potential target, for weirdoes, for wild animals, for some large domestic farm animals… and for stray dog packs.

Animal control is worse than ever across the world, including the US. Some areas are significantly worse than others.

Some people are completely unaware of danger. Regardless of the warnings, they will claim, “it will never happen to me.”

You are your own first responder. I can't discuss ways to defend yourself here because of internet censorship. 

Plan accordingly. 

Dog Evaluation Theories

I get a call, asking for help. That dog is doing this or that. What can be done about it? We start with an Evaluation, which is the collection of information to come up with a theory as to why the dog is doing this or that, and then what should be tried.

Let’s call it Plan A... (MORE)

Puzzling Out Dog Behaviors

I spend a lot of time, when not training dogs, reading, playing an instrument, writing, doing photography, hiking or traveling (to natural areas). Those are my recreational hobbies, as well as contributing to my profession. 

Even now, I’ve got a science book to the left of me. I’m puzzling out a dog behavior concept. I’ve read this book before but I’m going back over a chapter regarding the finer points discovered in animal experiments. 

I also have ordered a new book online, “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” on Amazon. I would rather be able to recall this information rather than having to dig through some dusty books to refresh what I have already read. (Disclosure: Affiliate Link)

The study of nature takes me to a variety of places, physically and intellectually. All the above is part of my quest to continue resolving dog behavior problems. I currently have a few student dogs with similar problems, so the commonality is what I’m trying to figure out. 

I hate the way most trainers deal with dog problems. I want to be smarter than that. 

On one side are the trainers who present a picture of a well-trained dog, but the dog lives in a gilded cage. The dog is taken out to train and then put back in a kennel. For its entire life. Many competition dog trainers do this. For the ribbons. For their own recognition by others. I hate that kind of thing. Even if you can get a perfect score in a competition, but the dog can’t live a normal life, then I don’t think you are a very good dog trainer. 

Look around, and you will see that is what some trainers recommend you do with your dog. It isn’t a good life for your dog.

On the other side are those who also present the picture of a well-trained dog, but the dog lives in terror. These trainers teach that all dogs are to worship their masters, submit to every demand, and must do it all for no rewards in life whatsoever. Many of these dogs either break down into mush or fight back. Some of these trainers are afraid of the dogs they acquire, so they put adult level demands on young puppies. The more the dogs balk, the tougher they are on them: Alpha rolls, compulsion, demands, no pleasure, no games, less freedom, enslaved and given no ability to get joy out of anything. They think they are presenting the picture of a well-trained dog, when instead they are presenting the picture of a dog that can never be a dog or a companion. 

I see way too much of this approach. Every problem becomes an excuse to hammer on the dog even more. 

No good trainer does either of these approaches. 

My approach has always been: can you have a well-mannered, happy, affectionate, motivated dog that can also perform high level tasks? And do all that with the dog without turning the dog into a doll on a shelf or crushing the dog? To me, that is talent. So, I use all the above to expand my mind and try to finesse problems instead of making dogs live artificially controlled lives.

What do you choose to do with your dog?