Raold Amundsen led the first successful excursion to the South Pole, and leading him was a Samoyed or Greenland bitch named Etah. Among the factors contributing to Amundsen's success was the decision to use dogs for transportation, which were eschewed by his main competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, as being undignified. Etah has been claimed by … Continue reading Notable Dogs: Etah, First to the South Pole
Author: The Dog Guy
Professional Dog Trainer in Bellingham, WA USA
And This Dog Can Sing
It is not that I am a liar, exactly; it is more that I am a teller of stories. It is this habit which caused some of my friends and family to doubt me when I tell them of my more remarkable experiences (even the ones which are completely true), and that consequence which has made … Continue reading And This Dog Can Sing
Human Demonization and Canine Absolution
It is natural to discount philosophies which include objectionable or even abhorrent methodology, but it can be a mistake when we are too thorough in our rejection – there is often something that can be learned if we allow ourselves to learn it. I only use reward-based teaching and communication, and eschew physical … Continue reading Human Demonization and Canine Absolution
Laika
Laika, a 13-pound stray from Moscow, first dog in space. No plan was made for her return from orbit.
Ten Months
Two Journal Entries, 10 months Apart Saturday, February 6th, 2010, evening. We adopted Frankie on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010, from the Whatcom Humane Society. Kathleen, Krista, Emily, and Marian all helped us end up with him – I am afraid we were the most careful of adopters. I also asked Angi at Tails for advice … Continue reading Ten Months
Lie Down and Be Calm for Meals
Lie Down and be Calm for Meals This behavior actually incorporates several tricks, and also requires the dog to exhibit a calm demeanor. This was relatively easy to achieve with Iggy, but a little challenging when working with Frankie. Frankie was slightly possessive of his food, generally more excitable than Iggy, and had a hard … Continue reading Lie Down and Be Calm for Meals
Fountain, Shield, Babelfish
At their simplest, training and guidance are just matters of being a provider of good things and a shield from bad things. This provides the motivation for our dogs to do what we ask. Then we determine how to ask in a way they understand. Consider the dog owner as the fountain of all things good: … Continue reading Fountain, Shield, Babelfish
Reward for Elimination
When my dogs poop I reward them with a single tasty treat. This encourages them to eliminate early in our walk or outing. There is a natural tendency for people to walk a ways and then turn back as soon as our dogs do their business. This is a bad habit to form, because the dogs … Continue reading Reward for Elimination
Positive Canine Guidance
Real blogging begins soon: Dog philosophy, successes, learning, and integrative guidance as applied to improving the human/canine interactive experience.
Iggy vs. Pie, co-starring Dahlia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhbY-r6zSvI Clicker fans may note I am breaking the important rule of "one treat per click, and after every click" -- I actually misunderstood this rule when I made this vid. The conventional wisdom is that if each click is not rewarded, the clicks will not be as valuable. I get it, and I do … Continue reading Iggy vs. Pie, co-starring Dahlia
The Dog Guy 