Canine Nation

Audio edition of the article Expanding Your Canine Familyl: Multi-Dog Homes from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. My wife and I love having our two Belgian Shepherds in our lives. We have occasionally had three dogs for short periods. You would think that adding a third dog would add about 30 per cent more work, fun, and chaos into our lives. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. I talked with dog trainer Amanda Brothers about how she manages her crew of 6 rescue dogs. This week I'm recommending two books: "Mine!" by Jean Donaldson is a great book about resource guarding and how to manage it with your dogs. And "Feeling Outnumbered?" by Patricia McConnell which offers tips and tricks to manage your multi-dog home! You can find both books at the Dogwise online store. Check them out out!

Dogs have been with us for centuries. Today, millions of dogs live in the homes of humans. But what exactly is the dog getting out of the deal? In fact, a better question is what should the dog be getting out of the deal? This article looks at what our dogs give us and what […]

Audio edition of the article What's the Doggy Deal? from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. Dogs have been with us for centuries. Today, millions of dogs live in the homes of humans. But what exactly is the dog getting out of the deal? In fact, a better question is what should the dog be getting out of the deal? This article looks at what our dogs give us and what we might owe them in return. NOTE: Text articles at Life As A Human include embedded links and videos that provide additional information. Some links from this article are listed below: British Government website on the "Five Freedoms" for domesticated animals. This week's recommendation is the Clicker Solutions website run by author and dog trainer Melissa Alexander. Clicker Solutions has lots of great articles and links to great resources for dog trainers and dog owners. You can also find a Clicker Solutions discussion group by searching Yahoo for "Clicker Solutions." Check this one out!

To look at most of our dogs, it's hard to think of them as "stressed out" as they snooze happily in that patch of sunlight — yet all dogs experience stress, some more and some less, and it's how they learn to cope with it that is most important.

Did you realize that play is an important part of dogs' development and overall health throughout their lives? When it comes to our canine friends, it seems that old saying "All work and no play..." is just as true as it is fro humans.

Audio edition of the article A Balanced Dog: Coping Skills and Stress Management from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. To look at most of our dogs, it’s hard to think of them as “stressed out” as they snooze happily in that patch of sunlight, yet all dogs experience stress, some more and some less — and it’s how they learn to cope with it that is most important. NOTE: Text articles at Life As A Human include embedded links and videos that provide additional information. Some links from this article are listed below: British Government website on the "Five Freedoms" for domesticated animals. This week's recommendation is the Clicker Solutions website run by author and dog trainer Melissa Alexander. Clicker Solutions has lots of great articles and links to great resources for dog trainers and dog owners. You can also find a Clicker Solutions discussion group by searching Yahoo Groups for "Clicker Solutions." Check this one out!  

To look at most of our dogs, it’s hard to think of them as “stressed out” as they snooze happily in that patch of sunlight, yet all dogs experience stress, some more and some less — and it’s how they learn to cope with it that is most important. A transcript of the main text […]

Audio edition of the article Playing with dogs is seriously fun! from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. Did you realize that play is an important part of dogs’ development and overall health throughout their lives? When it comes to our canine friends, it seems that old saying “All work and no play…” is just as true as it is for humans. NOTE: Text articles at Life As A Human include embedded links and videos that provide additional information. Some links from this article are listed below: The importance of "play" in the development of motor skills Play is important for learning bite inhibition Myths about playing “Tug" and how to set the rules. This week's recommended link is Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leashblog site. Check out what this dog trainer and behaviourist has to say. You won't be disappointed!

Did you realize that play is an important part of dogs’ development and overall health throughout their lives? When it comes to our canine friends, it seems that old saying “All work and no play…” is just as true as it is for humans. Some additional links related to this article are: The importance of “play” […]

Eric Brad challenges some commonly held belief about dogs (did you know they are not pack animals?) and says it's time we stopped putting the blame on our dogs, "the hostages that are just trying to survive in our quirky, complex, sometimes inconsistent human world".

From March 12, 2011 - It seems these days that too much is made of pack models and hierarchies for dogs. Do you need to be the "Alpha"? Science would answer that with a resounding NO! Good training is not about being a pack leader or gaining respect. It is about being a good teacher and communicator and helping your dog succeed in your world.

From March 12, 2011 - It seems these days that too much is made of pack models and hierarchies for dogs. Do you need to be the "Alpha"? Science would answer that with a resounding NO! Good training is not about being a pack leader or gaining respect. It is about being a good teacher and communicator and helping your dog succeed in your world.

From November 16, 2010 - Audio edition of the article Selling Snake Oil: Stopping Behaviour Doesn’t Make a Good Dog from the Life As A Human online magazine website. You can visit Canine Nation to find this and other articles. It never ceases to amaze me each time a dog trainer tells me how good they are by showing me how long their dog will "Stay." In essence, they are showing me what a good dog they have by demonstrating how long the dog will refrain from doing something. Is that really a skill or is the fear of being reprimanded if they DO try to act? It could be either or it might even be a bit of both. Defining our dogs by what they don't do seems backward to me. Shouldn't we be proud of what they WILL do if asked? This article explores some of the psychology behind non-behaviour and shows that it's not always a good thing! [tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZekx1P1g4&feature=player_embedded[/tube] The green musical note shows when the warning tone is sounding.  The yellow lightning bolt indicates when the shock is delivered. NOTE: Text articles at Life As A Human include embedded links and videos that provide additional information. Some links from this article are listed below: Dr. Murray Sidman - Author of Coercion And Its Fallout This article shows that even professional dog trainers are split on this issue. This week's recommendation is the book   How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey.  This is a great reference book for all dog owners. It's well laid out and explains the basics of behavioural training. Also included are helpful troubleshooting tips and a look at how punishment may be affecting your training. Probably the most helpful book I own.

It never ceases to amaze me each time a dog trainer tells me how good they are by showing me how long their dog will “Stay.” In essence, they are showing me what a good dog they have by demonstrating how long the dog will refrain from doing something. Is that really a skill or […]

We humans have been trained that the best way to train our dogs is through the use of coercion — and punishment and rewards. But Eric Brad has learned through his studies of behavioral science that just because something works doesn't mean it's right or the only way. In this article, Eric takes a groundbreaking look at kinder, saner and logical ways to build good, respectful relationships with our dogs.