Dog Training
The Problem With Shock Collars
It isn’t that shock collar training doesn’t work, because it does. The question is at what price? Some extremely skilled trainers may be able to offset some of the problems shock collars can cause. However, shock collars are for sale at almost every pet store making them readily accessible to the general public. A shock collar can potentially lead to [...]
Talking to Dogs
by Pam Hogle Photo by Deni Elliott A newly published study finds that dogs pay attention to both the way we talk to them and to what we say. Alex Benjamin and [...]
The Opposite of Force
by Eileen Anderson I think I’ve figured something out. I continue to see the concept of choice bandied about the positive reinforcement-based training world. It can be a code word for [...]
Teaching Deaf (and Blind) Dogs to Use Their Mouths Gently
By Debbie Bauer A common complaint among those who live with deaf (and blind/deaf) dogs is that they use their mouths roughly. This is very common throughout puppyhood and adolescence, [...]
Health & Safety
Microchip Maintenance
By Brenna Fender Your dog is microchipped and you feel confident that, if he or she was ever lost, that microchip would help get your dog returned to you. But sometimes it isn’t that easy. [...]
The Dangers of Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs. It’s being used more frequently in foods, gum, and even in non-food products like lotions that dogs might eat so the danger to our pets [...]
Hidden Holiday Food Fiascos
By Brenna Fender Holiday season is here and the food is always delicious and abundant. Unfortunately, it is also potentially dangerous for dogs. Certain foods are fine for humans but toxic for dogs. Others can [...]
Dog Agility Training
Courteous Canine Articles
Microchip Maintenance
By Brenna Fender Your dog is microchipped and you feel confident that, if he or she was ever lost, that microchip would help get your dog returned to you. But sometimes it isn’t that easy. [...]
Dock Jumper Has Impressive Debut
By Brenna Fender Photo by Hillary Fuentes Three-year-old Australian Labradoodle, Zac, made a big splash at a recent Courteous Canine North American Diving Dogs competition. On Saturday, he began jumping at 4' and [...]
Deborah Steele and Dorie commented on our lure coursing class
The lure course is like crack for my dog, Dorie ! I am glad that I found a nice place to feed her "addiction ". Thank you ! Stars: 5 out of 5 Picture [...]
Things You Don’t Know About Dog Training
By Brenna Fender There are many myths and misconceptions about dog training, some of which are broadcast on TV or written in popular books. Do you know the truth? You don’t need to worry about [...]
The “Choice” Challenge
Another great blog post on eileenanddogs.com Thanks to Debbie Jacobs and Randi Rossman for their input on this topic. Any weird conclusions are mine alone. I have come to believe that most of us [...]
AKC Offers a New Agility Program for Newcomers to the Sport
The American Kennel Club has begun offering a new program that makes agility more accessible to newcomers. According to the AKC’s website (https://www.akc.org/events/agility/act-program/), the ACT will be available in two levels. “ACT1 is designed [...]
Million Dollar Dog Games
Million Dollar Dog Games is looking for dogs to compete in a cross discipline competition featuring Agility, Dock Diving and Flying Disc for CASH. Read more about it >
We are offering Barn Hunt now!
Barn Hunt Course I am super excited to announce that Courteous Canine, Inc. is now offering Barn Hunt. This exciting new sport is for all dogs of all sizes and ages. Check [...]
Trick Training Bloopers
Another great article by eileenanddogs, I decided a while back to teach my dogs to cross their paws as a trick. I followed the instructions on one of Emily Larlham’s excellent videos: Dog Tricks Tutorial: [...]
UpDogs Soar into Brooksville
By Brenna Fender March 18-20, disc dogs from all over the country will meet at Florida Classic Park in Brooksville, Florida, for the first annual UpDog International Finals. UpDog Challenge is a new dog disc [...]
What Do Good Dentists and Good Trainers Have in Common?
by Annie Phenix, CPDT-KA A good dentist makes me feel safe and keeps his word that he will not cause pain -- and that's exactly how a good trainer teaches a dog. Like many of [...]
#PPGSummit 2015: The Future Is Now
by Susan Nilson At times, with all the cruelty and destruction in the world, it can seem disheartening for pet professionals who are trying to make a stand for animals, to be their voice and [...]
The future of behavior medication?
A great blog by The Dog Zombie We don’t actually know how behavior medications work. We know how they change the operations of cells — for example, we know facts like “this medication makes cells [...]
My Dogs Don’t Know Sit!
By Eileen Anderson What if your dog’s cue for a behavior is not what you think it is? Can you be sure–absolutely sure–that the dog really understands what you want? That’s another place where punishment [...]
There’s Nothing Simple about Dog Play
Here is a fascinating blog by Professional Trainer Pam Hogel hosted by the Pet Professional Guild! New research on play is analyzed and discussed. "Dogs’ play behavior has, over time, been attributed to a variety [...]