How to Stop Dogs Barking

Source: gohappydogs.com

Guest post: One of the most important things you need to do before applying these methods is to identify what causes your dog to bark.

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No logic: Treating pain with pain

Source: respectyourdog.com

So your response to her supposed fear is to induce an element of pain around her throat and neck? Let’s say I threw a rope around your neck and starting pulling it whenever you were scared of something. Do you think that would help alleviate your fear?

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Don’t Make This Tragic Mistake When Your Dog Misbehaves

Source: Dr. Becker

This is a sickening, heart-wrenching story I’d rather not repeat, but there’s an important message in it, so I hope you’ll bear with me.

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Video: Puppies Sold from Pick-up

Source: SHARK

What kind of person sells puppies from the back of a pickup, like watermelons?

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Rundown of dangerous collars

Source: Dez McKay

Quick rundown of pinch/prong, choke and shock collars. The author even linked back to me! Important for anyone on the fence.

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Guide to loose leash walking

Source: respectyourdog.com

While getting your dog not to pull isn't complicated, it does require consistency. In this article I'll let you in on the top three most likely reasons your dog is a puller and the things you need to stop and start doing if you want things to change.

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Why You Should Think Twice Before Breeding Puppies

Source: respectyourdog.com

This article examines some of the aspects you should think about if you are contemplating breeding.

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Choosing a humane collar

Source: youtube.com

Choke chains, prong collars, shock collars (aka e-collars) belong in the trash. This video explains why, and what you can choose instead - if you don't want to inflict pain.

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Welfare In Dog Training

Source: dogwelfarecampaign.org

Providing the public with information on behavior of dogs, the consequences of aversive training techniques, and where to go for advice.

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The physical and psychological dangers of jerking on the leash

Source: respectyourdog.com

Jerking has become so ingrained in many of us that we don't think about it anymore, we just react. We never stop to find out why the dog behaves the way he does.

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Short And Long Term Effects Of Shock Collars In Training

Source: respectyourdog.com

A study of short and long term behavioral effects of shock collars used in training concludes that the potential for harm is high.

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Arguments Used By Proponents Of Shock Collars

Source: respectyourdog.com

By promoting and talking of shock collars and training, regular dog owners are likely to become influenced and attempt to replicate the techniques themselves.

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Does Punishment Have a Place in Dog Training Today?

Source: respectyourdog.com

The short answer is yes. However, it is vital to understand that punishment doesn't have to be harsh or painful to be effective. In this article I will explain some of the terminology used to describe punishment, and give real world use cases for where it can be applied.

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Is Punishment Really a Quick Fix?

Source: positively.com

I haven’t yet met a person who wants to cause their dog pain. And yet many owners turn to shock collars (also known as electronic collars or e-collars) and other “quick fix” methods such as harsh jerking with a choke chain or prong collar to stop unwanted behaviors.

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The science behind why dominance-theory is flawed

Source: respectyourdog.com

To those who do not agree with the info on this website, please take the time to read the science behind it, before making up your mind.

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Cesar Millan - Pack of Lies

Source: nytimes.com

Essentially, National Geographic and Cesar Millan have cleverly repackaged and promoted a simplistic view of the dog’s social structure and constructed around it a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach to dog training.

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What “alpha rolling” is really doing to your dog

Source: respectyourdog.com

Techniques such as pinning the dog to the floor will make dogs anxious and potentially lead to an escalation of aggression.

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Video: Punitive vs. Positive training - a discussion

Source: youtube.com

Victoria Stilwell speaking with Jennifer Arnold of Canine Assistants about the benefits of positive reinforcement training methods.

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Video: What is discipline and how is it abused?

Source: youtube.com

Victoria Stilwell explains the difference between constructive, non-forceful discipline and abusive, misunderstood discipline.

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Video: Teaching the ‘Leave It’ Cue

Source: youtube.com

Victoria and Spencer demonstrate how to teach a dog to leave a piece of food alone with the Positively Method.

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A horror show: Pet stores and puppy mills

Source: respectyourdog.com

Living in conditions that are either to hot, to cold, lack basic sustenance such as food and even water, forced to walk, sleep and live in their own feces and urine, hardly makes for an ideal place to raise healthy pups. Aside from all the physical problems, infections, disease and other complications the psychological aspects are horrendous.

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How much money is actually spent on ingredients in cheap dog food?

Source: clickertraining.com

An estimate of what it costs to produce cheap dog food and how little of the money that is actually used on the edible part.

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Dogs are not on a quest for world domination

Source: positively.com

Victoria Stilwell: Dogs are not on a quest for world domination. They are not socialized wolves who are constantly striving to be ‘top dog’ over us, and they are not hard-wired to try and control every situation they are in. Contrary to what traditional training ideologies and much modern media would have you believe, most canine behavior problems stem from insecurity and/or a desire to seek and maintain safety and comfort – not from a desire to establish higher rank and be the ‘alpha’ over you Therefore, teaching dogs ‘who’s boss’ by forcing them into ‘calm submission’ is precisely the opposite of what they really need in order to learn effectively and overcome behavioral issues.

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Dog bite prevention and children

Source: respectyourdog.com

What follows are common reasons and situations in which children get bitten, so you as a parent can take appropriate measures in educating and supervising your child.

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Cesar Millan and his gigantic ego

Source: respectyourdog.com

Cesar Millan is not a man of reason. Much like a religious fundamentalist, he turns a blind eye to sound logic, reason and what we currently know to be best based on scientific findings. He might mean well (or maybe all he craves is attention), but that doesn't change the fact that he's wrong.

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How society should deal with the “dog bite problem” if it wants to solve it

Source: respectyourdog.com

Every time the media covers a dog bite, the number of commentators calling for the dogs death (even in cases where no one were injured beyond superficial cuts and scratches) always amazes me. Adding to the stupidity, is that there's always those who make ridiculous claims like "once a dog has tasted blood, there is no going back and the dog is a lost cause, therefore it should be killed".

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Video: TED Talk on dog-friendly dog training by Dr. Ian Dunbar

Source: youtube

Speaking at the 2007 EG conference, trainer Ian Dunbar asks us to see the world through the eyes of our beloved dogs. By knowing our pets' perspective, we can build their love and trust. It's a message that resonates well beyond the animal world.

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Good reasons not to dress up or paint your dog

Source: respectyourdog.com

Aside from the sometimes physical restrictions and discomfort that goes along with silly costumes, you should know that this humanization of dogs can inhibit your dogs ability to communicate with other dogs.

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The lack of common sense regarding dog food

Source: respectyourdog.com

I recently met a woman with an obese dog. She was nice so we started talking. She told me that she was aware of the weight problem and that together with her vet, they had put the dog on a strict diet.

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Stop using choke chains!

Source: respectyourdog.com

Using choke chains on your dogs? Then you should see some of the scientific studies proving how physically and mentally dangerous this is.

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Stopping a dog from jumping without using punitive methods

Source: respectyourdog.com

A lot of times when a dog jumps, trainers will advocate squeezing the dogs paws, kneeing him in the chest, squirting lemon juice in his eyes or even rolling him over. This is abuse. Rather, to effectively prevent jumping we must understand why it occurs.

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Easily determine the quality of your dogs diet

Source: respectyourdog.com

One of the easiest and most logical ways to determine whether you are feeding properly is to inspect your dogs waste. If his waste is firm, doesn't smell too bad and doesn't come in to large quantities relative to his size then you're probably okay. If on the other hand his stools are often soft, sometimes almost liquid (think diarrhea), smell horrible and are produced in large and frequent quantities, then you have a problem.

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Dog whispering in the 21st century

Source: examiner.com

This article takes an in depth and unbiased look at dog training today, and sheds light on some of the misdirections we as a society have taken towards the way we treat and co-exist with our dogs.

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Interview: Ian Dunbar

Source: lifewithdogs.tv

An extensive interview by John Bell Young from lifewithdogs.tv covering many aspects of the human-dog-relationship. While long, it's well worth the read.

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