In January 2022, the dog trainer Ivan Balabanov emailed me to invite me on his podcast. I knew little about him at the time except that he was world famous in protection sports. I declined. I’m a writer, not a trainer. I don’t think well on my feet in conversation. I wouldn’t be a good […] The post “The Real Facts About Science Based Dog Training”: A Bad Faith Argument appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

Dogs can’t hear all sounds at four times the distance humans can. They can probably hear some sounds at an even greater distance factor than that, compared to humans. But there are other sounds humans and dogs likely hear at about the same distance, and even some that humans can hear at a greater distance […] The post Can Dogs Hear Sounds at Four Times the Distance Humans Can? appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

Every year I post an article that lists last-minute things you can do to help your dog who is afraid of fireworks. We are coming up on Independence Day and Canada Day, and that means bangs and booms. Over the years, I have tweaked my list. I’ll be updating and reposting it in a few […] The post If Your Dog Is Afraid of Fireworks, Contact Your Vet Now appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

This is an unsolicited review with no affiliate links. I purchased two balls from this company and Lewis and I both think they are great.Shoutout to a company with a great product and customer service. I’m always looking for sturdy, throwable tug toys for Lewis. I think I saw an ad for these, or perhaps […] The post Foam Dog Balls for the Win: A Review appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

Pavlov was scooped, but nobody noticed. Most people have heard of Ivan Pavlov and his dogs, and many are aware of the specifics of his discovery. He accidentally conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a buzzer, realized what he had done, and explored some of the profound implications. But hardly anyone knows that […] The post I Got a Kick Out of You: Twitmyer’s Discovery of Classical Conditioning appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

This is for people who have started to train their dogs with food. First, good for you! Food is a primary reinforcer, dogs usually love to work for it, it’s handy, and you get a lot of bang for your buck! If your dog responds only when you have food, nothing is wrong with her. […] The post What If My Dog Responds Only When I Have Treats? appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

How can I tell if there is high-frequency sound in my house or yard that could bother my dog? To detect possible ultrasound in your home, you need two things: Concerns about Ultrasound I get asked about ultrasound a lot. We guardians with dogs who seem to get scared “out of nowhere” often consider the […] The post How to Check a Dog’s Environment for Ultrasound appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

Please read Part 1 of this two-part series before this one, Part 2! Part 2 recounts an informal case study I did when I applied the concepts I discussed in Part 1. To desensitize and countercondition my dog Zani to electronic beeps, I started with a low frequency that didn’t scare her and worked up […] The post Desensitizing a Dog to High-Pitched Beeps: Part 2 of 2 appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

I am long overdue to write about this. I successfully desensitized and counterconditioned my clinically sound phobic dog, Zani, to electronic beeps. Here are some concepts and practices that could be helpful to others who are working with such dogs. It’s Not Always about Volume If I could convey one thing to people who want […] The post Desensitizing a Dog to High-Pitched Beeps—Part 1 of 2 appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more

I remember how magical it was, the first time I saw someone’s dog come running and happily thrust their head into their harness, then stand still for the buckling up. I was astonished that a dog could learn to do that. Yeah, it was a long time ago. Since then, I’ve taught a good handful […] The post Putting a Dog’s Harness on without Getting Bloody Arms: Adjusting Antecedents appeared first on eileenanddogs ..read more