"The Workbook"
(Excerpt from Chapter 1: Emotion, Direction & Intensity)
"Your dog may hide in the laundry basket in the closet because she's scared of your three-year-old son, because she's not feeling well, or maybe just because she likes the smell of your laundry. She might bite and tug at your pant legs because she wants to play, because she wants to be fed, or because she is scared of legs. Should she be corrected, redirected or reassured? If you respond to a behavior with no understanding of why the behavior is occurring, you run the risk of creating problems instead of solving them. Punishing a scared dog doesn't make much sense - neither does rewarding an aggressive dog - and so being able to understand the instinctual and emotional motivations behind your dog's behavior would be extremely helpful when determining how to address her undesirable behaviors."
(Excerpt from Chapter 7: Confidence - Dogs That Make Good Decisions)
"How would you rate your dog at making good decisions? An overly confident dog will often act quickly but what they choose to do may or may not be desirable or safe. A more timid dog may shut down and try to avoid deciding. A balanced dog in the middle will likely experiment in order to figure out what the best path forward might be, or they may look to you for guidance. Confidence comes from making decisions that result in positive outcomes. A positive outcome may mean any number of things: a scary thing goes away, the dog gets a treat or receives affection, etc. Hopefully we are all looking for some version of the same thing: a dog that makes good decisions."
This is about you and your dog. That is why it is a workbook. There are exercises at the end of each chapter. You will learn things about your dog, yourself, and your relationship as you read and take part.
It is as much about how, when and why as it is about what we might do in behavior modification. The workbook combines human psychology, coaching principles, physiology, canine body language and many other elements to give you a way to create your own path forward in the relationship and training of your dog.
The Canine Strategies Workbook lays out many different approaches so that you can find which works best for your situation. One method may be very effective but seem cruel to you, so you are unlikely to do it. Another method may be compassionate but ineffective. There is often more than one criteria to take into consideration when choosing a training method.
The Canine Strategies Workbook is designed for self-study or as an aid in training or behavioral consultation. It is relatively short (65 pages) but it is jam-packed with information, both conceptual and pragmatic.
"Your dog may hide in the laundry basket in the closet because she's scared of your three-year-old son, because she's not feeling well, or maybe just because she likes the smell of your laundry. She might bite and tug at your pant legs because she wants to play, because she wants to be fed, or because she is scared of legs. Should she be corrected, redirected or reassured? If you respond to a behavior with no understanding of why the behavior is occurring, you run the risk of creating problems instead of solving them. Punishing a scared dog doesn't make much sense - neither does rewarding an aggressive dog - and so being able to understand the instinctual and emotional motivations behind your dog's behavior would be extremely helpful when determining how to address her undesirable behaviors."
(Excerpt from Chapter 7: Confidence - Dogs That Make Good Decisions)
"How would you rate your dog at making good decisions? An overly confident dog will often act quickly but what they choose to do may or may not be desirable or safe. A more timid dog may shut down and try to avoid deciding. A balanced dog in the middle will likely experiment in order to figure out what the best path forward might be, or they may look to you for guidance. Confidence comes from making decisions that result in positive outcomes. A positive outcome may mean any number of things: a scary thing goes away, the dog gets a treat or receives affection, etc. Hopefully we are all looking for some version of the same thing: a dog that makes good decisions."
This is about you and your dog. That is why it is a workbook. There are exercises at the end of each chapter. You will learn things about your dog, yourself, and your relationship as you read and take part.
It is as much about how, when and why as it is about what we might do in behavior modification. The workbook combines human psychology, coaching principles, physiology, canine body language and many other elements to give you a way to create your own path forward in the relationship and training of your dog.
The Canine Strategies Workbook lays out many different approaches so that you can find which works best for your situation. One method may be very effective but seem cruel to you, so you are unlikely to do it. Another method may be compassionate but ineffective. There is often more than one criteria to take into consideration when choosing a training method.
The Canine Strategies Workbook is designed for self-study or as an aid in training or behavioral consultation. It is relatively short (65 pages) but it is jam-packed with information, both conceptual and pragmatic.
"Eric brings his expertise in human counseling to the dog world in this unique perspective to training and living with our canine companions. His easy-going writing style combined with his excellent use of real-life strategies make this workbook a wonderful resource for pet owners who may be struggling with their dog's behaviors."
-Michael Shikashio, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and President of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
Table of Contents
- Preface: Tickle, Momo & Olive
- Introduction
- About This Workbook
- Chapter 1: Emotion, Direction & Intensity
- Chapter 2: [My Dog] Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
- Chapter 3: Body Language
- Chapter 4: Preconditions
- Chapter 5: Energy-Obedient Over Behavior-Obedient
- Chapter 6: Our Role In The Relationship
- Chapter 7: Confidence - Dogs That Make Good Decisions
- Chapter 8: Become a Dog Detective (Situation-Feeling-Behavior)
- Chapter 9: The Debate Over “Positive Reinforcement” & “Pack Leader”
- Chapter 10: Not Carrot or Stick, Carrot and Stick
- Chapter 11: The Power of Positivity
- Chapter 12: Disagreements
- Chapter 13: The Importance of Timing
- Chapter 14: Putting it All Together
- Chapter 15: Choose Your Battles
- Bonus Chapter 16: Dog Geometry
- Bonus Chapter 17: Miscellaneous Tips & Tricks
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