As a professional dog trainer, I get asked questions every day from potential clients, friends and colleagues. Here are a few common questions that I get asked on a regular basis.
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“Is my dog ready for training?”
EVERY dog is ready for training. The question is do we bring FIDO to group classes or is he/she more suited for in-home private sessions. Send us a message or give us a call so that we can come up with a game plan for your companion. Every dog is different and Fearless Fido offers several training programs that can be tailored to suit your dog best.
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“What is Positive Reinforcement?”
In operant conditioning, positive reinforcement involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future. When a favorable outcome, event, or reward occurs after an action, that particular response or behavior will be strengthened. One of the easiest ways to remember positive reinforcement is to think of it as reward being added directly after a desired behaviour to increase it.
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“Can I bring more than one dog to class?”
Yes! We would love to see all of your dogs in class. As long as there is one handler for each dog, there should be no issue with registering more than one dog in our classes.
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“What kind of training equipment will I be asked to use in class?”
These are the tools that we use in group classes:
- Clicker to mark the desired behaviour
- High value treats for rewarding desired behaviour
- Training pouch so that we can train without treats in our hands
- Body Harness. Harnesses help create a calming effect on the dog so he/she is able to focus and learn with the least amount of stress possible
- Durable 4-6ft nylon lead
- Toy for play breaks to prevent frustration
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“What books do you recommend?”
There are many great training books available and here are a few of our favorites:
- Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
- Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog by John Paul Scott & John L. Fuller
- Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
- Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
- Successful Dog Adoption by Sue Sternberg
- Before & After getting your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar
- The Thinking Dog, Crossover to Clicker by Gail Fisher
- Canine Body Language, a Photographic Guide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog by Brenda Aloff
- How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch
- Reaching the Animal Mind by Karen Pryor
- Oh Behave! by Jean Donaldson
- The Other End of the Leash by Patricia B. McConnell PH.D.