Entries by Tyl3r-Mut0

The Danger Of Reductionism

  One of the many strategies recommended by conventional dog trainers to help a dog overcome fear of new people is to counter condition the dog by having new people approach and give the dog treats. This is not a strategy that I personally employ very often and here is why: Let’s put it into […]

He Just Wants To Protect Me…

By Tyler Muto “I know he’s just trying to protect me, but I don’t know why” This is a common sentiment among dog owners bringing their dogs into our training center for help.  If you have owned multiple dogs, there’s a decent chance that at least one of them has displayed over-protective behavior.  The problem […]

What is Balanced Dog Training

What is Balanced Dog Training? A rescue group that we work closely with recently asked me for an article defining balanced dog training, the following is what I sent to them: In it’s simplest form, Balanced Dog Training refers to any approach to dog training or behavior modification which involves the use of both reward […]

Functional Obedience and the Development of Character.

By: Tyler Muto   “…Thorough obedience training does more than assure a dog’s response to his master’s command; capacities for learning and emotional stability could be increased and integrated as permanent qualities of character.” -William Koehler, 1962 For many years, I chose to leave the behavior of sit-stay out of my basic obedience programs, and […]

Who’s To Blame

To view the original post click here When I was in college, I used to play a lot of billiards. It was never for money, always just for fun, and therefore we used to joke around a lot.  Every now and then when one of my friends was trying to sink a particularly difficult shot, […]

Communication Breakdown

By Josh Moran, K9 Connection Lead Trainer View the original post on the Barefoot Dog Trainer blog  ímynda sér ef enginn vissi hvernig á að tala tungumálið sem þú talar, og þú gætir ekki skilið tungumál þeirra. If this were the case, your life would undoubtedly be excruciating. Not being able to get your point […]

Lessons In Dogmanship From The World Of Real Estate

“My husband always wanted them to feel comfortable in their home,” the woman on the phone told me, “so they have no rules, they basically run the house.” This came right after she told me that of her two dogs, one is fearful of virtually everything, and has bitten visitors to the property, and both […]

If You Aren’t Listening, It’s Just A Lecture

Around this time last year, I coined a term, and a system I called Conversational Leash Work™. The idea behind this approach to leash handling is to utilize the leash to have an entire conversation with the dog, to guide her through her choices and give feedback about those choices both good and bad in […]

Training Small Dogs To Lay Down

Training small dogs can be tricky. One command that people tend to find especially difficult with smaller dogs is the down command. With traditional food luring, or leash pressure techniques, the dog may get confused because they are already so close to the ground, so it is difficult for them to grasp what you are […]