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Chad Mackin (founder of the Pack to Basics program, and board member of the International Association of Canine Professionals) outlined a model of aggression that he termed the “Layered Stress Model of Aggression.” Although it may be argued that standing alone this model does not represent a complete understanding of the causes of aggression, I…

by Tyler Muto Pressure is a term that I use a lot when discussing dog training. The concept of pressure is somewhat central to my system of training and influencing dogs’ behavior, and understanding how pressure works will make anyone a better handler. The most important to remember is that pressure motivates, and the release…

Have you ever noticed that nearly everyone in the world believes that they are an expert on what is best for your dog? At K9 Connection, we have found that one of the toughest areas of training can be teaching good greeting behavior. We’re not talking about the dog training part of it. It’s the…

by Tyler Muto One of the questions I always ask humans who bring their dogs in for an evaluation is “How is your dog’s obedience?” Most people respond something like “Oh, she’s really obedient, she knows all the basics, sit, down she’s not so good at stay but we’re working on it.” Of course, I naturally…

This seems to be a recurring theme around here lately. Owner after owner bringing dogs in with behavioral issues ranging from fear, to anxiety, to aggression, and the common thread that runs through almost all the cases is the apparent lack of respect between the dogs and their humans. Note that I didn’t say “The…

We talk a lot about getting respect from a dog. But what about showing respect to the dog. What about having respect for the fact that when we are dealing with dogs we are dealing with an element of the animal kingdom that is far more in tune with mother nature than ourselves. Many people…

by Tyler Muto Last week I had the pleasure of hosting a couple professional trainers at my center to offer them some education and insight on some of the training programs I offer, and some of the concepts that I have been developing. Let me just start by saying how overwhelmed I am with the…

by Tyler Muto A new client brings her dog into K9 Connection and begins describing her dog’s problem behavior. “He is constantly getting into things,” she says. “He sits at the window, waiting for any movement outside and then he’ll bark like crazy. When he goes into that mode, he doesn’t even hear me calling…

One thing that I see a lot of while browsing training videos on social media is the ongoing battle between those who believe in using treats, and those who don’t. We are always surprised when we encounter dog training sites where the trainer brags that they don’t ever use treats to train. We are surprised…

By Tyler Muto My recent post A Silent Killer, created quite a stir as anticipated. The words within contained a pretty serious charge: That a very small faction of trainers, who believe that no dog should ever be trained with the use of aversives, regardless of the situation, are responsible for the deaths of hundreds…

by Tyler Muto Is training with rewards, without the use of physical corrections inherently more ethical than training with which utilizes other tools such as a leash and training collar, or an electronic collar? For a significant number of trainers, the answer has always been “Of course!” I think however if we look more objectively…

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…

by Tyler Muto 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…

For dogs, the concept of the pack is deeply rooted in their natural instincts and social structure. In the wild, dogs and their ancestors, such as wolves, relied on the pack for survival. This group dynamic provided security, resources, and a social order that helped them thrive. While domesticated dogs no longer need a pack…