Question: What exactly is the program, and how long have you been doing it?  Answer: In 2007, the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic opened Bark Tutor School for Dogs, a family-focused, dog-friendly training school designed to address the behavioral health needs of the clinic’s patients. The majority of canine students range between 10 weeks and 18 months old, but the training programs are designed for companion dogs of any age.      Question: How is this program different from others in terms of the overall structure?       small-dog_webgm Answer: The program is different from other training programs, at least in Indianapolis, because of

When pet owners and trainers think about the Treat&Train®, generally what comes to mind is how they can use the program for training their pet to behave better or for enrichment and training fun tricks. Another completely different but equally cool area where the Treat&Train is being used is in animal behavior research and as a teaching tool for animal behavior students! For instance, one professor, Dr. Christy Hoffman at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, uses her dog, Santiago, and the Treat&Train in her class called Research Methods in Animal Behavior. Canisius College is one of a handful of schools in the US

Story 1 Katie Kelly enlists the help of her neighbors to use the Treat&Train to help counter-condition her dog. Dog has a blast. In this story, Katie Kelly explains how she trained her dog, Minnie, to be comfortable and calm around Apartment Noises which had previously frightened her. Her full description was originally published in the Paws Abilities blog. I have used the Treat&Train with my dog, Minnie, to help with our recent moving situation. Previously, we have always had the luxury of private life in a house setting. However, recently we had to move into an apartment, which was an

One of the perks of lecturing around the world is that I get the opportunity to meet researchers and hear about their incredible studies. These are studies that shed light on how animals learn and perceive our world and consequently how we can better communicate and interact with them. These experiences are even more exciting when I find that the researchers are using the Treat&Train®, a remote controlled treat dispenser which I developed in 2004 to be used, especially where precision is needed in training. So, last year when I visited the Clever Dog Lab at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna as well

While many trainers and pet owners use the Treat&Train® for training their pets, one unique use occurs at Ontario ARC (OARC), a facility whose mission is to “create great opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Their Pet Connections Program uses Animal Assisted Interventions to encourage individuals with various disabilities to improve their range of motion, work on strength and endurance, and to enhance their social interactions with others. The program headed by Program Manager, Gail Furst, CPDT-KA, in conjunction with the Occupational Therapist, Brenda Burton, uses the Treat&Train® for individuals who are unable to deliver the treat to the dog using their

Generally when one I think of dogs trained for military and police work, I envision toys as the primary motivator and choke chains and pinch collar corrections to keep the dogs in line. However, at least one police/military group in the Netherlands is training using more data-proven methods. Headed by Simon Prins, co-author of Canine Behavior Basics: A Manual for Proven Success in Operational Service Dog Training, this group’s training is based on solid principles of rewarding desired behavior (positive reinforcement), removing rewards for unwanted behavior (negative punishment), and building behaviors in little steps (shaping) so that behaviors can be learned