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

At the San Francisco SPCA Behavior Resources Department, board certified veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Jeanine Berger, and her behavior technician, Lisa Stinnett, RVT, deal with fearful and aggressive dogs successfully on a regular basis. Their success is due in-part to their deep body of knowledge as well as a broad tool box. One important tool they use is the Treat&Train®—a remote controlled food reward system for training dogs and cats.  One unique way that they use the Treat&Train is to reward reactive dogs to become more comfortable around strangers in the home. Treat&Train Behavior technician Lisa Stinnett explains, “The owner is instructed to play

Every veterinary behaviorist’s dream is to have a technician who is certified in behavior. And if you’re a veterinarian in general practice, after you read this article, it may become your dream too. In this Q&A, Melissa Spooner, a licensed veterinary technician (LVT) with a Veterinary Technician Specialty in Behavior, answers questions about how she uses the Treat&Train® remote-controlled positive reinforcement training system during behavior consults to train dogs to settle down and to convince owners that she and the behavior team can indeed help them change their dog’s behavior. Spooner is the Special Events Coordinator at Oakland Veterinary Referral Services where she

One of the best parts about being a part of a strong network of animal behavior professionals is that I get to learn about interesting experiences with animals, clients and behavior products from a completely different perspective. For instance, last month at the North American Veterinary Conference, I met up with Dr. Lisa Radosta, a board certified veterinary behaviorist who lectures extensively and runs Florida Veterinary Behavior Service.  I don’t have any human kids, nor do I want any, but Lisa does and, as a result, she was able to make a statement about the Treat&Train®, the remote controlled reward-based dog

In Part 1 of this article, I interviewed Greg Snyder, Tristan Christianson, and Fred Schechter, three engineers who formerly worked for The Sharper Image, to learn about the process of developing a pet product. In this article, I continue with interview and learn about the project that brought them back together. Question: Dr. Yin: So, tell me about this product, The Foobler.  Who decided to make this product, and when did you guys decide to get together and work on it? Answer: Tristan: Foobler we’ve been working on for about a year now. It is, basically, if you’re familiar with smart