Recent Articles

The Learn to Earn Program: Developing Leadership in Humans and Impulse Control in Dogs

February 5, 2012

Humans can develop the needed communication skills while training dogs to have self-control and emotional control in one fun, reward-based program called the Learn to Earn Program. In this program, humans gain leadership by controlling all the resources that motivate the pet and requiring the pet willingly work for these items instead of getting them for free. The focus is on using all valued resources to reward desirable behaviors while simultaneously removing the rewards for undesirable behavior.

Free Downloads: Posters, Handouts, and More!

February 1, 2012

All of these posters and more can be found for free download in the Resources section. Some posters are available for purchase in the Low Stress Handing® store. 4-in-1 Poster The 4 most popular posters are all in one great poster. Perfect for clinics, waiting rooms, and boarding facilities. Body Language of Feline Anxiety Poster The first step to keeping animals calm is understanding their way of communicating with us, humans. The Body Language of Feline Anxiety poster covers the most important cues to cat behavior. Body Language of Fear in Dogs Poster Every year over 4.5 million people are

New Puppy Owners Apply Training Principles to Teach New Behaviors

January 10, 2012

You’ve all heard the saying, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish and feed him for a liftetime.” This saying holds true for training animals and understanding pets. Instead of just memorizing techniques, people have shown it’s essential to understand learning principles which you can apply to many situations. That way you can come up with solutions to situations that are new to you and your dog and can also better determine which techniques may be more appropriate. One new puppy owner, a reader of the Art and Science of Animal Behavior

MannersMinder (Treat & Train®) Helps Solve Resource Guarding with Other Dogs

January 6, 2012

When I created the Treat & Train® (originally called MannersMinder), in 2004, it was marketed as a product to train dogs to lie down calmly when visitors come to the door.  However, my intention was that trainers would help owners use it for all kinds of situations where they could reward dogs for good behavior while the owners were away from them.  Luckily both trainers and owners are catching on and using it for issues ranging from separation anxiety, agility, impulse control issues, and more. In this blog, one dog owner, Juanita Boutwell from Napa, California, recounts her success in using the Treat

Dog Product Review: Jonesy’s Favorite Things!

December 24, 2011

   Pooch Treat House: For those of you who want something economical and unique, this $5.00 toy is perfect. Just watch me demonstrate.     jonesydec15 8053       First you take a ball, and hmmm….     jonesydec15 8054     Drop it in the hole.     jonesydec15 8055    And then….. Ooh. Here it comes.    jonesydec15 8056      Hey. Jackpot. A treat falls out!     jonesydec15 8057      All gone! I guess I should drop the ball in the hole again!      This toy has suction cups on the bottom so it sticks to the floor. It’s also

Cat Injections: Training Your Cat to Love Injections Without Ruining Your Relationship

December 20, 2011

At first we gave the insulin but then Mochi started hiding from us. We didn’t want to make her hate us, so we discountinued the treatment even though we knew that without she wouldn’t live long. How many times have you heard something like this where a client fails to carry through with treatment because the treatment ruins her bond with her pet? If the treatment is an injection of some sort, this type of situation should not happen because it’s easy to train cats to love getting injections and this comfort with injections can be taught in just a

Looking for certifications instead?

Low Stress Handling® Silver-Level Certification

Individual Certification at this level demonstrates to clients and employers the individual’s dedicated interest in Low Stress Handling®. Hospital Certification at this level demonstrates to clients and staff the hospital’s commitment to appropriately training staff in Low Stress Handling® methods.

Learn More