At the post-end of the day (the awkward time at most vet’s offices in between official closing hours and the act of leaving with doors locked behind us), a client walked in with a question: her 6-year old intact Dachshund was being an absolute hormonal boy in reaction to a bitch in heat somewhere. The…
Author: Lynn Stockwell
Why Punishment Fails in Effective Dog Training
When I started working in the veterinary field, I was enlightened as to the writing of a popular veterinary behaviorist in regards to puppy rearing and training, along with several tips to keep in mind when working with adult dogs. One of these writings outlines some common scenarios in which dog owners use “punishment,” and…
She’s Dog Aggressive, Are You Sure You Want Her?
What if the dog you’re considering might be dog aggressive? That didn’t stop dog trainer Lynn Stockwell from adopting Clara– who turned out to be a wonderful companion. Lynn explains: It’s been made painfully aware to me that I haven’t updated people here as to my recent acquisitions (well, there’s one important item, the rest…
Is Your Dog Truly Happy, or Just Out of Control?
By Lynn Stockwell If you are the type of person who, like me, spends a lot of time on video sites watching various trainers work their magic, you’ll probably notice that most of them allow comments. These comments can range from “Great job with that dog, keep up the good work” to “Why not use…
My Dog Will Not Listen To You…Part II: Recent Events
The article about my dog not really having any desire whatsoever to listen to you was written before Thanksgiving. On that particular day, we had significantly more guests than normal, one of which included a small child, 8 years old, and her adoptive parents, being of some distant relation to my own. Keep in mind…
Your Dog’s Behavior Needs More Than A Band-Aid Fix
By Lynn Stockwell — Before I became a veterinary professional, I was pretty much convinced that the role of vets was to get to the bottom of the matter and treat the issue at hand. A prime example of the dog that has vomiting and/or diarrhea. Vomiting and diarrhea are not things to simply be…
Empowering Dog Owners Through Balance, Part III
Please be sure that you have read parts I and II to this series. The one problem people run into when attempting to correct their dogs without having been taught the hows, whys and what tools will make their lives easier, is mostly a matter of consistency and clear communication. Motivation is also a problem,…
Empowering Dog Owners Through Balance, Part II
Continued from Part I In stopping problem behavior, ignoring it, removing attention and simple redirection only get you so far. This isn’t to say that they DON’T work at all. Some actions are blatant attention-getters, solely for the dog’s entertainment of having the spotlight on HIM all the time. Take the dog that grabs an…
Empowering Dog Owners Through Balance, Part I
One day at work, I was the one to take a client into the room with her “new” puppy that she has had for a while already, but at 4 months, was seeing worms in the stool. A fecal float confirmed the finding, and the dog was placed on an appropriate dewormer and its vaccinations…
My Dog Will Not Listen To You…Yet
There was a conversation at work one day over training dogs in languages other than English. The main argument as to why veterinary professionals seem to think this is a bad idea is simply because no one else will be able to control the dog, especially the vets and techs who need to be able…