MOTIVATED PET

​The goal of Motivated Pet is to improve your relationship with your dog, to make your life together easier and more fun. While “obedience”, tricks, and that on-command dog-show stuff all have their place, most owners and dogs just want a happy, quiet life together.  That’s what Motivated Pet is all about.

 

With Motivated Pet, you will learn and use the basic principles of animal behavior to manage the behavior of your dog.  In the process you’ll become aware of how those principles may be used to teach your dog new and preferable behaviors, all the time strengthening the bond between you and your dog. If training and behavioral management do not contribute to that bond, then they won’t stick.

 

Learning is most effective when it is motivated by reward. That’s the essence of what’s often called “positive” training. Positive trainers typically use such things as high-value treats, play, affection and novelty to inspire a dog. Punishment, even when benign, isn’t nearly as effective. Sounds simple, but we can easily lose track. Owners might hurry the learning process, or get complacent with early success, or mistakenly assume they need to dominate the dog. But when you consistently work with the right rewards under the right circumstances, then there is no need to forcibly control a dog. Real control isn’t so much a means of getting what you want from a dog, but rather a result of motivating your dog to habitually choose a desirable behavior, one that suits his natural inclinations. And the better you understand your dog’s natural inclinations, what naturally motivates your dog, the easier it is to enjoy your life together.

 

So I don’t use prong collars, choke chains, or high-neck slip leaders. I won’t tell you to be the alpha or to dominate your dog. They aren't as nice, and they simply don’t work as well as motivational training.

 

A motivated pet is a happy pet.