Gamers have a saying - “Git Gud.” It’s a slang term that literally means “Get Good” at a particular skill or game. It can be used as a good-natured taunt and encouragement to do better or as a criticism of someone trying …
Consenting Dogs
The topic of “consent” with regard to dogs and their behaviour has been a troubling one for me. At best, all of this discussion about giving dogs a means to “consent” is a well-intentioned misapplication of language. At …
Ends and Means in Dog Training
Most of us are familiar with the saying, “The ends justify the means.” When I hear this phrase, it is usually being used in a derogatory fashion. A kind of scolding that someone is doing something unethical or cruel and …
Dog Trainers versus dog training
There are a lot of Dog Trainers. Just check the Internet. There are online lessons and classes offered by Dog Trainers, free how-to videos by Dog Trainers, and even organizations and conventions for Dog Trainers. It’s …
Welcome to Sensible Canine
Sensible Canine is the next chapter of Canine Nation. Where the earlier essays looked at various components of dog training and behaviour, Sensible Canine seeks to take a more comprehensive approach. All of the …
Choosy Dogs Choose
We don’t want our dogs deciding for themselves. Or do we? Maybe it’s actually not up to us humans. Our dogs make choices all the time whether we want to admit it or not. It can be a problem if we try to control something …
