Taryn BlythApr 11, 20202 minWhat would you most like your dogs to be?When I came back from a meeting last night, my husband relayed a conversation he had with someone from our neighbourhood on the beach...
Taryn BlythApr 11, 20203 minWhy I don't recommend the "Carrot Game"There are many videos doing the rounds at the moment of people playing "catch the carrot" with their dogs. This "game" where a carrot (or...
Taryn BlythMar 19, 20207 minSocialising your puppy during Covid-19?I have delayed writing this post, because I think it is a bit of a minefield and I don’t really feel like being blown up with everything...
Taryn BlythMar 11, 20206 minDogs as Personal or Home Protection?I was asked to write about this subject, as it is something that comes up fairly frequently in the South African context, where crime is...
Taryn BlythFeb 11, 20203 minIf a mother dog snaps at her pups, why can’t we use “corrections” to train?A video that I saw a while ago is doing the rounds again on social media. I often just try and ignore these things, as the points made...
Taryn BlythFeb 3, 20203 minYou cannot reinforce fear, but you can reduce itI have written several posts on why you cannot reinforce fear (because fear is an emotion, not a behaviour), but it really became very...
Taryn BlythJan 27, 20201 minIt Doesn't Really Hurt, it just...Whether it is a discussion about shock collars, citronella sprays, prong-collars, choke chain corrections, “bonking” a dog on the head...
Taryn BlythJan 24, 20204 minWhat do Trainers mean by teaching "Optimism"? Is this really a thing? You may have heard trainers talking about creating “optimism” in dogs through training and games. This may sound like a strange concept...
Taryn BlythJan 17, 20206 minWhy it is NOT just about Observable BehaviourA while ago, on the support group page of a training course I was enrolled in, another trainer posted a question looking for advice about...
Taryn BlythJan 10, 20203 minGroup Classes are Not Always the AnswerAs the New Year gets underway, we have many enquiries coming in for classes for adolescent and adult dogs. It's really great that people...
Taryn BlythJan 2, 20202 minBuild that Reinforcement History!Behaviour that is reinforced grows stronger. That's pretty much what we base training and behaviour modification on as positive...
Taryn BlythDec 22, 20192 minAll habits are hard to break! A quick argument for better management:For over 10 years we have been hanging our bathroom towels on the pipes sticking out of the geyser - simply because we had no towel hooks...
Taryn BlythNov 18, 20194 minRelationship FirstWe always ask on our intake forms for both adult and puppy classes: What do you hope to get out of attending training? We ask this,...
TarynOct 19, 20193 minThe importance of food delivery placement in Positive Reinforcement TrainingHow to set up your learner for success! 😊 How and where we deliver reinforcement makes a difference in the learning process and can help...
TarynSep 16, 20196 minI am going to say it again- Emotions MatterSomething I read recently has been bothering me and I think it is important enough to address, even though it may be a confusing subject....
TarynAug 21, 20193 minRate of Reinforcement - why is this such a big deal?A client was asking me about another dog in the class they attend who is doing so well in training that it stands out obviously to anyone...
TarynAug 5, 20194 minLearning to listenWe are all learning all the time and our dogs can be great teachers if we are willing to listen. A while ago, Cruz ran into a sand dune...
TarynJun 19, 20195 minFix or Fulfill?I wanted to write one more post on why the idea of “Fixing” dogs is problematic. I have already written about why, as trainers or...
TarynJun 10, 20195 minDogs are not Blank SlatesLast week I posted about why there are no guarantees when it comes to working with behaviour problems and I would like continue this, but...
TarynJun 7, 20192 minTraining Success?How do I define training success? Is it winning a competition? Is it having a dog that responds to every cue first time or executes every...