Author Archives: eileenanddogs

About eileenanddogs

Passionate amateur dog trainer, writer, and learning theory geek. Eileen Anderson on Google+

How to Make Extinction Not Stink

Posted on November 10, 2014 by eileenanddogs

[In operant learning], extinction means withholding the consequences that reinforce a behavior.  –Paul Chance, Learning and Behavior, Fifth Edition, 2003 This post is Part 2 (a year later!) of But Isn’t it Punishment to Withhold the Treat? In that post I … Continue reading →

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Posted in Behavior analysis, Extinction, Punishment | 29 Comments

The Secret to Filling a Food Tube

Posted on November 3, 2014 by eileenanddogs

    A food tube (aka squeeze tube) is a vehicle for delivering soft, tasty food straight into your dog’s mouth. Food tubes are great for general dog training when high value treats are needed.  They are also invaluable for doing … Continue reading →

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Posted in Treats | Tagged , , , | 44 Comments

I Will Teach You What I Want You To Know: Puppy Lesson Six

Posted on October 31, 2014 by eileenanddogs

You are not born with the skills to be successful in my world. It’s up to me to teach you.–Marge Rogers’ pledge to her puppy, Zip In case you hadn’t noticed, all these “puppy lessons” are lessons for the trainer … Continue reading →

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Posted in Puppy Training | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

See My Successes; See My Failures

Posted on October 20, 2014 by eileenanddogs

I wrote in my first post that one of the things I have to offer the world is a window into my mistakes as a beginner trainer. Last week I posted an update on the smashing success of my feral dog … Continue reading →

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Posted in Classical conditioning, Desensitization and Counterconditioning, Dog body language, Handling and Husbandry | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Let Rats Decide

Posted on October 18, 2014 by eileenanddogs

Wait a minute! I thought this was Eileenanddogs! Well, just for today, it is Eileenandrats. I write a lot about dog body language in this blog.  I discuss letting animals have a say in how and when they are handled and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Handling and Husbandry, Rats as pets | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Socializing a Formerly Feral Dog

Posted on October 15, 2014 by eileenanddogs

When I started this blog, I assumed that I would write a lot about Clara’s training. Clara burst into my life as a 10 week old feral puppy [see note at bottom about feral dogs], and her socialization window was in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Classical conditioning, Desensitization and Counterconditioning, Stress Signals | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

World Dog Trainers’ Motivation Transparency Challenge

Posted on October 13, 2014 by eileenanddogs

What should a dog trainer be willing and able to tell you about his or her techniques? And how valuable is it to get that information in clear, concrete language? Renowned dog trainer Jean Donaldson has put a lot of thought … Continue reading →

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Posted in Critical Thinking, Dog training hints, Punishment culture, Training philosophy | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Meeting the World (Puppy Lesson Five)

Posted on October 3, 2014 by eileenanddogs

Zip, please meet the world. World, watch out, here comes Zip! In a way, this should be Lesson Zero, since Marge has been socializing Zip from the very start. Also, socialization is in a class by itself. The impressions puppies get when very young, particularly in … Continue reading →

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Posted in Puppy Training | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Rest in Peace, Dr. Sophia Yin

Posted on September 30, 2014 by eileenanddogs

I cannot add anything to what has already been said so eloquently of the tragic, untimely passing of veterinary behaviorist Dr. Sophia Yin. In her honor I am posting two of her helpful handling videos and linking to Steve Dale’s tribute … Continue reading →

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Posted in Tribute | 7 Comments

What Does Shower Mold Have to Do With Dog Training?

Posted on September 26, 2014 by eileenanddogs

Am I really reaching today, or what? You be the judge! There is a series of articles in the behavioral psychology literature that questions whether the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement is important.* These papers are often quoted by people who … Continue reading →

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Posted in Behavior analysis, Escape/Avoidance, Human psychology, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Reinforcement | 37 Comments