Articles
All articles are written by Vera E.
Wilkinson (Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, a
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator
and a Licensed Dogs & Storks Presenter) and are provided
here for your information only. They may not be reproduced
without the written permission of Vera E. Wilkinson.
Camera
Shy Canines
Health Alternatives
Dog Parks
and Dog Behavior
Ten Reasons Why I Clicker Train Dogs
Every Dog Needs These Three 'Things'
To Command or Cue?
Dogs Are Not People
No Shocks, Please
Camera
Shy Canines
My
dog, Szap, usually looks at the camera and moves towards me barking
as if to say, "Hey, what happened to your face? Are you okay?"
Other dogs I know turn their heads away like the aunt who only
shows her backside to anything resembling a camera. Still, other
dogs yawn, squint, blink, flick their tongues or even, raise a
paw. Why? These gestures are just a few of the canine repertoire
that Norwegian dog trainer, Turid Rugaas calls "calming signals".
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson - written in for The Barking Beacon in July
2002
Health Alternatives
Alternative health care
isn't just for people. Dogs and cats are receiving acupuncture,
chiropractic, reiki, massage and other hands-on therapies. Even pet food
manufacturers are in on this trend in providing dry, canned, freeze-dried
and frozen diets made from human grade foods including organic vegetables
and free range meats. Many veterinarians are departing from tradition and
its ties to the drug companies and other big businesses while others are
adding holistic medicine to their conventional approach.
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson
originally wrote this article for The Barking Beacon in
August 2002. Updated June 2006 and rewrite to be continued.
Dog
Parks and Dog Behavior
Dogs need
regular exercise and positive daily interactions
with people and other dogs. They need time to be themselves, running,
playing, fetching, sniffing, etc. These dogs are generally happier
and healthier. They tend to have fewer behavior problems than
dogs that are always on leash and never run freely.
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson
wrote this article in January 2003 for the Town of
Brookline and its Green
Dog Program, a pilot off leash program.
Ten
Reasons Why
I Clicker Train Dogs
1. It's a lot of FUN! Dogs get it and become
WILLING PARTNERS!
2. It's a fast and effective, SCIENCE BASED
method of positive reinforcement training.
3. You can SEE your dog learning!
4. All dogs CAN learn with clicker training,
even an old dog.
Read
full artcle
Vera E. Wilkinson - written in August 2004
Every Dog Needs These Three 'Things'
1. Leadership (Parenting)- Dogs
are not born knowing how to live with people but as pack animals, can 'fit'
well into our families, if we meet their needs. Since most people think of
dogs as members of the family, it makes sense to think of 'obedience' more
as 'manners' and being your dog's 'leader' more as 'parenting' than the traditional pack leader model in dog training. Common sense tells us that dogs do not think of people as
dogs. It follows that people who mimic the behavior of dogs to teach dogs
usually confuse dogs and causes conflict between dogs and their people. It is
easier and more effective to teach a dog to earn what he or she
wants while providing for their true needs.
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson- written in November 2005
To
Command or Cue?!
Today's dog trainers discuss words and their meanings at length,
on line and at conferences around the world. Assumptions are made as to a
trainer's methodology, tools, philosophy and, even as to how dogs might be
treated, based on the words they use. Whether a trainer issues a command or
provides a cue to a dog might make a difference to you too.
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson- written in January 2006
Dogs are Not People
Is anyone confused by the title? Did it really take a Harvard
University study to prove that
dogs understand that people aren't dogs? Why is it so difficult for people
to understand that what makes a dog a dog and not a child, is exactly what's
so special about dogs?
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson- written in February 2006
No Shocks, Please
Unfortunately, we as a society have gotten use to pushing
buttons to get things done because we're on the go all the time. Many people bring dogs into their already too busy lives and do not
make the time to learn about them; patiently teach them or provide
for their needs. As a result, problems arise and, because we
are who we are, 'we' think nothing of using the latest button
pushing technology to 'fix' our dogs too.
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full article
Vera E. Wilkinson- written in May 2006
