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# Deb Jones Dog Training

K9 in Focus

## Sitemaps

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## Posts

- [What is Cooperative Care?](https://k9infocus.com/what-is-cooperative-care/) - We are heading towards 21,000 people in my Cooperative Care with Deb Jones Facebook group! That’s a LOT of people. It really surprises me how fast the group is growing. Not that it should. It’s a GREAT group full of kind support and useful information (if I do say so myself!) I work hard every
- [Deb’s Top 5 Vet Visit Hacks](https://k9infocus.com/debs-top-5-vet-visit-hacks/) - How does your dog feel about going to the vet? Possibly about the same way you feel about going to the dentist? I work very hard teaching my dogs behaviors & skills that help them to be comfortable for veterinary visits. In fact, I’ve spent years working with a variety of dogs (my own and
- [Train Less for Better Results](https://k9infocus.com/train-less-for-better-results/) - I love to finish things. Being able to check something off my to-do list gives me great satisfaction. I even enjoy the planning and organizing part of tasks and projects. It’s doing the actual work that’s the issue! I have a feeling I’m not alone in this. The hard part is going from the shiny
- [Let's Talk Teeth: Top 10 Things Your Vet Wants You to Know](https://k9infocus.com/lets-talk-teeth-top-10-things-your-vet-wants-you-to-know/) - How are your dog’s teeth looking? When’s the last time you took a careful perusal around your dog’s mouth? Mouth & dental care is an important aspect of your dog’s health & well-being, and one that is often ignored; sort of an ‘out of sight out of mind' situation. I asked veterinary professionals in my
- [Doggie Dental Care](https://k9infocus.com/doggie-dental-care/) - Years ago I didn’t know nearly as much about dental care for dogs as I do now. I knew they had teeth, and sometimes bad breath. Back in the day I had a Papillon named Copper. Copper was a wonderful boy, sweet and sensitive. I took care of him the same way I cared for
- [Small Shifts Big Changes](https://k9infocus.com/small-shifts-big-changes/) - The summer solstice has just passed; the day with the most light for the year. Now we start moving in tiny increments into shorter days and longer nights. Day to day you hardly notice a difference. The rest of the summer will be full of long lovely evenings. But in a few months it will
- [The Right Tool for the Job](https://k9infocus.com/the-right-tool-for-the-job/) - Some of you may know that I recently purchased a tiny house. I’ve been vacationing in this area for about 15 years now, and always wanted a permanent place to land when I’m here. The problem, of course, was price. Housing costs here are crazy ridiculous and only getting worse. Luckily, I wandered into information
- [My Training Superpower](https://k9infocus.com/my-training-superpower/) - Something that has helped me be successful in reaching my goals (in life as well as in dog training) is the ability to split them into tiny bits and then work on those little bits without losing motivation. There’s a lot to unpack in this sentence! Good dog trainers always say “break it down” but
- [Taking My Own Advice is HARD!](https://k9infocus.com/taking-my-own-advice-is-hard/) - As a teacher, trainer, and instructor for decades I can distill my general advice on learning into a couple of sentences. Take it slowly, break things down, practice in lots of small sessions. If things are too hard go back to an easy level and move forward again. This is always the way to make
- [Start on the Right Foot: Choosing the Best Rotary Tool for Your Dog’s Nails](https://k9infocus.com/start-on-the-right-foot-choosing-the-best-rotary-tool-for-your-dogs-nails/) - I am often asked for advice and tool recommendations when it comes to shortening a dog’s nails. I had a clear favorite for years (Dremel Micro 8050), but sadly it is no longer being manufactured. Turns out there was a safety recall due to “fire hazard”. Because I loved it so much I had a
- [Reframing February](https://k9infocus.com/reframing-february/) - If you’re only here for the dog training info then you may be disappointed, or not. I’m going to continue talking about dogs and training, of course, but I’m also branching out a little to topics that are on my mind. They typically circle back & relate to dogs, but not always. Just a heads
- [It’s Your Fault! Blaming the Victim](https://k9infocus.com/its-your-fault-blaming-the-victim/) - As soon as something bad happens to someone we humans begin the process of assigning blame. Whose fault is it? A very common psychological cognitive process is to blame the victim for their victimization. It’s their fault! Case closed. Blaming the victim makes people feel better, safer. If they can find ways that the victim
- [Are You In The In Group?](https://k9infocus.com/are-you-in-the-in-group/) - Two really important things happened to me around 1992. First, I got access to the internet at home for the first time. That was actually a big thing for all of us! Second, through the internet I discovered that there was a group of people out there who felt and thought like me, and that
- [How Many Psychologists Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?  ](https://k9infocus.com/how-many-psychologists-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/) - Just one, but the lightbulb has to really want to change. Why do people choose to train dogs the way they do? This question has intrigued me for decades. Back in the early 90s when I first discovered the world of competition obedience I closely observed the participants in the sport and the ways they
- [Come Closer or Run Away](https://k9infocus.com/come-closer-or-run-away/) - Warning: I’m feeling old & cranky, and I know that the people who need to read & understand this won’t, so that’s annoying. But hey, it’s my blog post so I’m saying it anyway. I have been pondering the mess we have made of the language we use to describe learning and training; particularly in
- [Minimally Motivated](https://k9infocus.com/minimally-motivated/) - Heads up that this blog post is only marginally related to dog training. If that’s what you’re here for and you don’t care about my life choices then feel free to skip this one. I promise I won’t be offended. However, if you are around my age and thinking about retirement then you might want
- [The Only Constant is Change](https://k9infocus.com/the-only-constant-is-change/) - Sometimes those old Greek philosophers like Heraclitus knew what they were talking about! While I don’t have the exact quote, I don’t think anyone does, I interpret his basic sentiment to mean that trying to hold on to things (people, places, physical objects, jobs, ideas, principles…) is fairly useless, as we cannot fight against inevitable
- [The Most Important Puppy Training Advice](https://k9infocus.com/the-most-important-puppy-training-advice/) - I’ve learned many things over the course of my career as a dog trainer and my years raising probably a dozen puppies. And to distill it into a single sentence the most important piece of advice I’d give anyone is this: Always, always, always have cookies in your pocket! I am a never ending cookie
- [Cookies! It’s Not Rocket Science](https://k9infocus.com/cookies-its-not-rocket-science/) - Actually, it’s behavioral science. These days my main training technique is tossing cookies for my dogs. Yeah, that doesn’t seem very fancy or sophisticated. But it’s effective. It’s not trendy. I don’t even have any really cool terms for the main ways I toss cookies. I just call them treat tosses, the two treats game,
- [What’s in a Name? Everything!](https://k9infocus.com/whats-in-a-name-everything/) - It’s new puppy season! Every time I get a puppy I think to myself “this might be the last one” and Neo is no exception. But I’ve also learned to never say never about things like getting puppies and writing books. We get amnesia about the hard parts very quickly! And we also focus more
- [Top 3 Muzzle Myths](https://k9infocus.com/top-3-muzzle-myths/) - There are many myths and misconceptions about muzzles and the dogs who wear them. Here are my top 3... Myth #1: Muzzles are only for dangerous dogs There’s a pervasive stigma that a dog wearing a muzzle must be a dangerous dog, and that’s simply not true. There are MANY reasons that muzzles are useful
- [Top 5 Reasons Your Dog Should Learn to Wear a Muzzle](https://k9infocus.com/top-5-reasons-your-dog-should-learn-to-wear-a-muzzle/) - A muzzle is one piece of dog training equipment that I completely support. Muzzles can be useful in a number of situations. Are there situations where your dog might be afraid? Become defensive? Eat things they shouldn't? Get overly excited and use teeth? A muzzle can be your friend for these types of circumstances. I
- [A Guide to Choosing the Right Muzzle](https://k9infocus.com/a-guide-to-choosing-the-right-muzzle/) - I’ve written quite a few blog posts about the benefits of muzzles. Rather than discuss advantages and conditioning yet again, this blog post will consider different types of muzzles and how to choose the best muzzle for your dog and situation. Please be aware that there are many many options and this post will only
- [Those Devilish Details!](https://k9infocus.com/those-devilish-details/) - I am coming to the end of a 6 month long project (I sincerely hope it’s close to the end!) Good grief, it’s been challenging. Something I’ve noticed in general is that the early stages of most projects are fairly self-reinforcing. They’re interesting and exciting and shiny and new, and I am fairly enamored by
- [You Are Not Alone](https://k9infocus.com/you-are-not-alone/) - When I euthanized my dog for behavioral issues I thought that what happened to me was a rare event. I was very wrong about that. After I spoke out publicly about my experience I was flooded with messages from people who had been through similar events. They kept quiet about it due to shame and
- [Making Terrible Choices](https://k9infocus.com/making-terrible-choices/) - Every single day I wish I didn’t euthanize my dog. And every single day I remind myself that I made the best choice I could in the situation. Does that help? Sometimes. Nobody who is psychologically normal wants to kill dogs. Can we just start with that premise please? To suggest that people choose to
- [One of the Worst Days of My Life](https://k9infocus.com/one-of-the-worst-days-of-my-life/) - It’s been almost eight years since the day that changed me forever. Sounds melodramatic, but it’s true. And now I’m going to start poking at old wounds for a little bit. Though I can already tell you they are still quite tender. They won’t ever heal. If I were smarter I’d let sleeping dogs lie,
- [Top 3 Mistakes When Administering Medications to Your Dog ](https://k9infocus.com/top-3-mistakes-when-administering-medications-to-your-dog/) - It doesn’t have to be hard! With just a little bit of thoughtful training you can make taking medications so much easier for your dog. There are options and alternatives that work well. First, here’s what NOT to do: Hide in food Hiding in food leads to your dog becoming suspicious about food, and refusing
- [We Hear, But We Don’t Listen](https://k9infocus.com/we-hear-but-we-dont-listen/) - Have you ever heard someone talking to you, but then later had no idea what they actually said? The sound comes through like Charlie Brown’s teacher (am I dating myself with this reference?) In any case, we heard, but we weren’t listening. Those are two very different processes. Hearing requires a functioning auditory system. Listening
- [Puppy Fever & Foundations](https://k9infocus.com/puppy-fever-foundations/) - It’s puppy season! Instead of spring fever people from my world get puppy fever. No one wants to raise a winter puppy (nothing compares to standing in a snowstorm begging a puppy to pee!), so if we're smart we often plan our puppies around the seasons. I get the beginnings of puppy fever now and
- [When Things Go Wrong](https://k9infocus.com/when-things-go-wrong/) - I swear that I wrote this blog post before, but darned if I can find it anywhere! I’ve spent enough time searching for it that I could be done writing it now, so here it is (maybe again, maybe not). Maybe I only had it in my head. A topic that comes up pretty regularly
- [Do You See What I See?](https://k9infocus.com/do-you-see-what-i-see/) - How do we know if what we see is what's really there? Deep question, right? One answer is that we check the perceptions of others that we trust. If they see something then we see it as well. At first glance what do you see in this illustration? Can you see more than one image?
- [Cooperative Care and the Carryover Effect](https://k9infocus.com/cooperative-care-and-the-carryover-effect/) - Do you ever wish that you could get the results of training without putting in all the time and effort? With cooperative care work there is a time when that actually happens! You do need to do some training, but the beauty of this is that ANY work you do in cooperative care will carry
- [To Love What is Mortal](https://k9infocus.com/to-love-what-is-mortal/) - To live in this world you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver To Love What
- [Losing Lulu](https://k9infocus.com/losing-lulu/) - Losing Lulu This blog post is going to delve into a very sensitive and upsetting topic: behavioral euthanasia. I’m coming up on the two year anniversary of one of the most awful experiences of my life, but I don’t want to rehash those events yet again. I’ve written other blog posts on that. I did
- [Love and Loss](https://k9infocus.com/love-and-loss/) - Love and Loss Those of us who have dogs are well aware that they are likely to die before we do. No matter how long they live, their lifespans are incredibly short compared to ours. Those of us who have shared our lives with dogs for decades have lived through the loss of quite a
- [Why Can’t You Live Forever?](https://k9infocus.com/why-cant-you-live-forever/) - Why Can’t You Live Forever? Of course we know from the moment we get a dog that we are highly likely to outlive them. With an average lifespan of 12-15 years at best, we may outlive quite a few dogs in our lives. Every time it is painful. I don’t know how you can live
- [Old Dog Immunity and Other Assorted Senior Dog Thoughts](https://k9infocus.com/old-dog-immunity-and-other-assorted-senior-dog-thoughts/) - For this week’s blog post I’m going to move from talking about puppies for a minute to consider the other end of the spectrum and talk about older dogs. Zen is 14 years old today so he gets a post all about him! We’ve always talked about old dog immunity. That age at which all
- [When Your Heart Dog Dies](https://k9infocus.com/when-your-heart-dog-dies/) - So honestly, this blog post is a piece of crap writing. The more I try to salvage something from it the worse it gets. What I want to say is not at all what is ending up on the page, and it’s frustrating as hell. I’m tackling something that is too emotional and trying to
- [When “I’m sorry for your loss” Doesn’t Feel Like Enough:  What to Say and Do When a Friend is Grieving the Loss of a Pet](https://k9infocus.com/when-im-sorry-for-your-loss-doesnt-feel-like-enough-what-to-say-and-do-when-a-friend-is-grieving-the-loss-of-a-pet/) - It turns out that this blog post will end up being published on Easter Sunday. In many belief systems this is a celebration of resurrection, rebirth, and new beginnings. It is typically a hopeful and optimistic celebration day. This might seem like an odd day to talk about loss and grief, but actually I think
- [The Worst Thing About Dogs](https://k9infocus.com/the-worst-thing-about-dogs/) - They die. And it breaks your heart every single time. I wrote this book after Zen died and I thought I was hurting as much as a person could hurt over the loss of a dog. GRIEF JOURNAL LINK I was wrong. Now we had to let Star go and it’s devastating. I wanted to
- [Trolls, Bullies, & Keyboard Warriors, Oh My!](https://k9infocus.com/trolls-bullies-keyboard-warriors-oh-my/) - Trolls, Bullies, & Keyboard Warriors, Oh My! There will be a slight departure from my typical focus on dog training with this blog post. Instead, I’m going to delve into human behavior. Don’t worry, I’m a psychologist. Though I must admit, I often find human behavior utterly mystifying and incomprehensible. That doesn’t stop me from
- [Three Steps to Successful Training Sessions](https://k9infocus.com/three-steps-to-successful-training-sessions/) - How do you build a behavior or an emotional response? One repetition at a time! For many years I’ve struggled with the best way to explain to students how to properly set and raise criteria in a training session. Today I realized that I had just written out my plan in a student’s feedback in
- [Be the Tortoise: A Slow & Steady Approach to Nail Trims](https://k9infocus.com/be-the-tortoise-a-slow-steady-approach-to-nail-trims/) - Here’s a hard truth: It’s not fancy or trendy, but approaching your dog’s nail trims with a slow and steady approach is always the best choice. If you want to see immediate change then you’re out of luck because that’s just not realistic. Pushing too fast or jumping ahead may feel like progress; but it’s
- [More Rabbit Holes for 2025](https://k9infocus.com/more-rabbit-holes-for-2025/) - Do you like to know things or do you like to learn things? Is there a difference? Definitely! I ALWAYS want to learn new things. It’s impossible for me to understand how someone can be satisfied with their current level of knowledge (on pretty much any topic). Seems like there are lots of folks out
- [Feelings About Feelings](https://k9infocus.com/feelings-about-feelings/) - When I was first introduced to the world of dog training (around 1990) the main focus was on what the dog could do. In particular, if your dog followed direction quickly and reliably then that was success. Nobody cared about how that was achieved or how the dog felt as long as he did as
- [All About Nails](https://k9infocus.com/all-about-nails-3/) - It's been a while since I offered my 6 week online nails class at FDSA. Let me start by sharing an excerpt from my cooperative care book: *Excerpt from Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry / By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Copyright 2018 *This is the beginning of the section on nails: “Even though I
- [It”s Not Easy Being Zen](https://k9infocus.com/its-not-easy-being-zen/) - [et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]I try! I really do try! I want to be cool and calm and collected in the face of stress and adversity. I know it’s better for my physical and mental well-being if I can find ways to maintain a more zen-like outlook on life. So I’m definitely motivated.
- [Come Join Us for Some Zen!](https://k9infocus.com/come-join-us-for-some-zen/) - Once a year I offer an online class titled Zen Logic. As of this publication there is still one Gold working spot left and I’d love to have you join us. There’s plenty of room at Silver (gets limited video feedback & unlimited questions) & Bronze (auditors) as well. Instruction begins Wednesday February 1. How
- [Deb's Top 10 Puppy Life Hacks](https://k9infocus.com/debs-top-10-puppy-life-hacks/) - Life with Wizard has been fun, frustrating, satisfying, and exhausting; pretty typical for living with an active puppy. I work hard every day to meet his physical, social, cognitive, and emotional needs. Some days I succeed better than others. My benchmark for success is how well he settles at the end of the day. Some
- [What NOT to Say When Someone’s Pet Dies](https://k9infocus.com/what-not-to-say-when-someones-pet-dies/) - It can be very hard to know what to say to someone who has lost a beloved companion animal. Grief is a very sensitive topic to address and we often don’t know what an appropriate response to pet loss might be. Even so, some common reactions and statements are simply unacceptable and only make us
- [101 Things to do With a Chin Rest](https://k9infocus.com/101-things-to-do-with-a-chin-rest/) - These days one of the foundation skills I teach my dogs that pays off best is the chin rest. A chin rest is such a useful and versatile skill! It’s at the top of my list for core behaviors that have a variety of useful applications. So what is a chin rest? At its most
- [Motivation is Overrated Part 2: Eating the Elephant (One Bite at a Time)](https://k9infocus.com/motivation-is-overrated-part-2-eating-the-elephant-one-bite-at-a-time/) - In my last blog post I focused on accepting the fact that motivation isn’t some magical force that will suddenly appear out of nowhere and change our behavior. If I’m waiting for motivation, or inspiration, to start a project then I’m likely to be waiting a long long time. Maybe forever. You might think that
- [Motivation is Overrated Part 1: Embracing the Inner Sloth](https://k9infocus.com/motivation-is-overrated-part-1-embracing-the-inner-sloth/) - Do you wish you had more motivation and energy? Do you have the desire to train your dogs, but somehow can’t quite get the ball rolling? (This might be a literal as well as a figurative question!) Are you waiting for the perfect moment to get started? Do you feel the conflict between what you
- [Shiny & New vs. Tried & True](https://k9infocus.com/shiny-new-vs-tried-true/) - Why are new projects always so much more interesting and compelling than current ones? I think I’m like a magpie; always looking for shiny new things. And those things, once acquired, tend to lose their shine very quickly. So then we need to start the search again! There are two things I want to talk
- [Obstacles and Challenges](https://k9infocus.com/obstacles-and-challenges/) - We’ve all had things in our lives that didn’t turn out the way we’d hoped and planned. It’s impossible to be human and not have disappointments and unwanted events occur. In my life I’d had some seriously painful losses and challenges. My guess is that many of you reading this have been in this situation
- [Learn Cooperative Care – Get on the Title Track!](https://k9infocus.com/learn-cooperative-care-get-on-the-title-track/) - Hey everyone! First, sorry for the repeat post from a while back that you got again a few days ago. We are still working on changing over my email distribution program, and it sent that little surprise without my knowledge. Something to do with RSS feeds. Don’t ask, I have no clue. However, I guess
- [Change is Good, Right?](https://k9infocus.com/change-is-good-right/) - My brain tells me that change is good, and often necessary. I’m a big believer in continuous lifelong learning and improvement. Until it comes to technology. Then I resist and kick and scream like a large toddler who really needs a cookie and a nap. No matter how I feel about it, I know it’s
- [Fully Focused](https://k9infocus.com/fully-focused/) - How do you approach dog training? Do you have a clear organized plan or do you just wing it and work on the next interesting thing until it’s either done, not interesting any more, you get stuck, or you have a shiny new idea? Do you have places where you just can’t seem to figure
- [Under Threshold](https://k9infocus.com/under-threshold/) - Now I have the David Bowie song “Under Pressure” running through my head! Anybody else get that? Sometimes those internal music snippets go on for days on an infinite loop. Anyway, I’ll try to keep moving on despite the unwanted soundtrack. In dog training discussions you’ll often hear someone say something like “be sure to
- [Star's Legacy](https://k9infocus.com/stars-legacy/) - I learned almost everything I know and do in terms of working closely with a dog for cooperative care from Star, my Border Collie. Sadly, Star died recently at age 13 after a short illness. No one should be surprised when a 13 year old dog dies, but I was. She had so much life
- [The Power of Habit (or the Persistence of Procedural Memory)](https://k9infocus.com/the-power-of-habit-or-the-persistence-of-procedural-memory/) - After owning the same basic van for 30 years I have upgraded and downsized. As a dog person it took some serious consideration to move myself to a smaller vehicle, but it’s time. Without so many big dogs to haul around I can get by with something smaller. Plus I haven’t been traveling to dog
- [Being Human & Starting Over Again and Again and Again](https://k9infocus.com/being-human-starting-over-again-and-again-and-again/) - If you could go back to any particular age, still knowing what you know now, what age would that be? This is, to me, an interesting question to ponder. Thinking on this issue leads me to consider the things in my life that I wouldn’t change and those that I would. Of course, there are
- [Four Ways to Build Your Veterinary Care Team](https://k9infocus.com/four-ways-to-build-your-veterinary-care-team/) - In our cooperative care work with animals we often talk about building trust and goodwill. The same is true for working with other humans. The best way to get cooperation is a thoughtful, gentle, systematic approach. Building a solid veterinary care team takes time and considered effort. It’s worth it though, because access to veterinary
- [How to Build Focus](https://k9infocus.com/how-to-build-focus/) - In an ideal world you would work on building focus into all your interactions with your dog. Focus would be an integral part of all your work, play, and just existing together. This is always my underlying/overriding goal with my puppies; establishing this focus foundation in everything we do together. The old tired joke goes
- [Shiny New Thoughts on Focus ](https://k9infocus.com/shiny-new-thoughts-on-focus/) - Over 20 years ago I began pondering the concept of focus in dog training. I just looked it up, and we wrote the original In Focus book in 2004! Seems like yesterday. While I was well-versed in the academic scientific information about learning & behavior, as someone applying that to training my own dogs, and
- [Rabbit Holes of my Own Making](https://k9infocus.com/rabbit-holes-of-my-own-making/) - This week I've been digging through tons of old videos looking for specific ones to use in my puppy focus presentation for an upcoming Fenzi Dog Sports Academy one day focus conference. It's been quite a stroll down memory lane! It's taken me a week because 1) I don't label videos well at all and
- [When is a Marker More than a Marker?](https://k9infocus.com/when-is-a-marker-more-than-a-marker/) - …when it’s also a treat delivery and/or release cue. Dog trainers often talk about the importance of markers (cues that tell your dog that he’s earned reinforcement). In positive reinforcement based training markers are vitally important forms of communication. They allow us to tell our dogs that reinforcement is coming. If our timing is good
- [Beyond Stay](https://k9infocus.com/beyond-stay/) - Some days I look around at my little dog training portion of the universe and am very pleased at how things have evolved over the past 30+ years. I see positive changes wherever I look! One of the changes that stands out to me the most is how we are more focused on keeping the
- [Just Hold Still!](https://k9infocus.com/just-hold-still/) - Does your dog have a hard time being still, calm, and relaxed? You are not alone! I mean, it doesn’t seem that difficult right? Yeah, not until you try to convince your dog. Years ago when I was working on my initial cooperative care training exercises I asked my vet what she wished most dogs
- [Nail Trims Without Trauma](https://k9infocus.com/nail-trims-without-trauma/) - Does it sometimes feel like you are wrestling with an octopus when you try to trim your dog’s nails? You are not alone! There is no question that the #1 grooming issue people report with their dogs is being able to shorten their nails. It’s the main reason people seek me out to learn more
- [Toxic Optimism](https://k9infocus.com/toxic-optimism/) - Why in the world is it a problem to be optimistic? Isn’t that supposed to be a goal that leads us to greater happiness? Yeah, maybe not… You’ve likely heard the term toxic positivity. It’s getting a lot of press lately. Toxic positivity is basically pressure to only verbalize positive and uplifting thoughts and ideas.
- [Getting Better at Adulting in 2024](https://k9infocus.com/getting-better-at-adulting-in-2024/) - Do you ever feel like being an adult is just a long list of never ending rather boring tasks? Some tasks are worse than others; but they all loom over me like giant menacing shadows until they are done. My main problem is getting started on them. They often seem too big or too unpleasant
- [Good Enough is Good Enough](https://k9infocus.com/good-enough-is-good-enough/) - I have a mostly finished longer thoughtful complex blog post I was going to share this week, but then I thought it over and decided to go a different route. It’s the holiday season and heading to the end of the year. We all need something quick and easy right now. So here’s a mini-post
- [No, You CANNOT Be Anything You Want To Be (the dog version)](https://k9infocus.com/no-you-cannot-be-anything-you-want-to-be-the-dog-version/) - Nothing makes my teeth grind and my eyes roll like hearing the statement “you can do anything you want if you try hard enough”. I always want to scream “no you can’t”! EVERYONE has limitations in life. I’m not being pessimistic; I’m being realistic. I would never want to discourage someone from working hard towards
- [I Can’t Control the World, and That’s Just Annoying](https://k9infocus.com/i-cant-control-the-world-and-thats-just-annoying/) - I cannot be the only person who thinks that if I ran the world things would definitely be better. I’m fatigued by dealing with the unpleasant aspects of life. Given the opportunity I would make some big changes! This last week has been full of annoyances for me. When they are happening they seem huge;
- [One Small Step at a Time](https://k9infocus.com/one-small-step-at-a-time/) - I am blessed and cursed with being able to work on my own schedule. I love being able to have free choice of when I work and what I do! There’s no question that it agrees with me. I’m more than a little independent. Even so, there are times when I need someone to hold
- [Question Everything!](https://k9infocus.com/question-everything/) - Them: Question Everything! Me: Why? I think I clearly understand this assignment! Digging under the surface of what people say and do is why I became a psychologist. Actually, digging under the surface of why animals do what they do is endlessly fascinating to me. Combining these two areas led me to become a professional
- [Time for Triage! (along with a Comprehensive Cooperative Care Resource Guide)](https://k9infocus.com/time-for-triage-along-with-a-comprehensive-cooperative-care-resource-guide/) - People often come to my Facebook group (Cooperative Care with Deb Jones) with major anxiety about the physical care of their dogs (or cats or bunnies or horses…) They have many questions and are often quite worried and uncertain. Some folks are experienced trainers, but many others are not. For many, the idea of positive
- [Five Husbandry Hacks When Something Has to be Done NOW](https://k9infocus.com/five-husbandry-hacks-when-something-has-to-be-done-now/) - You are likely reading this blog post because you have discovered the amazing world of cooperative care. Most of us end up here when we have a companion animal who needs physical care and that animal is highly resistant to necessary handling. Veterinary professionals may be telling you that your animal needs a certain treatment
- [The Year Starts in September](https://k9infocus.com/the-year-starts-in-september/) - Maybe it’s because my birthday is in September, or because as an academic I started the school year for decades in the fall. To me, September ought to be the start of the new year. It feels like a new beginning, much more so than January. And don’t even get me started on my hatred
- [The Rabbit Hole](https://k9infocus.com/the-rabbit-hole/) - Have you ever become so immersed in an idea or project that you feel like you’ve been sucked down a giant rabbit hole? For me I tend to be an all or nothing thinker. Either I’m 100% fascinated with something or I am just totally done with it and ready to move on to something
- [Don’t Listen to Me, oh wait…](https://k9infocus.com/dont-listen-to-me-oh-wait/) - After I write a book I always say “never again”. And yet, here we are with another book done. So just don’t listen to me when I say there won’t be more. We all know I’m lying! This latest book was actually enjoyable to write; and I don’t say that about all my books. This
- [Back to School Time!](https://k9infocus.com/back-to-school-time/) - When I was a kid I loved the start of the school year! It was a chance to start over with a clean slate. You got new clothes & supplies and there was nothing but promise for a fresh start ahead. Who doesn’t love a new beginning? I have spent most of my life in
- [Life is Short, Train Your Dog -- for Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/life-is-short-train-your-dog-for-cooperative-care/) - Our lives are short; but our dogs' lives are even shorter. One of the things I have NEVER regretted in life is training my dogs. Any time that we spend working together is good for me, and for them. Over the years I’ve discovered that time spent working on cooperative care (for veterinary procedures &
- [Free E-Book for You](https://k9infocus.com/free-e-book-for-you/) - I've been learning new things this week! Old dogs definitely CAN learn new tricks. Specifically, how to create an e-book and then distribute it. I'm stumbling through the process. At least the content comes easily! It's all about Cooperative Care and is a beginner level primer. Please feel free to share far and wide! Just
- [Less is More](https://k9infocus.com/less-is-more/) - In terms of training sessions less is definitely more. Shorter sessions can lead to faster progress. While this might seem counterintuitive it is definitely true. It’s the same as the difference between studying a few minutes here and there every day and waiting until the night before the exam to crack open the textbook. In
- [Blurred Lines](https://k9infocus.com/blurred-lines/) - Does your dog know the difference between play and training? If so, then you are not doing it right! They should be so inextricably combined that they are one and the same for your dog. If training is serious business and play is fun and games then you are making a very clear contrast
- [Why Can't You Control Yourself?](https://k9infocus.com/why-cant-you-control-yourself/) - How much self-control do you have when faced with temptations? As a mature human adult you should have developed some measure of self-control by now, right? You can make decisions that are in your best interest long term even when they conflict with your short term desires, right? I’ve been thinking a lot about self-control
- [Level Up Your Cooperative Care Training](https://k9infocus.com/level-up-your-cooperative-care-training/) - Imagine taking your dog to a brand new veterinarian’s office. Do you already feel a bit stressed and anxious? Is your dog showing signs of nervousness and concern? This was my day yesterday. Star (12 year old female Border Collie) needed to go see a surgeon about a lump. Star does not warm up to
- [Something’s Missing: When Skills are Not Enough](https://k9infocus.com/somethings-missing-when-skills-are-not-enough/) - About 30 years ago I got the first dog I ever trained to any great extent. Katie was a rescued black lab who had been in 2 homes and was feral for about 6 months by the time she was 2 years old. Amazingly, even with that really poor beginning she had an awesome temperament.
- [Focus & the Foot in the Door Effect](https://k9infocus.com/focus-the-foot-in-the-door-effect/) - In social psychology there is a phenomenon referred to as the “foot in the door” effect. It started in the days of door to door salespeople and was literally descriptive. In order to have any chance at making a sale you had to first get your foot in the door; often by any means possible
- [The Wrong Question](https://k9infocus.com/the-wrong-question/) - “How can I get my dog to focus on me?” It’s an honest question that I hear often. The problem is that it’s the wrong question. It’s not a useful starting point for building a focused training relationship with your dog. The question, as phrased, puts all the responsibility for focus on changing the dog
- [When Positive Reinforcement Isn’t Working](https://k9infocus.com/when-positive-reinforcement-isnt-working/) - Have you ever wondered why your positive reinforcement based training isn’t working as well as it should? You’ve done everything you’re supposed to do correctly and consistently, yet still, behaviors aren’t changing in the desired way. You may have been told that you must not be doing it right, or even worse, that you’ll simply
- [What’s Missing From Your Training?](https://k9infocus.com/whats-missing-from-your-training/) - Focus! Focus is what’s missing! In 99% of cases where training is less than optimal focus is the missing training ingredient. When things aren’t going smoothly in your training and/or trialing, going back to focus work is a great way to move things back on the right track. Focus, or lack of focus, influences every
- [When The Loss is Deep:     The Creation Process](https://k9infocus.com/when-the-loss-is-deep-the-creation-process/) - I’ve been immersed in my latest writing project and now it is ready to be out in the world! Every time I write a book I swear “never again”. Now that I’m at book #13 I think we all know I’m a liar. This book, however, took me totally and completely by surprise. I didn’t
- [Muzzles Really Are Awesome](https://k9infocus.com/muzzles-really-are-awesome/) - I’m on a huge public Facebook group of people who hike with their dogs. A while back someone shared a photo of their dog at the end of a hike wearing a basket muzzle. Most people were very supportive of muzzling dogs on hikes for a variety of reasons; but a few were highly vocal
- [Muzzles are Like Bras](https://k9infocus.com/muzzles-are-like-bras/) - Muzzles are like bras. While there are times when they might be necessary, they aren’t necessarily everyone’s favorite thing to wear. With both muzzles and bras there are a number of different styles and types. And with both a good fit can make all the difference. I often say that ALL dogs should learn to
- [Move Slowly to Learn Quickly](https://k9infocus.com/move-slowly-to-learn-quickly/) - I wrote this as a supplemental lecture for my Zen Logic class but thought I'd share it to a wider audience as well. Worry over progress and pace often has us giving up instead of forging ahead. But my training motto remains "be the turtle". Everybody is in a hurry all the time. We want
- [Energy or Anxiety?  Thoughtfulness or Confusion?](https://k9infocus.com/energy-or-anxiety-thoughtfulness-or-confusion/) - Are you uncertain about how to get your dog in the best possible arousal state for learning and training? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a training partner who was constantly enthusiastic and eager to engage, while at the same time being responsive and thoughtful, in training sessions with you? If you are interested
- [Is Your Dog Twitchy or Sticky?](https://k9infocus.com/is-your-dog-twitchy-or-sticky/) - When I work on foundation exercises with my dogs one of my goals is to balance out the desire to move with the ability to hold still. In order to achieve my goal of training a well-rounded dog who can do many different things I need to be sure my dog is as comfortable as
- [New Year New You?](https://k9infocus.com/new-year-new-you/) - As one year ends and another begins it’s time for people to reevaluate their lives. Ouch! That can certainly be painful. For many, there’s an unrealistic sense of optimism that the coming new year will be so much better because they will change who they are and what they do. Yeah, no. Instead of aiming
- [Step AWAY from the Horse!](https://k9infocus.com/step-away-from-the-horse/) - Before I was “into” dogs I was “into” horses. “Into” means obsessed of course. A bit of well-known and universally accepted advice is when (not if!) you fall off a horse you should immediately get back on. The general idea is that you cannot let any time pass or you will become ever more fearful
- [Why? It Might Not Matter](https://k9infocus.com/why-it-might-not-matter/) - The older I get the more I realize that sometimes shit just happens. Sure, there may be a series of events that leads to said shit happening, but those events may or may not make any sense and may or may not be within my control. As humans it is natural that we want reasonable
- [Theory Plus Application = Balance](https://k9infocus.com/theory-plus-application-balance/) - I once worked with a professor who had a long and brilliant career in behavioral psychology. He wrote textbooks and performed many published experiments. He developed a highly respected graduate program. His career was long and successful. And he couldn’t train his own dog. To me, that’s the dividing line between understanding theory and
- [Start Where You (and Your Dog) Can be Successful](https://k9infocus.com/start-where-you-and-your-dog-can-be-successful/) - Have you ever had a teacher who started a lesson “over your head?” I did in statistics class in grad school; multiple regression analysis to be exact. From the first moment I was lost. At one point he had two slideshows going on separate walls in the classroom, moving back and forth between them to
- [Don’t be Egocentric! or Think Like a Scientist Not a Toddler](https://k9infocus.com/dont-be-egocentric-or-think-like-a-scientist-not-a-toddler/) - Famous child psychologist Jean Piaget focused on cognitive development in children. He listed and discussed specific ages and stages. The one that has always fascinated me is what he called the preoperational stage from 2-6 years old. A highlight of this stage is the inability to understand the world from any viewpoint other than your
- [Empowerment, Self-Efficacy, Learned Helplessness, Frustration, & Errorless Learning](https://k9infocus.com/empowerment-self-efficacy-learned-helplessness-frustration-errorless-learning/) - Here's an extra bonus blog post for the week with another excerpt from my Zen Logic book. I expand on some of the concepts I have been discussing and will continue the discussion in this week's webinar Zen & the Art of Impulse Control. "This training, and thought process, leads us to a deeper consideration
- [Learned Helplessness, Self-Efficacy, Impulse Control, and Stimulus Control](https://k9infocus.com/learned-helplessness-vs-self-efficacy/) - This week I recorded a podcast for Fenzi Dog Sports Academy on the topic of impulse control. I always love chatting with Melissa Breau. She has really good questions to spark discussion. One of my main points is that the way we teach our dogs to control themselves is extremely important. Rather than simply trying
- [Zen Logic](https://k9infocus.com/zen-logic/) - Being zen has long been a goal of mine, both for myself and my dogs. Calm, peaceful, relaxed, and self-controlled sounds nice doesn't it? It seems like a worthy state of being to strive towards. It's something to work on day after day. Some days are definitely better than others! Even knowing I'll never reach
- [Too High? Too Low? Just Right!  Goldilocks and the 3 Dogs](https://k9infocus.com/too-high-too-low-just-right-goldilocks-and-the-3-dogs/) - When you think in terms of the amount of energy your dog brings to a training session, where does he fall? Is your dog too high, too low, or just right? Let me tell you a story about three dogs and their different levels of energy. Copper the Papillon fell on the too low end
- [Jones Hierarchy of Training Needs](https://k9infocus.com/jones-hierarchy-of-training-needs/) - Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs pyramid is well known even beyond the realm of psychology. He posited that humans had to meet physical needs at a basic level before they could consider needs higher up the ladder. His ideas seem sensible, but of course, as with any psychological theory, there is much controversy
- [Science is Messy](https://k9infocus.com/science-is-messy/) - There’s been a huge amount of interest, and a pretty big backlash, concerning a recent study on canine genetics. The study is huge in scope and depth. It was a multi-year process with multiple high level researchers. It was peer reviewed, probably edited a ridiculous number of times, and published. Even the popular press picked
- [Feeding Frenzy](https://k9infocus.com/feeding-frenzy/) - This blog post is about human behavior rather than dog training. It’s related of course, because it’s about folks in the dog world. As a social & behavioral psychologist with 9 years of advanced study, and as a human being on this planet for 65 years, sometimes I still look at the things people say
- [Will Work For Food](https://k9infocus.com/will-work-for-food/) - Training animals with food is easy! Training animals with food is incredibly complicated! Both of these statements are true. It can seem like a very simple thing to use food as a reinforcer in training. We do it all the time. Some of us rely primarily on food to change emotions and train behaviors. All
- [It’s Never Long Enough](https://k9infocus.com/its-never-long-enough/) - We know when we get a dog that we are likely to outlive them. Part of the deal is that we will have to say goodbye at some point. When they are energetic puppies full of life and joy that day when they leave us seems hazy and distant. Somehow though, that someday comes rushing
- [You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know or Why We Are All Blindly Ignorant](https://k9infocus.com/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know-or-why-we-are-all-blindly-ignorant/) - I like to understand things. That’s just how my brain is wired. I’m happiest when I can see the big picture and understand all the small moving parts involved. In dog training I am constantly deconstructing what I see and what I want. Breaking things down into their smallest elements and then seeing how they
- [Advice About Advice: Yes, It’s Ironic](https://k9infocus.com/advice-about-advice-yes-its-ironic/) - Something that’s been on my mind lately has to do with online communication and, more often than not, miscommunication. It’s so easy to misunderstand the intent and subtext of the written word. I LOVE communicating with words. I’m a writer; that’s what I do. Shared language connects us in so many amazing ways. It can
- [Red Light, Green Light, Yellow Light: The Importance of Clear Cues](https://k9infocus.com/red-light-green-light-yellow-light-the-importance-of-clear-cues/) - I did some research on the universality of red/yellow/green traffic lights. Meaning I googled it. Turns out those colors are pretty standard all over the world. Every driver should be aware of their meaning. Red means stop. Green means go. But yellow, yellow is the issue, and the point of this blog post. What do
- [Jumpy or Sticky?](https://k9infocus.com/jumpy-or-sticky/) - Is your dog jumpy or sticky? This question probably brings some interesting images to mind! Jumpy is pretty easy to picture, like someone who had one too many espressos. A little twitchy and ready to react. Sticky on the other hand is more like stuck in position, not ready to move or respond. Sticky dogs
- [But He Does It Perfectly At Home!](https://k9infocus.com/but-he-does-it-perfectly-at-home/) - If I had $1 for every time someone has said that to me I’d be living on my private island now. And yes, I’ve said it too. The thing is, I believe you. I know it’s true. Performing at home is entirely different from taking your training and behaviors out into the world. However, in
- [Everything is Hard Right Now](https://k9infocus.com/everything-is-hard-right-now/) - I often feel that I have the curse of being a realist. No rose colored glasses, rainbows, or unicorns for this girl (okay, maybe girl is a stretch). I see reality all too clearly. Or, if you want to get philosophical, I see my perception of reality all too clearly. It seems to me that
- [Bring it Here!](https://k9infocus.com/bring-it-here/) - “Here! Right here! You have to bring it to me before I can throw it!” Have you ever found yourself saying this to your dog? Many dogs are all about chasing and possessing something, but not keen on bringing it back and giving it to you. IMO, one of the most enjoyable human/dog activities, at
- [Dog Trainer Guilt](https://k9infocus.com/dog-trainer-guilt/) - I’m not doing enough! I’m not doing it right! My dog deserves a better trainer than me! Do any of these sound familiar? If so, you may be suffering with dog trainer guilt. It’s ubiquitous, particularly among professional trainers. We tend to hold ourselves to fairly high standards, high enough that we are pretty much
- [The 5 Second Rule](https://k9infocus.com/the-5-second-rule/) - For normal people the 5 second rule typically refers to how long food can be on the floor and still acceptable for human consumption. As dog people we laugh. First, our floors are likely covered with fur. Second, we are not picky about ingesting some of it. And third, you have to be fast enough
- [Step by Step by Step](https://k9infocus.com/step-by-step-by-step/) - The old joke goes “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is “One bite at a time!” It’s funny because it’s unexpectedly true, even if that wasn’t the actual intent of the question. So when I hear “How do I train my dog to let me do eye drops or cut nails or bathe?”
- [You’re Breathing Wrong](https://k9infocus.com/youre-breathing-wrong/) - I can do many things incorrectly. It’s a gift really. Find all the ways to do something wrong and then stumble on something that works. Also known as fuck around and find out. It’s taken me a while to realize that my breathing has a strong impact on my dog training, and that it’s possible
- [Tweens & Teens](https://k9infocus.com/tweens-teens/) - Well, Wizard’s puppyhood sure went by in a blur! How is he over 6 months old now? He’s now in that awkward ‘tween’ state where he’s not a baby puppy and he’s not a grown up boy. He keeps cycling back and forth between them so fast it makes my head spin sometimes. Puppyhood has
- [Does Your Dog Hate Going to the Vet?  Here are 5 Things You Can do TODAY to Make it Better](https://k9infocus.com/does-your-dog-hate-going-to-the-vet-here-are-5-things-you-can-do-today-to-make-it-better/) - Does Your Dog Hate Going to the Vet? Here are 5 Things You Can do TODAY to Make it Better My dogs were always fine going to the vet’s office, until they weren’t. Typically we did ‘happy puppy’ visits, used lots of food to distract them during exams and shots, and let the very friendly
- [Time to Take Your Pills!](https://k9infocus.com/time-to-take-your-pills/) - When I was young, maybe around 5 or so, I had strep throat and needed to take penicillin for it. Apparently I was not a cooperative subject. So my mom ground it up and put it in my orange juice where it promptly sank to the bottom of the glass. That last sip was a
- [What Happened to My Puppy?](https://k9infocus.com/what-happened-to-my-puppy/) - Where did my sweet little baby puppy go? In just a handful of months he’s morphed into a new and different creature. He's a kangaroo/meerkat//velociraptor/tasmanian devil mix. He’s all legs and teeth and curiosity and action. His life approach is 'fuck around and find out'. He’s more confident out in the world and ready to
- [Help! I’m Drowning! ](https://k9infocus.com/help-im-drowning/) - Not literally, but I am being flooded. As some of you may know I’ve been hospitalized and diagnosed with diabetes (a huge unpleasant surprise). As I’m recovering from the original health crisis I’m facing an enormous amount of information and advice and instructions on how to manage this disease. What medications are necessary, how to
- [Puppy Husbandry, Part 2](https://k9infocus.com/puppy-husbandry-part-2/) - In last week’s blog post I talked about the first two steps that I established for cooperative care training (place conditioning & zen work). Once I have strong responses to those then I can move to actually putting my hands on my puppy. For grooming and veterinary procedures my pup is going to need to
- [Puppy Husbandry Part 1](https://k9infocus.com/puppy-husbandry-part-1/) - People often come to me and ask for help with a specific cooperative care type question. Most commonly “My dog hates having his nails done. What should I do?” While this seems like a reasonable question it is actually much more complex than it appears to be. People hope that I will have some straightforward
- [Alone and Together](https://k9infocus.com/alone-and-together/) - Adding a new puppy to an existing group of dogs can be challenging. Granted, some folks don’t think about it. They get a new pup, set it on the floor with the others, and say “meet your new sibling”. And it all works out just fine. I’m not one to leave that much to chance
- [First Things First](https://k9infocus.com/first-things-first/) - A few years ago I read a really interesting book by Daniel Pink called When. It talks about the fact that the timing of our efforts is often much more important than the efforts themselves. While we need to do the work, when we attempt to do it can make all the difference between success
- [What Do You Need?](https://k9infocus.com/what-do-you-need/) - Meeting all of a puppy’s needs can be an overwhelming quest. What does he need? When does he need it? Am I doing enough? Too much? How do I know? Am I providing enough exercise, training, stability, experience? Am I overdoing anything? The more experience with puppies that I have, the more I second, third,
- [Chin Up!  Teaching a Strong Solid Chin Rest Behavior](https://k9infocus.com/chin-up-teaching-a-strong-solid-chin-rest-behavior/) - These days I’m spending most of my time trying to remember all the important foundation skills that Wizard needs to learn, and then beginning the training process for them. It’s awfully easy to feel overwhelmed, but then I remind myself to just do one thing at a time and keep moving forward. He doesn’t need
- [3 Key Techniques for Puppy Training](https://k9infocus.com/3-key-techniques-for-puppy-training/) - I’ve been working on introducing Wizard to a lot of things. There’s so much for a puppy to learn! He needs to learn about our day to day life and about the larger world. He needs to learn basic manners and behaviors. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all that needs to be taught, and
- [Diametrically Opposed:  Balancing Stillness & Movement](https://k9infocus.com/diametrically-opposed-balancing-stillness-movement/) - When introducing foundation concepts to a young or new dog, I think about it as balancing opposing forces. On the one hand, I want a dog who is willing and eager to offer new behaviors and try new things. This is particularly important for teaching more complex skills. It’s hard to train a statue! On
- [Motivation + Control = Focus](https://k9infocus.com/motivation-control-focus/) - Now that I have a new puppy (and even before he got here) I have been pondering my choices in raising and training. With every new pup I reevaluate what I do and how I do it. My goal is to always provide my puppy with the best start possible, while remaining realistic about exactly
- [Puppy Socialization: Have we Been Doing it Wrong?](https://k9infocus.com/puppy-socialization-have-we-been-doing-it-wrong/) - Honestly, I have no idea what optimal puppy socialization looks like. Now that I have a new puppy I’m thinking hard about the best ways to introduce him to the world. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do socialization right, but right is truly relative here. What works best for one puppy
- [The 3 Rs of Puppy Training](https://k9infocus.com/the-3-rs-of-puppy-training/) - The old saying declares that the 3 Rs of human learning are Reading, wRiting, and ‘Rithmetic. And yeah, the irony of that is pretty obvious. Even so, the idea of 3Rs led me to think about the 3 most basic concepts that I want to introduce to any new puppy. After a bit of contemplation
- [We’re Off to See the Wizard!](https://k9infocus.com/were-off-to-see-the-wizard/) - Today’s blog post is going to be cryptic, and short. Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, today we are off to see the Wizard. And the trip will be the start of a whole new adventure. As with all adventures I expect to learn and experience many new things along the way. And
- [Clicker? Yes or No?](https://k9infocus.com/clicker-yes-or-no/) - For years I would have described myself as a strong proponent of “clicker training”. Almost from the very start of my training career in the mid 90s the use of a clicker was the main thing that set me apart from many other trainers. It instantly identified my approach and style to those familiar with
- [Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Dog](https://k9infocus.com/keep-your-eyes-on-your-own-dog/) - The dog training world is full of folks ready to criticize the work that others are doing. They sit on the social media sidelines, rarely showing their own training, and yet feel quite justified in loudly sharing their views of the training that others show in public. This type of public criticism is harmful not
- [Cooperative Care in the Covid Era](https://k9infocus.com/cooperative-care-in-the-covid-era/) - It’s been over a year since social distancing became a common thing. Little did we know how much Covid would impact our daily lives! We were in ignorant bliss thinking it would all be over in a few weeks or a few months. And yet here we are. While there is true hope on the
- [John Locke was Wrong, and so was I](https://k9infocus.com/john-locke-was-wrong-and-so-was-i/) - Have you ever been wrong about something? Are you sometimes afraid to share your thoughts and ideas because you worry about being wrong? Do you keep things to yourself because of concerns about being incorrect and looking foolish? The only way to avoid being wrong is to be quiet. Sure, there are situations where being
- [Cooperative Care:  Lions and Tigers and Dogs, Oh My!](https://k9infocus.com/cooperative-care-lions-and-tigers-and-dogs-oh-my/) - The Cooperative Care Certificate (CCC) is part of the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy's TEAM program even though it’s not a defined dog sport or recreational activity. Cooperative Care refers to the day to day procedures and behaviors that are necessary for your dog’s physical health and well being. For the most part in the past
- [What Taxes Taught Me About Dog Training](https://k9infocus.com/what-taxes-taught-me-about-dog-training/) - Who likes doing taxes? Some people must, but I truly don’t understand why. For me, taxes are mental torture in a variety of very unpleasant ways. There’s nothing about the process that makes sense to me. I find it frustrating and confusing, unnecessarily complicated, and in the end, it costs me my hard earned
- [Time is an Illusion](https://k9infocus.com/time-is-an-illusion/) - Well crap, it’s that time again. Spring forward! Set your clocks ahead an hour. Or as I always think of it “lose an hour’s sleep for no good reason”. Yes, I do like it being light later in the evenings, but this twice a year switch seems unpopular with most everyone, especially my dogs.
- [Focus on Focus](https://k9infocus.com/focus-on-focus/) - If you ask dog trainers about focus, most are likely to tell you that it is absolutely necessary for successful dog training. And it’s true. From there, however, things start to become much less clear. When you start to drill down on what focus is and how to actually obtain it during training the lack
- [Stop Sniffing!](https://k9infocus.com/stop-sniffing/) - Seems like dog trainers are talking an awful lot about sniffing lately. One reason for this is that trainers have discovered just how important and valuable sniffing can be for the dog. It serves some very important functions like increasing relaxation and decreasing over arousal. It can also just be a nice enjoyable enrichment activity.
- [You Are Where You Are](https://k9infocus.com/you-are-where-you-are/) - The blog post below is actually a mid-week mini-lecture for my current Zen Logic class. I decided to share it on the larger Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Facebook group, and from there it seems that it resonated with many people and they wanted to share it. So I decided to publish it as an extra
- [Dog Years and Dog Minutes](https://k9infocus.com/dog-years-and-dog-minutes/) - As so often happens I had a thought this week that led me down a twisty turny poorly lit rabbit hole. It all started with the concept of time. I am almost constantly telling people that shorter training sessions are better than longer ones. It’s a constant mantra with me. By shorter I mean 1
- [The Zen Breath](https://k9infocus.com/the-zen-breath/) - When doing zen work with your dog breathing is very important! Well of course breathing is always important! But now we want to focus on specific moments in the training process when slowing down to take a breath can actually make a huge difference in your progress. Here I will talk about the human and
- [What the F? Part 3](https://k9infocus.com/what-the-f-part-3/) - I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger in last week’s blog post. I was discussing sniffing as an example of a behavior and considering the function of sniffing in a training/trial context. Simply trying to eliminate the sniffing by correcting it is likely to backfire in the long run. It may work in
- [What the F? Part 2](https://k9infocus.com/what-the-f-part-2/) - In last week’s blog post I considered a number of Fs that might be important to dog trainers. The biggest F is function. What function does a behavior serve? I used the example of a dog sniffing rather than training or working because that’s a common issue. And also because I’m working on a webinar
- [What the F? Part 1](https://k9infocus.com/what-the-f-part-1/) - OK, so I have to admit that I’ve wanted to use this title for a long time. So I wrote a blog post around it! There may be more as there’s a lot of ground to cover with the Fs! A while ago on Facebook I asked other trainers to talk to me about what
- [Let’s All Be Zen](https://k9infocus.com/lets-all-be-zen/) - If there was ever a time we needed more zen in our lives, and in the world, it’s now. So much chaos is happening, and I know that I feel like I have little to no control over any of it. There’s a very popular saying along the lines of “you cannot control what happens
- [Big Picture Little Picture](https://k9infocus.com/big-picture-little-picture/) - For this blog post I am going to totally ignore the current events happening in the world because it’s just too much to process right now. Instead, let’s talk about dog training. That’s something that at least makes some sort of sense. I’ve been thinking about how a good trainer is capable of seeing both
- [I’m Back! And It’s a Whole New Year!](https://k9infocus.com/im-back-and-its-a-whole-new-year/) - Hard to believe that we are finally through 2020. One revolution around the sun doesn’t change a lot of things happening in the world right now; but it sure feels good to think about clean slates and new beginnings anyway. I took my first extended break since I’ve retired. That sounds strange. Retiring from my
- [Take a Break!](https://k9infocus.com/take-a-break/) - This phrase starts a Hamilton song roaring through my brain! You need to be a Hamilfan to get it. In any case, this blog post will be fairly short and while not specific to just dog training, it can definitely apply with a little creative thought. If I say that “2020 has been quite a
- [Head Games](https://k9infocus.com/head-games/) - Does your dog need eye drops? What about ear medication? Or his teeth brushed? Odds are many dogs will need one or all of these procedures over the course of their lives. In addition they may need to wear a muzzle or a cone at some point. There are LOTS of common husbandry procedures that
- [Change is Hard](https://k9infocus.com/change-is-hard/) - It’s been an eventful few weeks. Recent personal and public events have been overwhelming, to say the least. It occurred to me at 10 pm on Saturday night that I hadn’t written my weekly Sunday morning blog post. Last week I reposted an older one that was relevant, but I haven’t even managed to do
- [Being a Stingy Greedy Boss](https://k9infocus.com/being-a-stingy-greedy-boss/) - You might start reading this blog post because the title sounds just like your boss! While that may be true, I’m actually using this as an analogy for dog training, of course. Let’s call you the boss because you control all the valuable resources (treats, toys, favorite activities, and so on). You also get to
- [Optimistic Gamblers: Decreasing Reinforcement While Increasing Enthusiasm](https://k9infocus.com/optimistic-gamblers-decreasing-reinforcement-while-increasing-enthusiasm/) - If you’re a trainer well-versed in the use of positive reinforcement, then you know it’s a pretty straightforward process. What you reinforce will increase. If you remove reinforcement the behavior will decrease. It only makes sense. If this is true though, how do we ever get to the point where behaviors occur even when we
- [I’m Not Perfect and Neither are You](https://k9infocus.com/im-not-perfect-and-neither-are-you/) - I want to be perfect and I am smart enough to know I never will be. I won’t be perfect at anything no matter how much I try. When I was younger and more naive I did my best to do the things I cared about as well as I possibly could; and I agonized
- [Zen Logic Book Excerpt](https://k9infocus.com/zen-logic-book-excerpt/) - I recently spent a few weeks on a writing vacation; at least until the corn cob incident (thankfully Star is recovering quite nicely). I’m in the process of finishing the first draft of book #13. The book is titled Zen Logic and is all about teaching our dogs how to control their impulses and behave
- [Corn Cobs Can Kill Dogs](https://k9infocus.com/corn-cobs-can-kill-dogs/) - If you’ve been following my saga on Facebook over the past couple weeks then you already know this story. Even so, I wanted to provide a very clear public service announcement and warning about the dangers of corn cobs for dogs. Please share this with all dog owners you know. I was particularly surprised to
- [Making Brave Learners:  Increasing Your Nose Work Dog’s Confidence ](https://k9infocus.com/making-brave-learners-increasing-your-nose-work-dogs-confidence/) - In nose work the most obvious skill your dog needs is the ability to find the source of scent. Learning the skill is only one part of the training process though. While some dogs, once they understand the task, are persistent and dedicated to finding the scent, others are not. They might know what to
- [It's Here! And It's Spectacular!](https://k9infocus.com/its-here-and-its-spectacular/) - Okay, so maybe I’m a little bit excited about this. But one of my long term projects is finally done and ready to release, and that makes me very happy. Also a little scared and anxious, but here goes anyway. I’m proud to introduce the Cooperative Care Certificate Program to the world. And right about
- [Two World Views](https://k9infocus.com/two-world-views/) - If you live long enough it’s likely that bad things will happen to you. Interestingly most people live between two extremes. One is the belief that nothing bad will actually touch them because they are good people. It’s a view that says that the world is just and bad things only happen to bad people.
- [Pick it Up!  Pick it ALL Up!](https://k9infocus.com/pick-it-up-pick-it-all-up/) - Ever since I had the first dog I ever purposely trained for anything beyond general house manners I have loved teaching tricks of all sorts. While some people see them as silly or a waste of time, I find them highly valuable for a number of reasons. First of all, teaching tricks is an excellent
- [What Day is it Again?](https://k9infocus.com/what-day-is-it-again/) - Days of the week have become slippery things lately. I try hard to stay on top of them, but often walk around the house repeating “today is Tuesday” like a mantra. And then I’ll stop and say “wait? Is it really Tuesday?” Then I’ll check my google calendar which assures me that it is indeed
- [The Secret to Getting Focus From Your Dog](https://k9infocus.com/the-secret-to-getting-focus-from-your-dog/) - Actually, there’s no secret, I talk about it ALL THE TIME! Day after day I share my “secrets”. I have spent over 15 years now developing techniques to help my dogs learn to focus on me while we work and play together. Throughout that time I have talked endlessly about the importance of focus and
- [Evolution in Puppy Training](https://k9infocus.com/evolution-in-puppy-training/) - I'm offering my Performance Fundamentals online course again this term and it seemed like a good time to revisit the idea that it's important in dog training to change and grow as we learn more. I've been in this industry about 25 years, and I learn new things every day. I then pass those things
- [The Next Book](https://k9infocus.com/the-next-book/) - I've spent the past week socially isolated in a cottage in the North Carolina mountains. It was intended as a "brain break" so that I could take some time to go into neutral, reset, and just relax. Instead, it turned out to be the perfect time and place for making significant progress on my next
- [Hiking Hacks](https://k9infocus.com/hiking-hacks/) - Hack #1: Lint roller for ticks Sadly, ticks are everywhere! After every outdoor excursion a tick check is in order. We do one at the car and another more thorough one once we get home. A very clever hack for this is to use a lint roller (all dog owners have them!) Just run the
- [Seeing the Forest AND the Trees: Training From the Couch](https://k9infocus.com/seeing-the-forest-and-the-trees-training-from-the-couch/) - Do you have big training plans but you never quite follow through? Do you start out strong working on a training project but over time it just slowly dies out? Do you have difficulty with the physical demands of training like bending, twisting, getting up and down off the floor, or kneeling? Are you short
- [Comfort + Challenge = Confidence](https://k9infocus.com/comfort-challenge-confidence/) - This week's blog post is actually a new lecture that I just wrote for my All About Nails online class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. To me, this is multi-tasking at its finest. You cannot do two things at once, but you can do one thing that serves two purposes! So here's a class lecture
- [All Done! I Don’t Think It Means What You Think It Means](https://k9infocus.com/all-done-i-dont-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means/) - We talk to our dogs a lot. Most of what we say is probably white noise like Charlie Brown's teacher. We humans are a very talkative species. Dogs, however, have their own ways of communicating that are sometimes much more subtle. Good trainers know that you should observe your dogs carefully to be sure that
- [Got FOMO?](https://k9infocus.com/got-fomo/) - As a baby boomer and scientist I must, of course, spell out any acronym I use. FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. It’s a nice little shorthand way of saying that someone is very interested in what is happening around them and afraid that they might miss something, possibly to the point of being
- [All About Nails](https://k9infocus.com/all-about-nails-2/) - All About Nails Why is it so very hard to shorten your dog’s nails? Have you been caught in a power struggle? You care about your dog’s health and well-being, so you want to make sure his nails are short. Your dog doesn’t care about that at all, and in fact, is adamantly opposed to
- [Whose Fault Is It?](https://k9infocus.com/whose-fault-is-it/) - Whose Fault Is It? This blog post started as a message I wrote for the Losing Lulu Facebook group (for folks who have lost an animal to behavioral issues). It was in response to the concept of “fault” or “blame”. Those of us who have had to make the decision to euthanize an animal we
- [Focus is Focus and Walks are Walks](https://k9infocus.com/focus-is-focus-and-walks-are-walks/) - Focus is Focus and Walks are Walks Because I have worked with focus training for years now, I am often asked about focus on walks. People are often surprised at my answer. I never work on focus training when I am walking or hiking with my dogs. I make a very clear distinction between training
- [Walking Dogs: From Lassie to Cujo](https://k9infocus.com/walking-dogs-from-lassie-to-cujo/) - Walking Dogs: From Lassie to Cujo Seems like these days everyone in my neighborhood walks their dogs a lot more than usual. Being cooped up at home means that for many the only outing into the world is to take their dogs out for a stroll. In my neighborhood I see tons of people and
- [Zen Logic: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Week 1 materials](https://k9infocus.com/zen-logic-should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-week-1-materials/) - Zen Logic: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Week 1 materials For the first time in a long time my weekly blog post is late. It's only late because I have set a deadline of Sunday morning for myself, but still... I’m having one of those weeks where it’s hard to concentrate. Somehow I
- [Bread Making and Dog Training:  Recipes and Principles](https://k9infocus.com/bread-making-and-dog-training-recipes-and-principles/) - Bread Making and Dog Training: Recipes and Principles I’m trying to make sourdough bread. I have to admit that I’ve never been much of a baker. I’m a good cook, but that’s mostly trial and error with lots of experimenting. Mistakes in cooking are often fixable. Baking doesn’t work that way at all. It requires
- [Veterinary Care in the Time of the CoronaVirus: We All Wear Muzzles Now](https://k9infocus.com/veterinary-care-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus-we-all-wear-muzzles-now/) - Veterinary Care in the Time of the CoronaVirus: We All Wear Muzzles Now If you are reading this blog post, odds are excellent that you have one or more dogs (unless you’re my relatives!) The majority of people who care about what I say do so because of dogs and training. Something that I’ve been
- [Zen Challenge](https://k9infocus.com/zen-challenge/) - Zen Challenge I’ve seen a cute little impulse control challenge going around Facebook lately so thought I’d give it a try with my dogs. The premise is simple: leave your dog alone with a treat on the floor and see what they do while you’re gone. Photo by Barb Cerrito Before I tried this I
- [You’re Not Wasting Time; You’re Coping With Corona](https://k9infocus.com/youre-not-wasting-time-youre-coping-with-corona/) - You’re Not Wasting Time; You’re Coping With Corona Do you feel like you’re having a hard time being productive these days? You’re not lazy, you’re coping! We are all stressed and traumatized by this virus, whether you or your loved ones actually get the disease or not. It’s a stressor; an unwanted event that is
- [What Day is it Anyway?](https://k9infocus.com/what-day-is-it-anyway/) - What Day is it Anyway? Well this is a first! For well over a year I have been writing a new blog post on Friday & Saturday, then publishing it on Sunday mornings. Once I retired from teaching and focused more on training I set this schedule for myself and it has worked well. Here
- [Keeping Busy](https://k9infocus.com/keeping-busy/) - Keeping Busy Every week things are changing so very quickly. In my part of the world we are being strongly encouraged to stay as socially isolated as possible. I don’t have a problem with that at all for two reasons. First, it’s in everyone’s best interests and really the only way to help at this
- [Hey Dog People!](https://k9infocus.com/hey-dog-people/) - Hey Dog People! Hey dog people! How our world has changed in one short week! It’s almost unbelievable that we are living real life and not reading yet another bad dystopian novel. Yet here we are. We are in the middle of a pandemic and national emergency and it’s hard to deny the reality of
- [You are Not an Exception to the Rule:  Please Share This Blog Post with ALL Your Dog Owning Friends](https://k9infocus.com/you-are-not-an-exception-to-the-rule-please-share-this-blog-post-with-all-your-dog-owning-friends/) - You are Not an Exception to the Rule: Please Share This Blog Post with ALL Your Dog Owning Friends Spring is coming! This means that we all want to get outdoors and enjoy more time in nature. I am often sad to see this because it means my beloved peaceful trails are overrun with folks
- [Whatever, Whenever, Wherever: Focus Training is Bigger Than You Think](https://k9infocus.com/whatever-whenever-wherever-focus-training-is-bigger-than-you-think/) - Whatever, Whenever, Wherever: Focus Training is Bigger Than You Think Just recently a woman expressed doubt that I could help her work through her focus problems with her dogs because I have Border Collies. The underlying assumption was the Border Collies come out of the box with perfect focus, so basically I have chosen well
- [Muzzles are Awesome!](https://k9infocus.com/muzzles-are-awesome/) - Muzzles are Awesome! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I’ve been thinking an awful lot about husbandry work lately. It’s no surprise. I’m in the middle of my online class on Cooperative Care and I’m also finishing the photo placements for my book on the same subject. In addition, my house has been in chaos due to
- [The Bank Account of Trust and Cooperation](https://k9infocus.com/the-bank-account-of-trust-and-cooperation/) - The Bank Account of Trust and Cooperation By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I often say that working on cooperative care procedures with your pet long before you ever need them is money in the bank. Let me continue to stretch this bank account analogy to its limits. Every time we practice our proactive husbandry training we
- [All About Nails](https://k9infocus.com/all-about-nails/) - All About Nails *Excerpt from the upcoming book Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-Free Husbandry By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Copyright 2018 “Even though I strongly suggested that you start at the beginning of the book and work your way
- [Teach Your Dog to do his own Nails!](https://k9infocus.com/teach-your-dog-to-do-his-own-nails/) - Teach Your Dog to do his own Nails! By Deborah Jones, Ph. Trimming a dog’s nails, either with clippers or a grinder, can end up being a very unpleasant struggle for both owner and dog. It’s one of the most commonly cited husbandry issues. One way to help reduce conflict over this procedure is to
- [Nail Jail! Do Not Pass Go!](https://k9infocus.com/nail-jail-do-not-pass-go/) - Nail Jail! Do Not Pass Go! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. In the game of Monopoly you sometimes get a “go to jail” card. This card tells you “Do not pass go. Do not collect $200”. You are simply stuck in jail until you get released. While you are in jail nothing good happens, you are
- [The Cooperative Care Book is Here and Here are 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy it!](https://k9infocus.com/the-cooperative-care-book-is-here-and-here-are-10-reasons-why-you-should-buy-it/) - The Cooperative Care Book is Here and Here are 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy it! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. My 2+ year writing project is finally finished! It may sound trite but this has truly been a labor of love. The topic of cooperative care (aka husbandry training) is one that is near and
- [Why Should You Care About Cooperative Care?](https://k9infocus.com/why-should-you-care-about-cooperative-care/) - Why Should You Care About Cooperative Care? I run a Facebook group called Cooperative Care with Deb Jones (join us, we’re awesome!) Last night I got an emergency request for help. Someone’s Yorkie has a corneal ulcer and needs multiple drops in her eye each day. And she’s not being AT ALL cooperative! She’s afraid
- [New YouTube Channel: Cooperative Care with Deb Jones](https://k9infocus.com/new-youtube-channel-cooperative-care-with-deb-jones/) - New YouTube Channel: Cooperative Care with Deb Jones I did a thing; a thing I’ve been wanting to do for a long time! And it’s for you, and it’s free! I have established a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing my videos on cooperative care training techniques. It will take a while to populate the channel
- [In The Back](https://k9infocus.com/in-the-back/) - In the Back When you take your dog to the vet’s office do they take him in the back for procedures? If they do, how do you feel about this? Are you comfortable handling over the leash to the tech? Do you ever wonder what really goes on back there? Why do vets take your
- [Be The Turtle!](https://k9infocus.com/be-the-turtle/) - Be The Turtle! One of my favorite sayings to students working on cooperative care is “be the turtle!” What do I mean by this? I mean that slow and steady is the way to success. Taking your time and moving slowly is the way to lasting change. Pushing ahead too quickly usually ends up with
- [The Concept of Consent](https://k9infocus.com/the-concept-of-consent/) - The Concept of Consent When I go to the dentist she has a system in place that allows me to communicate with her during procedures when I cannot talk. If I raise my left hand she will stop. It’s a signal I can use to get her to pause if I have to tell her
- [The Bank of Trust and Goodwill](https://k9infocus.com/the-bank-of-trust-and-goodwill/) - The Bank of Trust and Goodwill Recently there have been multiple discussions on Facebook about a viral video going around. I won’t share the video here, but it involves a dog getting nails trimmed who falls over onto his back in slow motion and goes perfectly still. People are sharing how “dramatic” and “cute” and
- [Shameless Brag!](https://k9infocus.com/shameless-brag/) - Shameless Brag! Yes, I’m being totally transparent with my title for this blog post. It is indeed a shameless brag. So if you don’t want to hear me say that I’m proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished you might want to pass this post by. I really hope you won’t though, because I think
- [Do you REALLY Have a Focus Problem?](https://k9infocus.com/do-you-really-have-a-focus-problem/) - Do You REALLY Have a Focus Problem? Focus work is one of my ‘things’ in dog training. I’ve been fascinated by the complexity of this concept for years. In particular, I am interested in how focus influences learning and performing. I spend a lot of time trying to convince dog sports people that focus is
- [Communicating With Your Vet's Care Team](https://k9infocus.com/communicating-with-your-vets-care-team/) - Communicating With Your Vet’s Care Team This week I made my temporary winter move to North Carolina. I knew I wanted to get the dogs established with a new vet in the area. I got several recommendations for the same facility and discovered that they are Fear Free certified so that seemed very promising. Read
- [Why I Care About Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/why-i-care-about-cooperative-care/) - Why I Care About Cooperative Care For the last handful of years a central focus of my dog training and teaching has been cooperative care. What is cooperative care? Cooperative care includes all the procedures and behaviors necessary for your dog’s health and well-being. Things like grooming and veterinary care fall under the cooperative care
- [What Happens When You Actually Train Your Dog?](https://k9infocus.com/what-happens-when-you-actually-train-your-dog/) - What Happens When You Actually Train Your Dog? Guess what happens when you actually train your dog? Your dog’s behavior changes! Just like magic! In last week’s blog post I talked about how I was neglecting my dogs by not training them regularly. The solution was simple, train more. Like most things though, just because
- [The Dog Trainer's Dogs](https://k9infocus.com/the-dog-trainers-dogs/) - The Dog Trainer’s Dogs Do you know what happens when I actually train my dogs? They not only improve their skills, but they have a great time! My own dogs truly suffer from being the cobbler’s children. As a professional dog trainer I spend untold hours thinking about training, writing about training, and planning classes,
- [It’s All About the Cookies; But Maybe It Shouldn’t Be](https://k9infocus.com/its-all-about-the-cookies-but-maybe-it-shouldnt-be/) - It’s All About the Cookies; But Maybe It Shouldn’t Be If you are a dog trainer who likes to focus on positive reinforcement techniques then you are likely to use a LOT of food in your training. Back in the day when we were first developing ways to train without pressure or force we weren’t
- [The Top Five](https://k9infocus.com/the-top-five/) - The Top Five What are the top five most important things that you should train your dog to do? Different trainers are going to have different responses; but I honestly expect a lot of overlap as well. Often when people start out with a new dog or puppy they get stuck and aren’t sure how
- [2020: Making New Mistakes](https://k9infocus.com/2020-making-new-mistakes/) - 2020: Making New Mistakes I’m starting to think about the upcoming year and where I should focus my time and energy. The phrase “making new mistakes” keeps running through my head and Google was kind enough to tell me where that came from. I was really pleased to hear it’s from Neil Gaiman, one of
- [Get a Cue!](https://k9infocus.com/get-a-cue/) - Get a Cue! Sit! Down! Stay! Come! People love to give their dogs cues for desired behaviors. We all love to tell our dogs what to do and see quick accurate responses. It makes us feel like effective and accomplished trainers. I LOVE adding cues to behavior as much as the next person, but I
- [The Many Faces of Focus](https://k9infocus.com/the-many-faces-of-focus/) - The Many Faces of Focus A discussion with my fellow FDSA instructors led me to explore the topic of focus for this week’s blog post (thanks Shade for bringing up this topic). And thanks to all the instructors who joined the discussion. I’ve written about focus quite a bit, but somehow I always find more
- [Why We Train](https://k9infocus.com/why-we-train/) - Why We Train As a professional dog trainer I am always curious about the reasons why people train their dogs and in particular, why they train specific behaviors. For myself, I absolutely love the process of training. I like developing a training plan, watching the progress, dealing with the inevitable setbacks, making modifications to the
- [Down the Rabbit Hole:  Overanalyzing in Training](https://k9infocus.com/down-the-rabbit-hole-overanalyzing-in-training/) - Down the Rabbit Hole: Overanalyzing in Training Are you a thinker? Do you like to understand things? Are you always looking for patterns and the big picture? There’s nothing wrong with that at all! It’s smart. Except when it’s paralyzing. As an educator, psychologist, and dog training instructor I see this phenomenon regularly. A student
- [Save Them All by Doing Whatever it Takes](https://k9infocus.com/save-them-all-by-doing-whatever-it-takes/) - Save Them All by Doing Whatever it Takes I have strong opinions on certain issues; okay on many issues, particularly when it comes to dogs and dog training. You may feel free to hold your own strong opinions and disagree with me. I’ve devoted many years of my life to learning about dogs, about learning
- [The Same Side](https://k9infocus.com/the-same-side/) - The Same Side Training a dog can seem like a very difficult task, particularly if you’ve never done it before. When we have new students who have never actually trained a dog, they can come in with tons of misconceptions about dogs in general, and about how the process actually happens. If you are an
- [Lost Motivation is a Good Thing!](https://k9infocus.com/lost-motivation-is-a-good-thing/) - Lost Motivation is a Good Thing! Have you ever lost your motivation to do something that you used to enjoy? I think that most of us have at some point in time. And we often wonder “how do I get it back?” My students will sometimes ask about how to regain their motivation to train
- [The Hangover](https://k9infocus.com/the-hangover/) - The Hangover Here's a bonus rare midweek blog post! It actually does tie into dogs by the end! I am guessing, however, that many of you can relate to my experiences. I’ve had a hangover for the past week. I find it hard to get out of bed in the mornings. And once I do
- [Training vs. Testing](https://k9infocus.com/training-vs-testing/) - Training vs. Testing This week’s blog post comes from a recent observation I made in my online Get Focused! Class. Students come into this class understanding that there is a focus problem that is getting in the way of effective training; but they don’t really understand the scope of the issue, or the approach we
- [Vacation](https://k9infocus.com/vacation/) - Vacation I’m going to be heading to New Hampshire this week for the 2nd annual TEAM event at Julie Daniel’s White Mountain Agility. It’s a combination training/relaxing/bonding experience with some of my fellow Fenzi Dog Sports Academy instructors and I’m really looking forward to it. Some of the instructors are doing private lessons, some of
- [The World's Best Demo Dog](https://k9infocus.com/the-worlds-best-demo-dog/) - The World’s Best Demo Dog Zen is the world’s best demo dog. I will fight anyone who tries to argue with me about this! This weekend I am giving an in person training seminar. Things have changed a LOT since I began teaching dog training back in the late 1990s! Not only has the training
- [Focus: It's Got Legs!](https://k9infocus.com/focus-its-got-legs/) - Focus: It’s Got Legs I don’t consider myself a very creative person. I’m good at organizing information. I’m good at explaining how to do things. I’m good at breaking down complex ideas and simplifying them so they are easy to understand. Those are my strengths. And they have served me well. But coming up with
- [You Don't Know What You Don't Know](https://k9infocus.com/you-dont-know-what-you-dont-know/) - You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know As a lifelong learner and educator I have seen over and over again the importance of being open to new information and experiences. When we get to the point where we think we know “everything” about a subject we are actually at a very dangerous place. Being an
- [Building a Working Relationship With Your Dog](https://k9infocus.com/building-a-working-relationship-with-your-dog/) - Building a Working Relationship With Your Dog When you are in a training situation with a dog, in an ideal world you and the dog would be actively and happily working together to achieve some goal. The goal, of course, is only known to the human half of the team. The dog has no idea.
- [Dog Training -- It’s Complicated & It Depends](https://k9infocus.com/dog-training-its-complicated-it-depends/) - Dog Training -- It’s Complicated & It Depends In the 25 years I’ve been training dogs the one thing I can say with great certainty is that training is MUCH more complicated than it appears to be at first glance. Even something that seems relatively simple has layers and layers to unfold underneath the surface.
- [How Zen is Your Dog?](https://k9infocus.com/how-zen-is-your-dog/) - How Zen is Your Dog? Does your dog know how to be zen? For the purposes of this discussion I’m defining zen as a basic concept that waiting for permission to take what you want leads to better outcomes than trying to take it directly. Can dogs learn this? Without a doubt! Is it useful?
- [Elevator Behavior, revisited](https://k9infocus.com/elevator-behavior-revisited/) - Elevator Behavior, revisited About four months ago I wrote a post on what I called 'Elevator Behavior'. I'm using this concept as an analogy for what I see as very desirable behavior for dogs in public. It's possible to be in very close proximity to others and simply mind your own business. It was a
- [Know Your Stuff! Learning About Learning](https://k9infocus.com/know-your-stuff-learning-about-learning/) - Know Your Stuff: Learning About Learning Conditioned, unconditioned, stimulus, response, antecedents, consequences, reinforcers, punishers, positive, negative, continuous, partial and more! We use lots of technical terms when we talk about the science of learning. How well do you understand it all? And why does it matter? If you are, or want to be, a dog
- [Becoming a Dog Trainer](https://k9infocus.com/becoming-a-dog-trainer/) - Becoming a Dog Trainer When I became interested in animal training I read every single training book I could get my hands on. Some were good, some were meh, and some were truly horrifying, but I read them all. I figured that gave me a well-rounded education. I was already in graduate school earning a
- [Deb & Zen's Excellent Adventure, Part 2](https://k9infocus.com/deb-zens-excellent-adventure-part-2/) - Red River Gorge Journal Please note: This week's blog post is a journal of my short hiking vacation with Zen at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. No dog training talk this week. But lots of pretty nature pictures! Also a bit of personal reflection and lessons learned. Back to our regular dog training topics next
- [Deb & Zen's Excellent Adventure, Part 1](https://k9infocus.com/deb-zens-excellent-adventure-part-1/) - Deb & Zen’s Excellent Adventure, Part 1 This blog post deviates a bit from dog training, but it is definitely applicable to traveling with dogs. And it incorporates my other passion, hiking. If you told me 30 years ago that I’d be planning hiking vacations I would never have believed it. Not my thing. But
- [So You Want to be a Dog Trainer](https://k9infocus.com/so-you-want-to-be-a-dog-trainer/) - So You Want to be a Dog Trainer “How do I become a dog trainer?” People have been asking me this question for years, and I’ve never felt like I had a good answer for them. I never felt like I was able to give specific suggestions, but rather vague and general ones. Basically I
- [The Two Sides of Arousal](https://k9infocus.com/the-two-sides-of-arousal/) - The Two Sides of Arousal Many years ago when we wrote the original In Focus book two dogs were the inspiration. Sabre was Judy Keller’s wild and crazy Sheltie. Copper was my introspective and sensitive Papillon. Two very very different dogs, but we discovered that the issues we had in training and showing were very
- [Camp Weekend!](https://k9infocus.com/camp-weekend/) - Camp Weekend! The most fun and the most exhausting weekend of the year is here! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy 5th annual camp is here! Twenty instructors, 350 students, and 25 amazing volunteers are gathered in Lebanon Pennsylvania for 3 days of learning, socializing, and assorted festivities. We cover a huge variety of dog training concepts
- [Courage](https://k9infocus.com/courage/) - Courage Courage is "Strength in the face of pain or grief” Dictionary.com Been thinking about courage and grief these days. I’ve been spending time reading the heartbreaking stories on the Losing Lulu Facebook group. Losing Lulu was the brainchild of Sue Alexander and Trish McMillan and is a safe place to share for those who
- [Old Dogs Break Your Heart](https://k9infocus.com/old-dogs-break-your-heart/) - Old Dogs Break Your Heart Having a fun weekend giving a seminar with Zen as my demo dog, as usual. Zen has been my demo dog for all of his 11.5 years. He’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Want to see a dog come out of a crate focused? Zen is on
- [The Problem is Your Relationship](https://k9infocus.com/the-problem-is-your-relationship/) - The Problem is Your Relationship Imagine this scenario: you go to the doctor with a handful of unpleasant physical symptoms. As you finish describing them your doctor says to you “the problem is that your health is poor”. What? Okay, yeah, that’s why you’re there. That actually may or may not be true, but that
- [We Know Nothing!](https://k9infocus.com/we-know-nothing/) - We Know Nothing! For over 25 years I have been dedicated to learning more about dogs and how to best train them. I’m a good student. I know what I don’t know. And I know that there is always something new to learn. I also know that I will never know everything, no matter how
- [CHANGE MY MIND!](https://k9infocus.com/change-my-mind/) - CHANGE MY MIND! Here are some of my controversial and likely unpopular opinions related to dogs and dog training: Cropping ears and docking tails is not necessary. Shock collars should be illegal. Flexi-leads are the work of the devil. Essential oils are not therapeutic and may even be dangerous. Agility can be very hard
- [Always Learning](https://k9infocus.com/always-learning/) - Always Learning! I am attending Clicker Expo close to Washington DC this weekend. It’s large and loud and full of people who love training dogs. These are my people. There are multiple sessions all day long and events into the evening. It’s exhilarating and exhausting. I know I’m not the only introvert masquerading as an
- [Elevator Behavior](https://k9infocus.com/elevator-behavior/) - Elevator Behavior Imagine this scenario: you are in an elevator at a large hotel. The doors open and a stranger steps in, looks at you, squeals in delight, throws her arms around you, and says “I want to be your new best friend!” How would you react to that? Personally, I would be horrified. And
- [What is a Dog?](https://k9infocus.com/what-is-a-dog/) - What is a Dog? This is an honest question! After 25 years of working with all sorts of dogs I am still mystified by them. They are so common and familiar, yet they are still so unexpected and amazing. I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot lately. My guess is that different people have
- [Another Sunday in Sylvania](https://k9infocus.com/another-sunday-in-sylvania/) - Another Sunday in Sylvania This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I am in Sylvania Ohio visiting my friend Lara Joseph and her animals at The Animal Behavior Center. I get to do this several times a year and it’s a fast and fun 24 hours. Our excuse is that we are
- [In Defense of Messy Training](https://k9infocus.com/in-defense-of-messy-training/) - In Defense of Messy Training The other day I did a very messy training session with Zen. And it was a good thing! My markers were inconsistent, my timing was off, my criteria were non-existent, and yet, it turned out to be a very informative session that did not harm my overall training progress. Lately,
- [And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming](https://k9infocus.com/and-now-back-to-our-regularly-scheduled-programming/) - And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming Wow! Last week’s blog on behavioral euthanasia sure did blow up! I mean, REALLY blow up! Keeping up with it took the majority of my week. 7000+ views, 100+ shares, 400+ new members in our Losing Lulu Facebook group. Apparently there’s a real need to talk about
- [Keyboard Warriors & Terrible Choices](https://k9infocus.com/keyboard-warriors-terrible-choices/) - Keyboard Warriors & Terrible Choices I really didn’t want to write this blog. I really really didn’t. Usually, I stick to fairly safe dog training topics. But I also write whatever is on my mind or inspiring me at any given moment. And I guess it’s finally time to crack open this ugly can of
- [Keep Calm and Be Zen](https://k9infocus.com/keep-calm-and-be-zen/) - Keep Calm and Be Zen Everyone should be like Zen. Zen lives in the moment, and 99.99% of his moments are good ones. Every moment, in Zen’s view, has the opportunity to be awesome. He’s the ultimate optimist. If not this moment, then for sure the next! If now sort of sucks, just pretend it’s
- [Control Yourself, Part 4](https://k9infocus.com/control-yourself-part-4/) - Control Yourself, Part 4 I was planning on ending the control series last week but decided to add one last fairly short blog. I’m heading out this weekend to do a seminar and the first day is all about impulse control. I’m also in the final stages of developing my FDSA class called Zen Logic:
- [Control Yourself, Part 3](https://k9infocus.com/control-yourself-part-3/) - Control Yourself, Part 3 By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Does your dog act first, think second? Do you believe that your dog would never actually wait for permission to take something he wants? Do you want to know more about a positive reinforcement based approach to teaching self-control? Check out this blog! Actually, first review the
- [Control Yourself, Part 2 (and what Freud would say)](https://k9infocus.com/control-yourself-part-2-and-what-freud-would-say/) - Control Yourself, Part 2 (and what Freud would say) By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. A central aspect of the ability to control yourself is being able to wait for what you want, even if there is a delay in receiving it. According to Sigmund Freud, in humans this is the job of the ego. The ego
- [Control Yourself!](https://k9infocus.com/control-yourself/) - Control Yourself! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. What’s on my mind these days? Self-control! Because this is the beginning of the new year it’s probably on the minds of many other folks as well. Most resolutions revolve around a behavior that we want to bring under better control. We eat too much, drink too much, sit
- [Do Less and Be Good Enough in 2019](https://k9infocus.com/do-less-and-be-good-enough-in-2019/) - Do Less and Be Good Enough in 2019 By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. While everyone is deciding on their New Year resolutions the very thought of self-improvement is making me tired and cranky. I have decided on just one resolution for next year: “do less”. Instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut
- [On Writing Books and Delayed Reinforcement](https://k9infocus.com/on-writing-books-and-delayed-reinforcement/) - On Writing Books and Delayed Reinforcement By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I have just finished writing my twelfth book! And I have just said, as I have eleven times before, “never again”. This was a two year project from start to finish. Granted, it wasn’t two years of continuous work, there were some long breaks in
- [In Dog Years](https://k9infocus.com/in-dog-years/) - In Dog Years By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I have been pondering, possibly obsessing, about dog years lately. In chronological years Zen is 12 ½. You’ve probably heard that you can calculate your dog’s approximate human age if you multiply his chronological age by 7, but that’s a very rough estimate. A chart I found on
- [Welcome to the Science Cafe!](https://k9infocus.com/welcome-to-the-science-cafe/) - Welcome to the Science Cafe! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. What is a science cafe? It’s the brainchild of Jessica Hekman http://www.dogzombie.com/ who thought that it might be fun for us to have a live discussion based on a scientific paper. The “us” is Jessica, Amy Cook http://playwaydogs.com/ , and myself. All 3 of us have
- [Your Shut Down Dog, Part 3](https://k9infocus.com/your-shut-down-dog-part-3/) - Your Shut Down Dog, Part 3 By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. This is the third blog in an unplanned series on shut down dogs. There has been so much interest in this issue that I decided to stick with it for a while longer. It’s an important topic and LOTS of people struggle with their shut
- [Why Teach?](https://k9infocus.com/why-teach/) - Why Teach? By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I've had this blog sitting in the queue for a few weeks now and decided Thanksgiving eve was a good time to release it. So here's a bonus blog this week! A few weeks ago I posed a discussion question to the students in my ‘Trainer to Teacher’ online
- [Your Shut Down Dog, Part 2](https://k9infocus.com/your-shut-down-dog-part-2/) - Your Shut Down Dog, Part 2 By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Last week’s blog on shut down dogs was a very popular one that sparked quite a bit of discussion, so I am going to continue on this theme this week. I talked about the misconception that a shut down dog needs more energy. In fact,
- [Your Shut Down Dog Doesn't Need More Energy; He Needs Less Stress](https://k9infocus.com/your-shut-down-dog-doesnt-need-more-energy-he-needs-less-stress/) - Your Shut Down Dog Doesn’t Need More Energy; He Needs Less Stress By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. One of the most common issues I hear from performance dog trainers has to do with the “shut down dog”. This type of dog tends to fold under pressure. When they feel stressed or anxious their tendency is to
- [Food Reactivity -- The Struggle is Real](https://k9infocus.com/food-reactivity-the-struggle-is-real/) - Food Reactivity -- The Struggle is Real By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. About a month ago I had the amazing opportunity to spend some time in New Hampshire with my fellow Fenzi Dog Sports Academy instructors. We were hosted by Julie Daniels at her gorgeous White Mountain Agility training center for some private training sessions followed
- [Opossums Need Acclimation Too!](https://k9infocus.com/opossums-need-acclimation-too/) - Opossums Need Acclimation Too! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Last weekend I had the best experience co-teaching an All Species Training and Behavior Workshop at The Animal Behavior Center with my friend Lara Joseph. It was exciting and exhausting. We were lucky enough to have an amazing number of diverse animals for our attendees to observe
- [It's All The Same, and It's Not the Same at All](https://k9infocus.com/its-all-the-same-and-its-not-the-same-at-all/) - It’s All The Same, and It’s Not The Same at All By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Some animals trainers, and I am one of them, would tell you that the basic concepts of training are the same no matter the species. Some trainers, myself included again, would also say that you need to really understand the
- [Those Who Can...](https://k9infocus.com/those-who-can/) - Those Who Can…. By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I have spent a bit of time with my friend Google trying to determine the origin of an often repeated phrase with many variations “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” It is said in many ways, but originally attributed to George Bernard Shaw. As you can
- [How Stressed? So Stressed!](https://k9infocus.com/how-stressed-so-stressed/) - How Stressed? So Stressed! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. If I ask you if you’re stressed the answer from the vast majority of people is going to be a resounding “yes!” And it’s true, most of us feel that we are stressed most of the time. When I ask you to be more specific about what
- [Rethinking Reinforcement](https://k9infocus.com/rethinking-reinforcement/) - Rethinking Reinforcement By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. When asked, I typically describe myself as a ‘primarily positive reinforcement’ trainer. But what does that even mean? It’s pretty vague and abstract, but it’s the best way I know to describe my general approach to training. While we all hate the use of simplistic labels, we also need
- [Inspiration](https://k9infocus.com/inspiration/) - Inspiration By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Am having a LOT of trouble deciding on a topic for this week’s blogs. Usually blog topics come quickly and easily, but this is at least my fourth attempt. We’ll see how far this one goes! After asking for some inspiration on the FDSA Alumni Group I got the great
- [Baby, Meet Bathwater](https://k9infocus.com/baby-meet-bathwater/) - Baby, Meet Bathwater By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Another day, another controversy among positive reinforcement based trainers. Nothing new to see here. Or is there? And my love of idioms continues as well. My extensive Google search (wikipedia) tells me that “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” is of German origin and means basically
- [A Dog's Breakfast](https://k9infocus.com/a-dogs-breakfast/) - A Dog’s Breakfast By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I was vaguely thinking about what to write in this week’s blog and not having any sort of inspiration hit. I love writing blogs; it’s one of the most enjoyable things I do. But the honest truth is that sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to write
- [Why I'm not a Fan of Waiting it Out in Training](https://k9infocus.com/why-im-not-a-fan-of-waiting-it-out-in-training/) - Why I’m not a Fan of Waiting it Out in Training By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I am currently starting Week 2 of my online Performance Fundamentals class. This class is an interesting mix of puppies, young dogs, trainers relatively new to positive reinforcement techniques, and dogs who have been trained with more traditional approaches. My
- [Sylvania Ohio](https://k9infocus.com/sylvania-ohio/) - Sylvania Ohio by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. It's 7:30 am on a summer Sunday morning and I'm writing this from a hotel room in Sylvania Ohio. Why am I in Sylvania? Because my friend Lara Joseph lives here. Sylvania is a surprisingly nice little town though. Great restaurants. And besides visiting Lara and her crew, food
- [You Can Train, But Can You Teach?](https://k9infocus.com/you-can-train-but-can-you-teach/) - You Can Train, But Can You Teach? By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. So you’re a pretty decent dog trainer. You’ve spent time learning your stuff. You understand learning theory and you are pretty darned good at applying it to actual animals. You’re so good, in fact, that people are asking for your advice and help. And
- [Cats Deserve Training Too!](https://k9infocus.com/cats-deserve-training-too/) - Cats Deserve Training Too! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. If I tell you that it’s a really good idea to train your cat, it’s highly likely you will laugh and totally dismiss that suggestion without even giving it a second thought. “Train a cat?” you’d say “I don’t think so. Cats aren’t trainable; they do what
- [My Life According to Amazon](https://k9infocus.com/my-life-according-to-amazon/) - My Life According to Amazon By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. It all started innocently enough. I was perusing my Facebook feed as usual and noticed an ad for an item that Amazon suggested for me. Not a strange occurrence at all, but the item caught my attention. It was an industrial beer cooler suitable for bars
- [Hello, My Name Is...](https://k9infocus.com/hello-my-name-is/) - Hello, My Name Is... By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. There is a new puppy in our household. He is an 11 week old Sheltie. Name to be determined. In fact, choosing the name is the hardest thing about this puppy. He’s cute, pleasant, fun, and fairly easygoing. Of course, this is Day 4. Hello, my
- [Hiking is Everything!](https://k9infocus.com/hiking-is-everything/) - Hiking is Everything! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I have come to recognize the joys and benefits of hiking with my dogs rather late in life. I began exploring the outdoors mainly in self-defense. I had a young very energetic Border Collie who needed activity. I’m sure many dog owners can relate! A long hike gave
- [Consequences, Simplified, Part 2](https://k9infocus.com/consequences-simplified-part-2/) - Consequences, Simplified, Part 2 by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. In my last blog I talked about the 4 basic consequences of behavior. I also said that I would address cases where those 4 options are not the only ones, and where things are not as neat and tidy as a simple contingency square would suggest.
- [Consequences, simplified, Part 1](https://k9infocus.com/consequences-simplified-part-1/) - Consequences, Simplified, Part 1 By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. There’s a very interesting discussion happening among dog trainers on Facebook regarding what are commonly referred to as ‘the 4 quadrants’. These quadrants are actually the 4 most common consequences of behavior. The spark for this discussion is a blog by Eileen Anderson titled “Goodbye to The
- [When You Find Your Tribe](https://k9infocus.com/when-you-find-your-tribe/) - When You Find Your Tribe By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. When you find your tribe you will know it. Your gut will tell you that you’re in the right place with the right people at the right time. You will feel understood and accepted, without judgment. Even if you are normally socially awkward, you will feel
- [Chasing Unicorns](https://k9infocus.com/chasing-unicorns/) - Chasing Unicorns By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. What’s your unicorn behavior? As an animal trainer what is the thing you would really love to train but you just don’t know how to accomplish it; or you start, get stuck, and give up? I asked this question on the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy student list and got
- [Shaping: It's Not What You Think It Is!](https://k9infocus.com/shaping-its-not-what-you-think-it-is/) - Shaping: It’s Not What You Think It Is! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I seem to talk about shaping an awful lot. You’d think that maybe I’m obsessed or something! I’ve taken shaping on as my personal pet project because I feel like it’s gotten a bad rap from some animal trainers. There are so
- [Happy Mother's Day!  Here's a Free Gift!](https://k9infocus.com/happy-mothers-day-heres-a-free-gift/) - Happy Mother’s Day! Here’s a Free Gift! by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Seems like there’s very little in life that’s actually free. Seems like even free stuff comes with strings attached. But here’s something that really is truly and completely free. It is offered without any expectation of reciprocity. Today is the day we honor those
- [Endings & Beginnings](https://k9infocus.com/endings-beginnings/) - Endings & Beginnings “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Lyrics from Closing Time by Semisonic. This blog is going to be a bit more personal than usual. I’m coming to a pretty big ending in my life, and a pretty uncertain and scary new beginning. Life is funny. You really just never
- [Errorless Learning: How Could That be a Bad Thing?](https://k9infocus.com/errorless-learning-how-could-that-be-a-bad-thing/) - Errorless Learning: How Could that be a Bad Thing? By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. In positive reinforcement training circles the concept of errorless learning is a very popular one. The basic idea is to set up your training sessions so that your dog has little to no chance to be wrong. This means that your rate
- [Create a Pay Scale for More Effective Shaping](https://k9infocus.com/create-a-pay-scale-for-more-effective-shaping/) - When shaping, we typically face the challenge of trying to raise criteria and get a better, more advanced version of a behavior while still keeping the dog engaged and interested during the process. If you raise criteria too soon and decide to only reinforce ‘better’ versions of a behavior you run the risk of the
- [Relationships Are Hard!](https://k9infocus.com/relationships-are-hard/) - I know, surprising isn’t it? Good relationships typically take a LOT of effort. And even the best relationships will have their rough patches. We expect that with humans there will be a need to negotiate, change expectations, and make cooperative decisions. But somehow, we think that our dogs will just go along with our agenda
- [Chin Rest Hold for the Retrieve](https://k9infocus.com/chin-rest-hold-for-the-retrieve/) - Training a formal competition level dumbbell retrieve is a daunting task for many folks, particularly when you have made the decision to do so with a system based on positive reinforcement (+R). Many more traditional and balanced trainers will tell you that at some point you must use pressure or force or you will never
- [Crack Monkeys, Sloths, and Eager Beavers](https://k9infocus.com/crack-monkeys-sloths-and-eager-beavers/) - Play with your dog, they say. It will be good for your relationship, they say. It will improve your training, they say. But how are you supposed to play? Most dog trainers are well past childhood. In childhood play is easy. We just do it without much thought. But as we got older we left
- [Social Psychology and Dog Training](https://k9infocus.com/social-psychology-and-dog-training/) - Social Psychology and Dog Training By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Two of my favorite topics in this blog! I’ve been thinking about a couple of related concepts from social psychology and how they apply to training. Have you heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP)? The simple definition from social psychology is that you start with a
- [Focus -- It's Not What You Think It Is!](https://k9infocus.com/focus-its-not-what-you-think-it-is/) - Focus -- It’s Not What You Think It Is! by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. “My dog gets in the ring and he loses focus”. “He does great at home, but out in public he’s distracted by everything”. “My dog has a short attention span”. “He KNOWS the behaviors but won’t do them at a trial”. “My
- [The One Easy Secret for Getting Your Dog to Focus on You](https://k9infocus.com/the-one-easy-secret-for-getting-your-dog-to-focus-on-you/) - The One Easy Secret for Getting Your Dog to Focus on You By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. With a title like that my guess is that most dog trainers are still reading. Even though your logical brain tells you there is no single easy secret you’re still hopeful, right? Maybe I’ve been holding out on this
- [And How Does That Make You Feel?](https://k9infocus.com/and-how-does-that-make-you-feel/) - And How Does That Make You Feel? By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. The phrase "and how does that make you feel?" is pretty much a stereotypic response that you'd expect from a therapist. But as a dog trainer you probably don't use that phrase very often. It's particularly unlikely you'd address it to your dog. But
- [See Ya on the Other Side Smudgie!](https://k9infocus.com/see-ya-on-the-other-side-smudgie/) - See Ya on the Other Side Smudgie! By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Monday we said goodbye to Smudge. Smudge was a 14 year old blue merle Sheltie and had a very active and healthy life, then a very quick decline the last month after a severe bout of pancreatitis. We knew he was old and had
- [Toss Your Cookies!](https://k9infocus.com/toss-your-cookies/) - Toss Your Cookies! by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. Throwing cookies on the floor for your dog is a great training technique. Really, it is. Really. I know, it sounds kind of ridiculous. But trust me, it’s really a sophisticated and effective way to train your dog. It sounds so simple. And yet, it becomes complicated very
- [Teacher vs. Coach: Making a Real Connection](https://k9infocus.com/teacher-vs-coach-making-a-real-connection/) - Teacher vs. Coach: Making a Real Connection Deborah Jones, Ph.D. I’ve spent a good portion of my life in classrooms and teaching settings. It took me nine years start to finish to get my Ph.D. in psychology. And I loved most of it! Those last few years were a bit tough, but overall, I really
- [Got Focus?](https://k9infocus.com/got-focus/) - Got Focus? By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. As a dog trainer there often comes a point in your work with any particular dog where you realize that focus is a real thing and you don’t have it. You have behaviors on cue and you have a dog that will work for food and/or toys, but you
- [The What, Why, and How of Dog Training](https://k9infocus.com/the-what-why-and-how-of-dog-training/) - The What, Why, and How of Dog Training By Deborah Jones, Ph.D. As a dog trainer, especially with a puppy or young dog, you have an overwhelming task. You need to decide what to train, determine how you will motivate your dog to work with you, and consider the constant question of how your dog
- [Super Shaping!](https://k9infocus.com/super-shaping/) - I remember when I first attempted shaping with a dog; about a thousand years ago. I followed the general description of the training game in Karen Pryor's 'Don't Shoot the Dog!'. I had a box, a clicker, a dog, and treats. And I waited, and waited, and waited. My dog stared at my treats. I
- [What Rocky Taught Me](https://k9infocus.com/what-rocky-taught-me/) - Rocky is a Moluccan Cockatoo who belongs to my friend, Lara. Before I met Rocky I had a fairly healthy fear of large birds. Those beaks and feet seem pretty dangerous to me. They move fast and I have no idea what any of their body language means. Are they happy, excited, annoyed, feeling homicidal?
- [The Long and Winding Road](https://k9infocus.com/the-long-and-winding-road/) - To borrow from the Beatles... But of course, I'm talking about dog training. Learning is a science, but not an exact one. Mainly because every new dog presents us with a new set of challenges. Sure, in the lab we can precisely control all extraneous variables, but not in the living room with the puppy.
- [Why Not Shock?](https://k9infocus.com/why-not-shock/) - It's not often these days that I'm motivated to put in the time and effort to craft a blog post. I typically say everything I want on Facebook or in my books. But after the Facebook posts regarding the American Kennel Club's fiasco stating their view on the use of shock collars (first they stated
- [Talking to Animals](https://k9infocus.com/talking-to-animals/) - I had an unusual childhood. Not bad, just unusual. Looking back now I have to say I wasn't really well-socialized with people. I was an only child with divorced parents. Being that I attended Catholic schools in the early 1960s, that was NOT considered the norm. I was the only one of my kind. All
- [The Five Things Every Puppy Should Know](https://k9infocus.com/the-five-things-every-puppy-should-know/) - I am just wrapping up my first online puppy class at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com. I have spent 12 weeks with a wonderful group of pups and trainers. I am sad to see them move on because I will miss them. But I am so proud of how far they have come. And I
- [Rally and cinnamon rolls and puppies and online classes](https://k9infocus.com/rally-and-cinnamon-rolls-and-puppies-and-online-classes/) - I had a GREAT day yesterday at Posidog in Columbus Ohio. They hosted a Cynosport Rally trial, actually 3 trials in one day. I was in the ring with Zen and Star 16 times. Yes 16! Would have been 18 if I hadn't gotten a speeding ticket on the way there. Total speed trap. Anyway,
- [The Perfect Dog:  The Concept of Balance in Dog Training](https://k9infocus.com/the-perfect-dog-the-concept-of-balance-in-dog-training/) - What do you think of when you hear the word balanced? I think of something or someone that is stable, strong, coordinated, and steady. When training our dogs we do consider balance, but balance in the dog, not the training techniques. We want our dogs to be well-rounded. To have equal amounts of drive and
- ["Discussions" about dog training](https://k9infocus.com/discussion/) - So I've been having a "discussion" on Facebook with a self-proclaimed balanced trainer about my last blog. And following my policy of being honest and telling the truth on my blog here goes. She brought up some interesting points and arguments. Unfortunately, they were laced with prejudiced judgments about me and the value of my
- [My name is Deb and I'm an "unbalanced" trainer :-/](https://k9infocus.com/my-name-is-deb-and-im-an-unbalanced-trainer/) - This is my opinion, based on my experiences with dogs over the past 20 years and my understanding of behavioral science (which is pretty damn good!) So if you strongly disagree with me, write your own blog about it. Among dog trainers we seem to have been divided into camps based on our underlying philosophy
- [My dog is an introvert and so am I, and we're both OK!](https://k9infocus.com/my-dog-is-an-introvert-and-so-am-i-and-were-both-ok/) - Star is brilliant and loving and easy to live with. She is also an introvert. She doesn't really want to interact with you, whoever you might be. She prefers the company of the few people she knows and trusts. And if you leave her alone you will make her comfortable and happy. On a walk
- [Out of body experiences](https://k9infocus.com/out-of-body-experiences/) - Went on a short vacation with friends. We each brought several dogs. They brought their 9 month old sporting breed. We chose the vacation spot because it had a fully fenced 8 acre area with pond. Guess what the young sporting breed did while off leash? Exactly what you would expect, investigated the underbrush and
- [Obedience in the front; agility in the back](https://k9infocus.com/obedience-in-the-front-agility-in-the-back/) - I LOVE that I can get outside and train regularly now. Except it is horribly hot! But, we have almost all the equipment out so we can do quick training sessions when we have time. Here's the front yard set up for Utility training. Luckily, it's exactly the right size for a Utility ring. Our
- [Competition obedience](https://k9infocus.com/competition-obedience/) - Where to even begin on this topic? It seems that this may indeed be a dying sport. And those that love it don't really seem willing to make substantive changes. When I look around I see mostly middle-aged (& up) competitors. I definitely don't see younger people coming into this activity the way they did
- [Teaching a relaxed down](https://k9infocus.com/teaching-a-relaxed-down/) - Here's a session with Judy & Trick. Judy's using a placemat as a target and her goal is to teach trick to lie down and flop over on his side. As you can see, he is getting the idea that staying on the mat pays off and that lying down works well. Judy is shaping
- [A couple pictures...](https://k9infocus.com/a-couple-pictures/) - Here are two of my favorite recent pictures of Trick & Smudge. We were worried in the beginning that Smudge might hurt the kitties because he has the highest "prey drive" of the bunch. But he is now their protector and nanny. In the second pic he is gently holding Trick down with one paw
- [Long time gone by.....](https://k9infocus.com/long-time-gone-by/) - I suppose that lots of people start blogs with good intentions and then get sidetracked as I have. But I'm going to make an honest effort to keep up with this a bit more, at least for the summer. First thing... if you got here from the DogRead group you can go to our website
- [Cats ruin everything!](https://k9infocus.com/cats-ruin-everything/) - Judy made this statement when I told her we couldn't get poinsettias this year. We also have a naked Christmas tree because we're a little afraid to put on the ornaments. The tree has been up for two weeks and we still chase the cats away from it from time to time. But I'm sure
- [Trick can't climb trees](https://k9infocus.com/trick-cant-climb-trees/) - We were out in the front yard playing ball with Zen yesterday and Trick was out hanging around with us. Apparently, his tree climbing gene has kicked in. He tried the big tree in the front yard and only got up about a foot. Without front claws this is clearly never going to work. Then
- [Kitties become cats!](https://k9infocus.com/kitties-become-cats/) - They caught their first mouse! It's ridiculous how exciting that is for me. We get the occasional mouse, particular downstairs in the laundry room where we keep some dog treats. I have no problem using traps, but was so pleased that the kitties are actually doing their job. They must have played with it for
- [Post surgery kitties](https://k9infocus.com/post-surgery-kitties/) - It's been a while, but I wanted to update on the kitties and their neuter & declaw. Yes, we decided on the declaw even though we had some long discussions. We want these kitties to be part of our family for many years. If a scratching problem develops, we understand it will be even more
- [Sci-Fi Kitty!](https://k9infocus.com/sci-fi-kitty/) - Apparently, Treat has a real wild side to him. We first noticed that when he would eat his dry food out of the bowl I was holding he would plaster his ears back, stick his head clear to the bottom of the bowl, and grab huge mouthfuls of dry food. It's kind of scary how
- [Handling the kitties](https://k9infocus.com/handling-the-kitties/) - I think that having success with manning down the kitties has also had a benefit in handling them as well. Again, Trick has always been better with this naturally. He is going to have long hair, so will need to be brushed regularly too. But, he's doing well with that. I had a breakthrough with
- [Manning down the kitties](https://k9infocus.com/manning-down-the-kitties/) - We have always used the 'manning down' technique with our puppies with great success. This means that we sit quietly with them regularly and hold them. Now sometimes that's easier said than done! Particularly if they are squirmy or active. But manning teaches them that when we hold them they need to settle down and
- [I've created a monster!](https://k9infocus.com/ive-created-a-monster/) - I was so focused on the idea that wet food had to be a better reinforcer than dry that I wasn't paying attention to what Treat was telling me. He truly prefers his dry food. So now he has to come to me and I will let him eat out of a Tupperware container, or
- [Hunger Works](https://k9infocus.com/hunger-works/) - Not that I'm trying to starve them, but a hungry subject is a motivated subject. We have been feeding as much of their wet food as we can for training, but had been giving them dry food in between. After all, they're growing kitties. But, after having Treat wander away during a training session again
- [Kitty crack!](https://k9infocus.com/kitty-crack/) - Judy has decided that Pounce treats are definitely "kitty crack". They will do anything for a Pounce. Of course, I'm sure that means they are like human junk food, but used judiciously, they will help with training. The other thing that seems very addictive is the mouse racetrack. It's like they can't help themselves. They
- [Treat needs to be hungry!](https://k9infocus.com/treat-needs-to-be-hungry/) - Trick continues to do very well in his training with Judy. His shaping, in particular, is coming along great. He shapes like a very motivated puppy. Treat, on the other hand, not so good. He doesn't seem to get the concept of shaping at all, and he just wanders away in the middle of training.
- [Shaping the kitties](https://k9infocus.com/shaping-the-kitties/) - Trick is definitely better at shaping than Treat. He clearly understands that you need to do something with the object in front of you in order to get the food. Here are a couple videos, one with the Alley Oop and another with an alligator piano. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t7JEOKzQPQ] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U-5MAE1e0E] Treat needs much smaller increments for reinforcement.
- [What can you teach cats?](https://k9infocus.com/what-can-you-teach-cats/) - Cats are definitely different than dogs. The kitties are learning, but it doesn't progress the way puppy learning does. One thing they are both good at is a sit stay on their mats. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1HgAVKiFLU] They lure well but I want to start fading the lure. Since we're feeding with spoons we have to transfer to
- [Tiny Vampirates](https://k9infocus.com/tiny-vampirates/) - With their needle sharp teeth and tendency to go at each other's throats, we now call them the vampirates. They are growing really fast and their play is becoming rougher. However, they are still pretty good about being handled. They'd prefer to be off doing something, but don't fight much when you hold them. Treat
- [Training the tiny pirates](https://k9infocus.com/training-the-tiny-pirates/) - It's been about 10 days since we got the kitties and I have to say, they are doing really well. Trick has always been more affectionate, purring and enjoying being touched. But Treat is getting better. I am becoming a good secondary reinforcer, I think. He looks at me now and knows I'm the key
- [Tiny Pirates](https://k9infocus.com/tiny-pirates/) - We have been referring to the kitties as tiny pirates. If you think about it, they loot and pillage regularly, they have hooks, and they get 'drunk' and cause a lot of commotion. They ignore rules. Apparently, rules are for dogs. We have been singing the following song about them for weeks (sung to the
- [Hello world!](https://k9infocus.com/hello-world-2/) - First of all, I would like to acknowledge the photographer of the header photo, Monty Sloan from Wolf Park. He took some absolutely amazing photos when I was there. I plan on using this blog to talk about animal behavior and training, since that is my obsession. I was at Wolf Park at the end of

## Pages

- [Home - 2024 Update](https://k9infocus.com/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#417a68″ custom_padding=”50px|0px|50px|0px” bottom_divider_color=”#76aa98″ bottom_divider_height=”500px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ border_color_all=”rgba(51,51,51,0)” border_style_all=”none” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”Montserrat|300||on|||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_letter_spacing=”4px” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_layout=”dark” global_colors_info=”{}”] Dog trainer, teacher, author[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ text_font=”Montserrat|600|||||||” text_letter_spacing=”2px” header_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_2_font=”Montserrat|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”|||” text_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ header_2_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]DEB JONES, Ph.D Deb is a psychologist who specializes in learning theory and social
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- [Home](https://k9infocus.com/home/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#417a68″ custom_padding=”50px|0px|50px|0px” bottom_divider_color=”#76aa98″ bottom_divider_height=”500px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ border_color_all=”rgba(51,51,51,0)” border_style_all=”none” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”Montserrat|300||on|||||” text_font_size=”16px” text_letter_spacing=”4px” text_line_height=”2.2em” background_layout=”dark” global_colors_info=”{}”] Dog trainer, teacher, author[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ text_font=”Montserrat|600|||||||” text_letter_spacing=”2px” header_font=”Montserrat||||||||” header_2_font=”Montserrat|800|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#ffffff” header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”|||” text_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ header_2_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]DEB JONES, Ph.D Deb is a psychologist who specializes in learning theory and social
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## Post Types

- [Books and DVDs](https://k9infocus.com/books-dvds/)
- [Learn with Deb](https://k9infocus.com/learn-with-deb/)

## Taxonomies

- [Availability](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/availability/)
- [Status](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/status/)
- [Type](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/type/)
- [Format (LWD)](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/format-lwd/)
- [Format](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/format/)
- [Call to Action](https://k9infocus.com/dmach_tax/call-to-action/)

## Learn with Deb

- [Open Wide: Stress-Free Mouth Handling & Dental Care](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/open-wide-stress-free-mouth-handling-dental-care/) - 3 WEEK CLASS - It's time to get a handle on mouth handling and dental care with your dog! We all know that we should be taking care of our dogs’ teeth, but our canine companions don’t always make that an easy task. This course will help you and your dog develop comfortable approaches to all
- [Nail Trims Without Trauma: From Conflict to Cooperation](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/nail-trims-without-trauma-from-conflict-to-cooperation/) - How does your dog feel about nail trims? How do you feel about trimming your dog’s nails? Nail trims are, by far, the most problematic husbandry concern for dog guardians. People, and their dogs, often find the entire situation unpleasant and frustrating. The process of shortening a dog’s nails is not simple and straightforward; but
- [TEAM CCC Title Training Videos](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/team-titles-training-videos/) - To help you work through the training process on your way to earning your TEAM CCC titles Deb has developed a course that includes expanded descriptions of the 10 required exercises along with video lectures, demonstration videos, and a discussion of training steps & goals. This course is available through Kajabi for $49.99. What you'll
- [Cooperative Care Trainer Certificate](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/cooperative-care-trainer-certificate/) - [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
- [TEAM Cooperative Certificate](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/team-cooperative-certificate/) - One of the absolute best things you can do for your dog is to help make the care necessary for his health and well-being as stress free and familiar as possible. So we partnered with the Fenzi TEAM (Training Excellence Assessment Modules) to provide a virtual titling program that will help you organize and assess
- [Yes Please! Cooperative Canine Care](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/uncategorized/cooperative-care/) - Can you draw blood from a whale without force? Yes, you can. What about put eye drops into a sea lion's eyes with no fuss? Again, yes you can. But you have to train for it. Captive animals need physical care and can be trained with positive and effective methods to accept all sorts
- [Food for Thought](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/training-foundations/food-for-thought/) - Dog trainers who rely primarily on positive reinforcement methods to build and maintain behaviors tend to lean very heavily on the use of food in training. There are good reasons for this. Food tends to be a fairly universal positive reinforcer. It is easy to obtain, control, and deliver. Many dogs will reliably work for
- [Awesome Muzzle Training](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/cooperative-care/awesome-muzzle-training/) - All dogs should be taught to comfortably wear a muzzle. Why? So many reasons! Muzzles can sometimes be necessary, especially if your dog is in pain or injured. There may be safety reasons that make a muzzle desirable in certain situations. Muzzles can make everyone more comfortable when interacting with a nervous or tense dog.
- [Fully Focused](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/focus/fully-focused/) - What’s the secret to fun and success in dog training? Focus! But it’s not what you might think it is… Helping your dog become an enthusiastic working partner is about much more than training your dog to focus on you. Encouraging trainer focus is just one part of the much bigger focus picture. If we
- [Reality Check: What Can & Cannot be Fixed](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/behavior/reality-check-what-can-cannot-be-fixed/) - Are you struggling with a dog whose behavioral issues seem very resistant to positive change? Do you wonder if it is your level of training experience that’s the problem? Have you been told by others that you need to apply a more forceful approach to correct the issue? Do you feel judged by others because
- [Raising a Performance Puppy](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/training-foundations/raising-a-performance-puppy/) - There is nothing as exciting, or as terrifying, as starting training with a new puppy. If you have high hopes that this pup will be your next performance partner, the pressure definitely intensifies. You want to do everything right to maximize your pup's potential and develop an amazing working partnership. With that goal in mind
- [It's All Tricks!](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/training-foundations/its-all-tricks/) - In our opinion, dog training really is "all tricks." There's no distinction between "serious" work and "fun" work. It's all fun if you're doing it right! Teaching tricks can, however, lead to huge and long-lasting benefits for your competition work. Far from being silly and inconsequential, tricks can be the building blocks for more advanced
- [Training with Remote Reinforcement](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/training-foundations/training-with-remote-reinforcement/) - Training with Remote Reinforcement Remote reinforcement devices (such as a Treat & Train, Manners Minder, or Pet Tutor) can offer some unique advantages to your training program. While these devices are often used for behavioral issues such as separation anxiety or crate manners, we are going to focus on teaching and reinforcing specific behaviors. Having
- [The Cat's Meow](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb/training-foundations/the-cats-meow/) - Cats! We love our cats, but rarely try to train them. There's a pervasive myth that cats cannot be trained, but of course, they can. This myth is likely due, at least in part, to attempts at training with coercive methods. Most creatures respond poorly to these techniques and cats are no exception. However, any

## Books & DVDs

- [HELP! I CAN’T DO MY DOG’S NAILS!](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/cooperative-care/help-i-cant-do-my-dogs-nails/) - Being able to safely and effectively trim a dog's toenails is not an easy task. Nails grow continuously and without care can lead to serious welfare issues for a dog. While some dogs are fairly tolerant of nail trimming others find it highly unpleasant and uncomfortable. In this eBook you'll find everything you need to
- [When the Loss is Deep:](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/uncategorized/when-the-loss-is-deep/) - Losing a beloved companion animal can be excruciatingly painful. We can feel isolated in our pain in a world where animals are sometimes considered replaceable objects. People may not understand the depth of your grief over such a loss. You may even surprise yourself! Finding a way to navigate the grief process, particularly when the
- [Dog Sports Skills, Book 4](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/dog-sports-skills-book-4/) - Struggling to keep and maintain your dog's attention during training or competition? Sure that your dog knows all of the work, if only he would focus and stay engaged? In the highly anticipated fourth (and final?) book in the "Dog Sports Skills" series, authors Denise Fenzi and Deb Jones turn their attention to the topics
- [Dog Sports Skills, Book 3](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/dog-sports-skills-book-3/) - Newsflash!: WINNER of the 2015 Book of the Year for Dog Behavior and Training! If you want to develop your playful relationship with your dog, this book is easily the most comprehensive source on the topic, covering food, toy and personal play in great depth. Fenzi and Jones begin by explaining that good play is
- [Dog Sports Skills, Book 2](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/dog-sports-skills-book-2/) - 2014 'Book of the Year" for Dog Behavior and Training! (Maxwell award). In this second book in the "Dog Sports Skills" series, Authors Denise Fenzi and Deb Jones take an in-depth look at the topic of motivation. They talk about what motivation is, and what it is not, along with an illuminating discussion of how
- [Dog Sports Skills, Book 1](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/dog-sports-skills-book-1/) - This is the first book in the award winning "Dog Sports Skills" series. This first book will focus on developing a competition dog sports foundation based in engagement and relationship. It doesn't matter what genetic package or temperament your dog is born with; you can bring out the best in your dog! To train your
- [First Things First:](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/cooperative-care/first-things-first/) - In this FREE Ebook, you’ll receive an introduction to cooperative care work. Training for veterinary care and grooming procedures is a worthwhile use of your time and effort. It’s amazing how much of a positive difference you can make with the right approach. Topics we’ll cover include: How to get started Your secret superpower for
- [In FOCUS](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/in-focus-5/)
- [Teaching Clicker Classes](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/teaching-clicker-classes/)
- [Click 'N' Sniff](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/click-n-sniff/)
- [In FOCUS](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/in-focus-2/)
- [In FOCUS](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/in-focus-4/)
- [In FOCUS](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/in-focus-3/)
- [The Clicker Workbook](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/the-clicker-workbook/) - A Beginner's Guide. A comprehensive guide to the new and exciting way to train your dog with a clicker... no jerking, pulling or using force here! Includes lesson plans and question and answer reviews for each of the ten steps, plus training logs so you can keep track of your progress. Develop trust, bonding and
- [Click Here](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/click-here/) - Dr. Deb Jones' title on clicker training the pet dog. Introduces operant techniques for working with your companion to create willing compliance to commands, and exercises to make day to day life more enjoyable with your canine partner. Includes "clicker training guidelines", "puppy stuff" and information on behavioral problem solving.
- [Clicker Fun](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/clicker-fun/) - Dr. Deb Jones' book on clicker training is a great starter book! You can learn the fundamentals of operant conditioning, then enjoy teaching fun tricks and practical behaviors. Your dog can learn to wave, put away toys, turn on a light switch and more. The book even includes all kinds of games to sharpen your
- [Preparing for Success](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/preparing-for-success/)
- [Zen Focus](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/zen-focus/)
- [The Focused Puppy](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/the-focused-puppy/) - A new puppy is a blank slate with endless possibilities. It’s a new beginning that offers you a chance to get it right and not repeat past mistakes. Anyone who has trained a dog before loves that feeling of starting fresh, believing this new puppy will be the best one ever! But a new puppy
- [Clicker Fun](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/clicker-fun-2/) - A great starter set for anyone interested in learning about operant techniques. We've put together our most popular starter items in one set for anyone wanting to delve into dog clicker training with wild abandon, but is unsure where to start. If you've wondered how to start clicker training your dog, this set is for
- [Click and Fix](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/click-and-fix/) - This video shows you how to "fix" your dog's behavior problems while using fair and humane techniques, rather than force and punishment. This DVD focuses on the problem-solving methods of prevention, management, extinction and differential reinforcement. Problems such as chewing, nipping, destructiveness, jumping, barking and hyperactivity are highlighted. Whether new to clicker training or experienced
- [Click and Fetch](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/click-and-fetch/) - The retrieve (fetch) is one of the most useful behaviors your dog can perform. Whether for fun, practical use, or competition, you can teach your dog an enthusiastic retrieve using this method. The video shows you how to build a strong reliable retrieve using only positive techniques. Common problems and solutions in retrieve training are
- [Clicker and Go](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/training-foundations/clicker-and-go/) - This video presents the basic principles of how to clicker train a dog, which are rooted in sound scientific principles and humane, positive methods. One of the biggest obstacles in dog training is establishing a common language to convey information to the dog. Dr. Deb details how to condition the clicker as a secondary reinforcer
- [Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/cooperative-care/cooperative-care-2/)
- [Cooperative Care:](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/cooperative-care/cooperative-care/) - Having trouble trimming your dog’s nails or bathing him? Is your dog stressed in the vet’s office? Wondering how to make the process of grooming and veterinary care more comfortable both for you and your dog? Then this is the book for you! Cooperative Care will cover seven main areas to help prepare your dog for
- [In Focus](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds/focus/in-focus/) - Developing a Working Relationship With Your Performance Dog Deborah Jones, Ph.D. and Judy Keller Paperback 104 pages Release 2004 Great runs on agility courses don't just happen. And they aren't just a matter of exquisite handling and thorough training. Behind every flowing run in agility is a great partnership. For some dog and handler teams

## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://k9infocus.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/category/cooperative-care/)

## Learn with Deb categories

- [Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb_category/cooperative-care/)
- [Focus](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb_category/focus/)
- [Training Foundations](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb_category/training-foundations/)
- [Behavior](https://k9infocus.com/learn_with_deb_category/behavior/)

## Books and DVDs categories

- [Cooperative Care](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds_category/cooperative-care/)
- [Focus](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds_category/focus/)
- [Training Foundations](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds_category/training-foundations/)
- [Zen Work](https://k9infocus.com/books-and-dvds_category/zen-work/)

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## Statuses

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## Types

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## Calls to Action

- [CARE Certificate](https://k9infocus.com/call_to_action/care-certificate/)
- [Grief Book Promo](https://k9infocus.com/call_to_action/grief-book-promo/)
- [Cooperative Care Book](https://k9infocus.com/call_to_action/cooperative-care-book/)
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- [Focus Book](https://k9infocus.com/call_to_action/focus-book/)