Victoria Stilwell on Training Dogs: Stay Positive

Whether she’s teaching a Pomeranian not to bite his owner when he gets in bed with his wife or treating a Wheaten Terrier with severe OCD, trainer Victoria Stilwell always thinks positive.

The star of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog and a judge on CBS’ Greatest American Dog, Stilwell — coming to town for two local events — preaches the virtues of training dogs through positive reinforcement. Think praise and treats instead of shock collars and physical punishment.

“People want quick fixes,” says the author of Train Your Dog Positively (Ten Speed, $14.99 in paper). “If you’re teaching dogs something, you can do it quickly. But changing a habit takes longer. You can suppress those behaviors with punishment, but they’re still there.

In the book, which she’ll sign from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Books & Books in Coral Gables, Stilwell offers solutions for behavioral problems including separation anxiety, housebreaking, leash pulling and excessive barking. (One tip: A walk each day does wonders for your dog’s well-being — and yours, too.)…. [MORE]

Victoria Stilwell with her dog Sadie

It’s Me or the Dog’s Victoria Stilwell on Why Breed-Specific Legislation Is Bad

For many of us, our dogs are like our kids. We love them, we care for them, and they can torture us with the same kind of behavior issues: barking, chewing, aggression. It’s like the canine version of crying, drawing on the walls and temper tantrums.

Luckily, you can teach an old dog, young dog, or in-between dog new tricks, as proven by Animal Planet’s Victoria Stilwell, host of It’s Me or the Dog.

Stilwell is known for her positive, reward-based pooch training, and she recently released a new book, Train Your Dog Positively. She’ll also be passing through Sunny Isles on Friday, April 26, hosting a Dog Bite Prevention & Awareness Conference. We caught up with Stilwell and chatted about breed-specific legislation (BSL), how relationships are affected by pets, and dogs as eternal optimists… [MORE]

 

How to Curb Scent Marking

Scent marking is a very normal and common behavior particularly in male dogs, but becomes a big problem when marking occurs in the home. Dogs mark to advertise their presence or to claim territory and resources. Pheromones in urine and feces contain chemical messages that pass on information about the marker such as age, sex, health and reproductive status. Even though urination has a competitive component, it can also occur if a dog is over stimulated, for example, during or after vigorous play, or if a dog becomes anxious in a particular situation, such as when a person leaves. This common expression of anxiety in dogs is often mistaken for spite, resulting in punishment that only serves to increase anxious behavior.

Both sexes scent mark, but intact males are the worst offenders as signaling sexual availability and claiming territory is ‘encouraged’ by the presence of testosterone. In many cases, neutering can significantly reduce the desire to scent mark, but some dogs continue even after they have been neutered. Resources such as toys, food bowls, chew treats, bones and beds are the most likely objects to be marked and in some cases, a dog will actually mark a person or something that smells heavily of that person such as a sofa or bed.

Read more: San Diego Pets Magazine – How to Curb Scent Marking

Positive Dog Training Kinder, More Effective Than Abusive Methods

Victoria Stilwell calls electronic shock collars abusive.

“If I, say, put a shock collar on a child, people would look at me with horror,” says the host of Animal Planet’s “It’s Me or the Dog.” “But dogs feel pain just as we do and have the same emotions we do. I think it’s equally as abusive to use shock collars on dogs.”

There’s been renewed interest in these collars — which give dogs an electronic jolt remotely — following an appearance by actress Eva Mendes on “Late Night with David Letterman” March 21. On the show, Mendes said, “All he (her Belgian Malinois) wants to do is to prove his love to me. I’d feel terrible if he hurt a little thing (such as a squirrel), so I use a shock collar on him.” She added that people “yell” at her for using the collar, so she tested it on herself. After trying the collar on her arm, Mendes conceded that the shock was more than merely a tingle. Still, she defended the practice.

Stilwell doesn’t agree, calling the use of shock collars “lazy training.” She added that there’s a good reason why Mendes didn’t try to wear the collar around her own neck.

“Try wearing one around your own neck, and not knowing when that shock is going to come,” she says. “The effect would be enough to drive you crazy, literally. You can change the electrical energy in the brain. Some dogs’ brains get fried because again and again these awful contraptions are used,” Stilwell added…  [MORE]

Renowned Dog Trainer Becomes Patron of North Devon Charity

ONE of the world’s most renowned dog trainers Victoria Stilwell has become an international patron of North Devon’s unique charity, Dogs Helping Kids (DHK).

Victoria is best known as the star of the international hit TV series It’s Me Or The Dog, through which she shares her insight and passion for positive training methods.

Tracey Berridge, the founder of DHK, said: “Dogs Helping Kids is proud, privileged and very honoured to welcome Victoria Stilwell as an international charity patron.

“We feel like we have won the lottery to have such an internationally renowned dog trainer supporting us.”… [MORE]

Dog Training Tips Live From the Couch

Victoria Talks About the Power of Positive Training on NY’s Live From the Couch.  (3/22/2013)

Click photo below to watch video:

Victoria Talking “Positively” on Better Mornings Atlanta

Victoria appeared on “Better Mornings Atlanta” this morning, to talk about positive training, her new book, and the book signing event she will be having tomorrow evening.

Check out the video by clicking the photo below: