Here's a training statement I hear: the dog is solid at home, inconsistent while out and about. This could apply to any form of training, obedience, detection, directionals, and a reinforcement system. We adjust the dog's training. We add more reps, run more environments, vary the hides. Some of that helps. Sometimes, what actually changed was the handler. Act One: The Antecedent Picture Before a dog offers any behavior, something in the environment sets it up. Behavior analysts call this the...

"The dog is panting. They can't smell right now." You're watching your dog, thinking about their welfare, and trying to read the situation in front of you. Your intuition is understandable, but the conclusion misses the mark. Why does that matter? If we get the problem wrong, we get the solution wrong, too. Panting is how dogs cool themselves down. When a dog pants, air moves primarily through the mouth, where evaporative cooling occurs on the tongue and upper airway. That doesn’t mean the...

When dog trainers talk about "tools," most people know what that means: collars, leashes, e-collars, prongs, slip leads, harnesses, halters, treats, clickers, maybe even a target stick. That’s the definition most people use. And that’s why so many of our arguments end up going in circles. But the trainers I respect most, regardless of whether they’re R+ purists, balanced trainers, working-dog handlers, or force-free educators, have a different idea of what a "tool" really is. It’s not the one...