The Thatcher Pet Project

07/17/2018

Did you know the 'fight or flight response' was first coined by US physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon in 1915 to describe an animal's response to threats in his book: Bodily Changes in Pain, Hunger, Fear and Rage: An Account of Recent Researches into the Function of Emotional Excitement.

This response is recognised as the first stage of the general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress responses among vertebrates and other organisms.

07/11/2018

07/10/2018

Dog training using rewards versus discipline produces different outcomes.

07/10/2018

My Tuesday had a pretty adorable start! We have two dogs that love to sleep in and one that likes to wake up before 6am. Are your dogs late sleepers or early risers??

06/26/2018

06/26/2018

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

06/26/2018

Do you struggle to keep your dog(s) out of the kitchen? I do not enjoy getting mugged while I am cooking, so instead of focusing on stopping the unwanted behavior, I came up with a plan for what my dog could do instead. Turns out, he can't beg for food at my elbow when he's not in the kitchen. I started reinforcing him for quiet, calm behavior outside the kitchen and stopped giving any snacks in the kitchen. Now he knows that waiting outside the kitchen pays way better than crowding mom and hoping she drops something. We never have to hurt our dogs to get results.

06/22/2018

"The greatest handicap a dog (or learner) can have is when she is labeled by the trainer."

— Nancy Gagliardi Little, FDSA Instructor

06/22/2018

Last fall, I switched my dogs to 15 ft long lines & it has made walking so much more enjoyable for them. They get to sniff all over the place and get twice the exercise compared to walking them on a regular 6ft leash. Remember that walks are for your dog, so be sure to let them sniff and explore instead of expecting them to stay in heel position the whole time.

06/21/2018

https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/blog/predation-and-dogs-normalizing-behavior

One gorgeous summer morning, I watched from across the pool as a small grey bird fluttered down out of a tree and hovered just a few feet in front of my foster dog, Quinn. Quinn tilted her head to the side and froze for a brief moment before lunging forward and snatching it from the air, issuing a n...

06/21/2018

Things have been pretty crazy around here since we got June all settled into her new home (she is doing great)! Our resident dog, Aiden, is having some health issues so we are taking a break from fostering until we can get him more comfortable, but I have been beyond busy with the training and outreach side of the rescue! This spring, I taught force free dog training classes through our local 4H program for 8-18 year old members (so much fun), went to a weekend BAT seminar (so excited to start offering this amazing protocol to our reactive dog clients) and I’ve completed my certification to become an official Dog Bite Safety Educator through Doggone Safe. I took a little social media hiatus, but I am back now & can’t wait to share all of this cool new stuff with our amazing community!