The Ethics of Aversives Use

Academy director Jean Donaldson and staffer Kristi Benson unpack the argument that all training is “science-based” in this thoughtful conversation. Science has given us, as dog trainers (heck, as humans) such an incredible bounty of goods. Scientists have turned their hypothesis-generating magnifying glasses on questions both broad and specific: what is reinforcement? How does reinforcement […]

Our Heroes

Academy director Jean Donaldson and staffer Kristi Benson in conversation about their heroes: those people who have opened their eyes with the most glorious of epiphanies and motivated them to be better dog trainers and teachers. I’m curious about your own heroes: those from within our professional domain and those who are adjacent or outside […]

Everything Important About Dog Training I Learned From Learning Music

Academy director Jean Donaldson and staffer Kristi Benson in conversation about the interesting overlaps between learning music and learning to train dogs. In my mind, two of mankind’s greatest inventions are music and dogs and there are interesting parallels between these two things. The low-hanging fruit for me is repetition, so let’s start with that.  […]

Conversations About Management

The Academy’s director Jean Donaldson speaks with staffer Kristi Benson about management in pet dog training and why standard operating procedures are often more important. Kristi: For us dog trainers working in the real world with pet dogs, management is absolutely vital. It’s often the first thing we bring up with our clients, once we’ve […]