Conversations About Functional Analysis

The Academy’s director Jean Donaldson speaks with staffer Kristi Benson about functional analyses in pet dog training and why standard operating procedures are often more important. Kristi: A perennially fascinating topic for dog training professionals is the use and usefulness of functional assessments or functional analyses. Functional analyses are a tool in the applied behaviour […]

Conversations About Dire Wolves

The Academy’s director Jean Donaldson speaks with staffer Kristi Benson about human evolution and the real risks, to both humans and dogs, that result from our fear of dogs. Kristi: When people think about evolution, my sense is that they conjure up moths on trees in Industrial Revolution England or lungfish with delicate little flipper […]

Enrichment for Dogs on Restricted Diets

Enrichment provides valuable problem-solving and mental stimulation for dogs. One of the easiest ways to provide it is work-to-eat toys. But what about dogs with dietary restrictions? Even dogs who are on a very restricted diet will have some options to consider. We all want to enrich our dogs’ lives, and the lives of our […]

Introducing The Pet Rescue Resource

At The Academy for Dog Trainers, it is not lost on us that many dogs are relinquished to shelters for their behavior. In fact, one of our key missions is to help dogs stay in their homes. It’s unsurprising, then, that many Academy students found their way to the program via shelter and rescue work, […]