About the author
Dr. Lorraine Martinez is the founder of LOMA Behavior and Training LLC and has been helping dogs and their people since 2002. She earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Washington and went on to graduate with distinction from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training. She is a Behavior Consultant affiliated with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and is a Fear Free Certified Professional.
In these short articles she offers insight to common questions from clients. She explores puppy socialization, dog training and dog behavior modification. Dig in to find the answers you need.
Do you offer free dog training consultations?
Who doesn’t want something for free? So why do some people in the pet training world offer a free consultation and others do not? At Loma Behavior and Training, we offer an initial assessment, which is a comprehensive evaluation of a dog’s behavior, the needs of the client, and the factors that will impact a training plan. We believe this gives our clients the best understanding of what their dog needs and allows us to make the best estimate of success with any training plan. It allows us to be as transparent as possible with our estimate of the change that is possible for any individual dog.
How do I exercise my dog?
Walking is not the only way to exercise a dog. In fact, walking may not be the best option for high-energy dogs who need a good workout. Most of us walk far slower than our dogs for the walk to be considered high energy. And some dogs are too frightened to enjoy walking in unfamiliar places. For those dogs, walking is not a pleasant experience. Instead, create an exercise plan for your dog that takes into account your dog’s age, activity level, physical limitations and preferences.
I can’t take my dog on a walk?!
Don’t take your dog on a walk. This advice is usually surprising to our clients. All of us are flooded with the message that we have to take our dogs out for walks every day. That is generally great advice. We want dogs to get out and explore the world through walks. Most dogs love sniffing all the wonderful scents they come across on a walk. So why did we make this radical recommendation for this client?
Which puppy is right for me?
Maybe you don’t know much about your puppy’s early life, before he came to your home, or he’s older and past the critical socialization period. That’s ok. You’re amazing for opening your home to a puppy in need.
Is my dog going to hurt someone?
Our clients often ask us this legitimate question... While there is no way to guarantee a dog will never bite, we provide clients with information to identify how safe a dog’s behavior is in their family home and in the community….
Do I need to keep my dogs separated if they only fight on occasion?
Dogs fighting in a home is the most complicated issue we address as behavior specialists because there are many reasons that dogs can fight, including poor social skills, damage to their relationship, guarding resources, medical issues, or inability to control themselves in exciting situations.
How can I help my leash reactive dog?
Leash reactivity can be helped by a qualified behavior specialist. If it takes you a while to find someone skilled and experienced, don’t despair. Follow the guidelines… to create your Decompression Plan so you can enjoy your life with your dog and avoid the stress of leashed walks.
Can I train my puppy before he has all his shots?
The veterinarians of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior make the recommendation to get puppies socialized during their critical socialization period, before full vaccination, because behavioral problems are the number one cause of dogs getting relinquished to shelters and the number one cause of death for young dogs.
E-collar series: Is an e-collar safe for my dog if it doesn't hurt me?
Is an e-collar safe for my dog if it doesn’t hurt me?
This is our second article in our E-collar series. We learned that some of LOMA's clients were convinced to use an e-collar on their dog by putting it on themselves first to see what their dog would experience.
This question seems to imply that if a dog's owner doesn't experience pain with the e-collar, then the dog will not experience pain and that then makes it "safe." The question also implies that the collar's only harmful effects are painful. We will explore both of these implications.
E-collar series: Is it really only used to get the dog's attention?
An e-collar is not used for punishment. It is only used to get the dog's attention. When we talk to clients, there is a lot of confusion about how the e-collar works. Scientists use the word "punishment" with a very clear definition as the addition of something unpleasant to discourage behavior. In general though when people talk about punishment, the definition is much less clear. We will examine the statement above to see how this fits with current research and science related to animal learning.