Training - Foundation

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Jun 2
8 min

Resource Guarding Is Not a Dirty Word #2- But What Do You Do If the Dog Is Really Awful??!!

In the first resource blog (the one in the first part of the title of this one) I explain why animals guard resources. OK. Then I...

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Cindy Benson

Jun 1
6 min

Resource Guarding Is Not a Dirty Word

Resource guarding is one of my favorite topics in talking about LGDs because it is so easy to de-mystify how it can become out of balance...

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Cindy Benson

May 30
8 min

What a Dog Learns From An E-Collar

He learns he is not safe in his environment. He learns associations to things in his environment. ***He does not learn what he should...

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Online Dog Training Course & LGD Training Manual

Cindy Benson

Apr 25
5 min

Online Dog Training Course & LGD Training Manual

In August 2020, I began requiring completion of the Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations Course as part of the criteria for...

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Vinny Meets the Goats - Safety Line & Shaping

Cindy Benson

Apr 11
4 min

Vinny Meets the Goats - Safety Line & Shaping

Vinny is a sixteen month old Cameo x Milan pup. He had never seen an adult goat until we brought him to this pair of retired dairy goat...

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Cindy Benson

Mar 23
4 min

Meadow Meets the Goats - Cues

#MaremmaTraining #KPAFoundations #Cues Pearl and Party are retired dairy goats who arrived at the ranch only a few days ago. Meadow has...

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Introducing Meadow and Benson to Sheep and Baby Lambs Using a Safety Line - **Cues**

Cindy Benson

Mar 23
3 min

Introducing Meadow and Benson to Sheep and Baby Lambs Using a Safety Line - Cues

#MaremmaTraining #KPAFoundations #Cues Meadow and Benson are sixteen month old siblings who share a fence line with this small flock of...

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Cindy Benson

Feb 26
5 min

Treat Selection & Preparation

It does sound pretty simple. Get your clicker, snacks for your canine training partner, and go out to work some training magic. If you...

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Teaching a Maremma To Come When Called - Recall

Cindy Benson

Jan 3
6 min

Teaching a Maremma To Come When Called - Recall

You know where I am about to go with this, right? If you yell “COME!” you aren’t likely to get the behavior from the dog that you are...

267 views1 comment

Training Is About Creating Behavior – Not Stopping It

Cindy Benson

Jan 3
5 min

Training Is About Creating Behavior – Not Stopping It

I recently read that training dogs is like expecting them to learn English as a second language. Thinking of it that way reminds me of...

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Genetics and Temperament – How Big Is Your World?

Cindy Benson

Nov 28, 2020
10 min

Genetics and Temperament – How Big Is Your World?

Pups are born who they are. The temperament, the character of the pup, cannot be learned or taught. All the best early socialization and...

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Cindy Benson

May 6, 2020
3 min

Why Can’t I Just Say “No!”??

Well, you can, of course you can, but doing so comes at a cost to the dog and his relationship with you, even if you do it “nicely”. The...

101 views1 comment

Cindy Benson

May 6, 2020
4 min

Why “Ah!!” Didn’t Work

When prospective buyers of our pups come here to work with me to learn our training methods they will sometimes hear me make a distinct...

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Why Clicking and Correction Used Together Doesn’t Work

Cindy Benson

May 6, 2020
3 min

Why Clicking and Correction Used Together Doesn’t Work

I am writing this blog, in part, because of how this behavioral science truth can impact my pups in their new homes, but this principle...

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Interrupting Chase Behavior - Old Style Training and New

Cindy Benson

Apr 6, 2020
2 min

Interrupting Chase Behavior - Old Style Training and New

Chase behavior can be a mix of muscle memory and habit. Because chasing livestock is exciting it can become a habit in a hurry....

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Cindy Benson

Mar 28, 2020
4 min

Why LGDs Bark & How To Manage This

Barking is the primary way LGDs protect their livestock – and themselves – from predators. Barking lets the predators know, before they...

145 views0 comments

Cindy Benson

Mar 27, 2020
2 min

Toys & Bones & LGDs

Toys and bones may mean something different to the owner than they do to the dog. Most owners give toys and bones to their dogs to make...

135 views0 comments

Cindy Benson

Mar 27, 2020
3 min

How To Teach Touch & Look

There are many reason to teach dogs new skills. Training done fairly helps to build the trust relationship between the trainer and the...

90 views0 comments

Cindy Benson

Mar 26, 2020
3 min

Everything Right

Renzo here is at the age most LGDs are when they are surrendered to shelters and rescue situations. At eighteen months of age this very...

160 views0 comments

Littermate Syndrome: What it means and is it a concern

Cindy Benson

Jan 18, 2020
3 min

Littermate Syndrome: What it means and is it a concern

Questions about this issue come up frequently when I talk with prospective buyers that are new to LGDs. I have never experienced anything...

948 views0 comments

Resource Guarding Is Not a Dirty Word #2- But What Do You Do If the Dog Is Really Awful??!!

Resource Guarding Is Not a Dirty Word

What a Dog Learns From An E-Collar

Online Dog Training Course & LGD Training Manual

Vinny Meets the Goats - Safety Line & Shaping

Meadow Meets the Goats - **Cues**

Introducing Meadow and Benson to Sheep and Baby Lambs Using a Safety Line - **Cues**

Treat Selection & Preparation

Teaching a Maremma To Come When Called - Recall

Training Is About Creating Behavior – Not Stopping It

Genetics and Temperament – How Big Is Your World?

Why Can’t I Just Say “No!”??

Why “Ah!!” Didn’t Work

Why Clicking and Correction Used Together Doesn’t Work

Interrupting Chase Behavior - Old Style Training and New

Why LGDs Bark & How To Manage This

Toys & Bones & LGDs

How To Teach Touch & Look

Everything Right

Littermate Syndrome: What it means and is it a concern

Categories and Direct Links

Learn About Our Past Litters:

Meadow Meets the Goats - Cues

Introducing Meadow and Benson to Sheep and Baby Lambs Using a Safety Line - Cues