Post: Dog Training

I’d learned the term “place specific” while attending a dog training seminar given by George Hickox. Hickox explained that when a dog first learns a command, that response, or correct behavior, is specific to the place the dog learned it. The next
step in teaching a dog a command, Hickox describes as “generalizing.” That’s when you take a learned command, such as “heel,” and make the dog respond to it in a variety of places. Only then, Hickox explained, is the command truly a learned behavior.

I have four German shorthaired pointers and a fifth dog, a small black terrier mix named Alabama. Alabama’s quiet, careful nature made him perfect for a therapy dog. Billie Smith, executive director, Therapy Dogs, Inc., said many family pets can also become therapy dogs and answered a few questions on how to get involved.

Families often create a summer vacation checklist. It might go something like this: toothpaste and toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner, underwear, socks, T-shirts, sneakers and sandals, camera, prescription medications, bathing suit, and sunglasses. And what if the family dog will be traveling, too? Here are some extra steps dog owners should take to ensure the safety of their pet when they’re on the road.

The young Brittany romped into the field … far down the field, a German shorthaired pointer stood on point, nostrils
twitching as he drank in the scent of a bobwhite quail. The correct response for the Brittany was to “honor” the point of the German shorthair. Instead, the Brittany romped in a couple circles around the pointing dog, eventually also catching
scent of the bird and pointing. The Brit’s owner raised her hands in frustration. “I don’t know how to fix that,” she said.