Online Resources That Are Actually Useful
One of the things that credentialed professional dog trainers like me and my colleagues despair of is the sheer volume of poor, misleading, and downright dangerous information on the Internet about dog behavior and training.
I get it: we all love tips and reach out for help online when our dog's behavior puzzles or frightens us. However, any "quick fix" you are likely to find there won't address the root of the behavior problem.
For instance, people whose dogs are destructive when left alone are usually recommended to buy a strong(er) crate. What is likely really happening is that the dog is panicking and needs specialty training.
Squirting a dog with a water bottle for barking or growling at the baby can lead to much more severe problems such as the dog becoming frightened of you, your approach, the room you squirted her in, and more. That kind of fear is easy to teach your dog and can take many months of training sessions to undo.
But there are a few places I send people for online information. Here are my top picks for accurate, helpful, and (mostly) free information.
What makes information “helpful?”
Look for information that:
Is based in applied animal behavior science, not anecdotes such as "this worked for my dog." Local dog owner groups on Facebook are notorious for unhelpful anecdotes that can really lead people down a rabbit hole of ineffective interventions.
Is offered by trainers with an education from a program recommended by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) (download their free position paper here)
Is not a quick fix. Behavior change takes time. The only quick fix I know of is for counter-surfers, and that's to ensure 100% of the time that there is absolutely nothing on the counter your dog can snack on.
My top online resource referrals
For separation anxiety: Malena DeMartini literally wrote the book on treating separation in dogs and has a searchable roster of Certified Separation Anxiety Trainers as well as a self-paced program: https://malenademartini.com/
Our dogs communicate with each other, and with us, through body language, so learn to "speak dog:" http://www.ispeakdog.org/
Learn to groom your dog with my colleague Jane Wolff's online course, Fresh and Fearless
Scratchboards are a great alternative to nail trimming; my colleague Kristi Benson offers a free online course
My colleagues at DogKind and FearfulDogs.com have newsletters and Facebook groups for dogs with fearful, reactive, and aggressive behaviors
The Muzzle Up Project has a self-paced muzzle training course
Family Paws has a comprehensive website of free resources (I can consult with you on any kind of dog/baby/toddler issue as well)
Finally, if you're looking for a science-based but bite-sized understanding of why rewards-based training is the most effective and humane and you also enjoy excellent writing, subscribe to my colleague Dr. Zazie Todd's blog, Companion Animal Psychology
Do you have a favorite online resource I haven't mentioned? Send me the link!