Dog Training Document Resources

This page links to all dog training documents and study resources at Happy Dog Training. For service dog training resources, please visit the resource page of our Service Dog Business, Total K9 Focus.

Documents and Studies

Dog Health

Book: Canine Nutrition by William Cusick

Study: Noni Reduces Parasite Load and Modulates Cytokines by Almeida-Souza et al., 2016

Podcast (#2): Canine Vaccines

1.Study: Duration of Immunity After Rabies Vaccination in Dogs; The Rabies Challenge Fund Research Study by Dr. Jean W. Dodds and Ronald D. Schultz, 2020

2.Study: Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 1998

3.Study: Duration of Immunity for Canine and Feline Vaccines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 2015

4.Study: 2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 2017

Protocol: Changing Vaccine Protocols by Jean Dodds, DVM, 2018

5.Study: Vaccine Adverse Events in Dogs by Aguirre et al., published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007, Volume 231, Pages 79-88

Podcast (#3): Dominance and Submission

Study: Paedomorphosis Affects Agonistic Visual Signals of Domestic Dogs by Goodwin et al., published in Animal Behaviour, 1997, Volume 53, Number 2, Pages 297-304 (Anthrozoology Institute, University of Southampton)

Podcast (#24): Spaying and Neutering Dogs

1.Study: Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs by UC Davis, 2016

2.Study: Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2013

3.Study: Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2014

Podcast (#30): Separation Anxiety

Protocol: Separation Anxiety in Dogs: The Cure is Straw by Marc Goldberg, 2014

Podcast (#31): Canine Nutritionist Kay Stewart

1.Study: Owners’ Perception of Acquiring Infections Through Raw Pet Food by Anturaniemi et al., published in Veterinary Record, November 2019, Volume 185, Issue 21, Pages i-ii, 639-668

2.Study: The Fecal Microbiome and Metabolome Differs Between Dogs Fed Bones and Raw Food (BARF) Diets and Dogs Fed Commercial Diets by Schmidt et al., published in PLoS ONE, August 2018, Volume 13, Issue 8, e0201279

3.Study: Evaluation of the Effect of Dietary Vegetable Consumption on Reducing Risk of the Urinary Bladder in Scottish Terriers by Raghavan et al., published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, July 2005, Vol. 227, Number 1, Pages 94-100

Podcast (#43): Natural Remedies for Dogs

Study: Noni Reduces Parasite Load and Modulates Cytokines by Almeida-Souza et al., 2016

Article: Canine Enrichment

1.Study: Implementing Environmental Enrichment for Dogs by Garvey, Stella, and Croney, published in Purdue Extension, March 2016, VA-13-W.

2.Study: A Comparison of Social and Environmental Enrichment Methods for Laboratory Housed Dogs by Hubrecht, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, September 1993, Volume 37, Issue 4, Pages 345-361.

3.Study: The Social Function of Intellect by Humphrey, published in the book Growing Points in Ethology by Cambridge University Press, January 1976, Pages 303-317.

4.Study: Behavioral Effects of Auditory Stimulation on Kenneled Dogs by Kogan, published in Journal of Veterinary Behavior Clinical Applications and Research, September 2012, Volume 7, Issue 5, Pages 268–275.

5.Study: Why and How Should We Use Environmental Enrichment to Tackle Stereotypic Behaviour? by Mason et al., published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, February 2007, Volume 102, Issues 3–4, Pages 163-188.

6.Study: Environmental Enrichment: Increasing the Biological Relevance of Captive Environments by Newberry, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, September 1995, Volume 44, Issues 2–4, Pages 229-243.

7. Study Preferences for Toy Types and Presentations in Kennel Housed Dogs) by Pullen et al., published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 125, Issue 3, Pages 151-156.

8.Study: The Effect of Feeding Enrichment Toys on the Behaviour of Kennelled Dogs by Schipper et al., published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, November 2008, Volume 114, Issues 1–2, Pages 182-195.

9.Study: Maximizing the Effectiveness of Environmental Enrichment: Suggestions from the Experimental Analysis of Behavior by Tarou and Bashaw, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, February 2007, Volume 102, Issues 3–4, Pages 189-204.

10.Study: Sensory Stimulation as Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals: A Review by Wells, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, April 2009, Volume 118, Issues 1–2, Pages 1-11.

Article: Dog Vaccinations

Study: Vaccine Adverse Events in Dogs by Aguirre et al., published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007, Volume 231, Pages 79-88

Article: Dominance, Submission and Aggression

Article: My Thoughts on Spaying and Neutering

1.Study: Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs by UC Davis, 2016

2.Study: Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2013

3.Study: Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2014

Article: My Vet Said …

1.Study: Duration of Immunity After Rabies Vaccination in Dogs; The Rabies Challenge Fund Research Study by Dr. Jean W. Dodds and Ronald D. Schultz, 2020

2.Study: Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 1998

3.Study: Duration of Immunity for Canine and Feline Vaccines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 2015

4.Study: 2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines by Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, 2017

Protocol: Changing Vaccine Protocols by Jean Dodds, DVM, 2018

5.Study: Vaccine Adverse Events in Dogs by Aguirre et al., published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2007, Volume 231, Pages 79-88

6.Study: Herbicide Exposure and the Risk of Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder in Scottish Terriers by Glickman et al., published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, April 2004, Volume 224, Issue 8, Pages 1290-1297

7.Study: Epidemiologic Studies of Risk Factors for Cancer in Pet Dogs by Kelsey et al., published in Epidemiologic Reviews, 1998, Volume 20, Issue 2, Pages 204-217

8.Study: Noni Reduces Parasite Load and Modulates Cytokines by Almeida-Souza et al., 2016

9.Study: Neutering of German Shepherd Dogs by UC Davis, 2016

10.Study: Neutering Dogs: Effects on Joint Disorders and Cancers in Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2013

11.Study: Long-Term Health Effects of Neutering Dogs: Comparison of Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers by UC Davis, 2014

12.Study: Effectiveness of Antidepressant: An Evidence Myth Constructed from a Thousand Randomized Trials? by Loannidis, published in Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine, May 2008, Volume 3, Issue 14

13.Study: Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent Efficacy) by Turner et al., published in The New England Journal of Medicine, January 2008, Volume 358, Issue 3, Pages 252-260

Article: Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Protocol: Separation Anxiety in Dogs: The Cure is Straw by Marc Goldberg, 2014

Article: The Real Facts About Science-Based Dog Training – Studies 01-10

1.Study: Comparison of Learning Effects and Stress Between 3 Different Training Methods (Electronic Training Collar, Pinch Collar and Quitting Signal) in Belgian Malinois Police Dogs by Salgirli, 2008

2.Study: Just Think: The Challenges of the Disengaged Mind by Wilson et al., 2014

3.Study: Behavioral Suppression of Seriously Disruptive Behavior in Psychotic and Retaded Patients: A Review of Punishment and its Alternatives by Harris and Hershfield, 1978

4.Study: Punishment in Animal Societies by T. H. Clutton-Brock and G. A. Parker, 1995

5.Study: Clinical Evaluation of the Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System (SIBIS) by Linscheid et al., 1990

6.Study: A 20 Year Review of Punishment and Alternative Methods to Treat Problem Behaviors in Developmentally Delayed Persons by Matson and Taras, 1989

7.Study: Contingent Electric Shock (SIBIS) and a Conditioned Punisher Eliminate Severe Head Banging in a Preschool Child by Salvy et al., 2004

8.Study: Positive Side Effects in the Treatment of SIB Using the Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System (SIBIS): Implications for Operant and Biochemical Explanations of SIB by Linscheid et al., 1994

9.Study: Contingent Electric Shock as a Treatment for Severe Behavior Problems by Carr and Lovaas, 2013

10.Study: On the Status of Knowledge for Using Punishment: Implications for Treating Behavior Disorders by Lerman and Vorndran, 2002

Article: The Real Facts About Science-Based Dog Training – Studies 11-20

11.Study: ‘Replacing’ Problem Behavior: An Analysis of Tactical Alternatives by Johnston, 2006

12.Study: Treatment of Aggression with Behavioral Programming that Includes Supplementary Contingent Skin-Shock by Heyn and Rivera, 2008

13.Study: Extinction-Induced Aggression by Azrin, Hutchinson, and Hake, 1966

14.Study: Side Effects of Extinction: Prevalence of Bursting and Aggression During the Treatment of Self-Injurious Behavior by Lerman, Iwata, and Wallace, 1999

15.Study: PDF by Ulrich, Wolf, and Dulaney, 1969

16.Study: Punishment of Elicited Aggression by Azrin, 1970

17.Study: Elicitation and Punishment of Intraspecies Aggression by the Same Stimulus by Roberts and Blase, 1971

18.Study: A Comparison of Punishment and DRO Procedures for Treating Stereotypic Behavior of Mentally Retaded Children by Barrett, Matson, Shapiro, and Ollendick, 1981

19.Study: Balancing Social Acceptability with Treatment Effectiveness of an Intrusive Procedure: A Case Report by Grace, Kahng, and Fisher, 1994

20.Study: Effectiveness of Functional Communication Training with and without Extinction and Punishment: A summary of 21 Inpatient Cases by Hagopian et al., 1998

Article: The Real Facts About Science-Based Dog Training – Studies 21-30

21.Study: A Component Analysis of Functional Communication Training Across Three Topographies of Severe Behavior Problems by Wacker, 1990

22.Study: PDF by Israel et al., 2008

23.Study: PDF by Fisher et al., 1993

24.Study: PDF by Lindberg, Kahng, and Iwata, 1999

25.Study: On the Status of Knowledge for Using Punishment: Implications for Treating Behavior Disorders by Lerman and Vorndran, 2002

26.Study: The Treatment of Dangerous Behavior by Foxx, 2003

27.Study: Failure to Escape Traumatic Shockby Seligman and Maier, 1967

28.Study: Pavlovian Fear Conditioning and Learned Helplessness by Maier et al., 1969

29.Study: Punishment Happens: Some Comments on Lerman and Vorndran’s Review by Vollmer, 2002

30.Study: On the Status of Knowledge for Using Punishment: Implications for Treating Behavior Disorders by Lerman and Vorndran, 2002

Article: The Real Facts About Science-Based Dog Training – Studies 31-40

31.Study: Learned Mastery in the Rat by Volpicelli, 1983

32.Study: Positive and Negative Reinforcement: A Distinction That is No Longer Necessary; or a Better Way to Talk about Bad Things by Michael, 1975

33.Study: Positive and Negative Reinforcement: Should the Distinction be Preserved? by Baron and Galizio, 2005

34.Study: A Risk-Benefit Analysis on Antipsychotic Medication and Contingent Skin Shock for the Treatment of Destructive Behaviors by Blenkush, 2017

35.Study: Comparison of Dogs’ Reactions to Four Different Head Collars by Haug et al., 2002

36.Study: Comparison of Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Dogs Wearing two Different Types of Collars by Ogburn et al., 1998

37.Study: Clinical Signs Caused by the Use of Electric Training Collars on Dogs in Everyday Life Situations by Schalke et al., 2006

38.Study: The Treatment of Dangerous Behavior by Foxx, 2003

39.Study: Behavioural Differences Between Three Breed Groups of Hunting Dogs Confronted with Domestic Sheep by Christiansen et al., 2001

40.Study: Effects of Single and Repeated Shock on Perceived Pain and Startle Response in Healthy Volunteers by Duker et al., 2002

Article: The Real Facts About Science-Based Dog Training – Studies 41-47

41.Study: Side Effects of Contingent Shock Treatment by van Oorsouw et al., 2008

42.Study: The Right to Treatment Including Aversive Stimuli by Rechter et al., 1974

43.Study: Evaluation of an Aversion-Based Program Designed to Reduce Predation of Native Birds by Dogs: An Analysis of Training Records for 1156 Dogs by Dale et al., 2017

44.Study: The Welfare Consequences and Efficacy of Training Pet Dogs with Remote Electronic Training Collars in Comparison to Reward-Based Training by Cooper et al., 2014

45.Study: Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. A Focus on Positive Reinforcements by China et al., 2020

46.Study: Commentary on ‘Efficacy of Dog Training With and Without Remote Electronic Collars vs. A Focus on Positive Reinforcements’ by Sargisson and McLean, 2021

47.Study: Optimal Electrotactile Stimulation Waveforms For Human Information Display by Kaczmarek, 1991

Article: What is Poisonous to Dogs

Brief: Antidepressant Drug Overdoses in Dogs

Brief: Grape and Raisin Toxicity in Dogs

Article: What is the Best Food for a German Shepherd

Book: Canine Nutrition by William Cusick

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Services and Area

We are located in Southern California and train dogs nationwide. Happy Dog Training currently offers local dog training services in the following counties. Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County. In addition, we offer our board-and-train program nationwide and all virtual training services worldwide.

Do you want your new puppy trained right from the start? Are you looking for help for your fearful dog? Do you need to resolve a severe aggression problem? You came to the right place! We are experienced, professional dog trainers. Ralf has trained over 1500 dogs in over 18 years, and Sarah has trained over 1200 dogs in over 11 years. Consequently, we can help you with any dog training goal.

What We Offer

For many of our clients, we train their dogs from puppyhood, getting them off to a great start. However, we also have extensive experience training rescue dogs from all imaginable backgrounds and circumstances. Our Board-and-Train program is our most popular.

We can help you, regardless of your dog's challenges or training goals. Being a professional dog trainer means having experience, knowledge, and skill. Further, we developed a highly effective training program to specifically help fearful dogs gain more confidence and become the best possible version of themselves. Building Confidence is our second most popular training program.

Last but not least, we are experts in dealing with all types of aggression in dogs and are often the trainers of last resort after many other programs have failed. Most of our aggressive dog clients previously spent significant money on half-baked solutions without much improvement. This is different from us. We will give you an honest assessment of what goals are realistic for your dog. We will tell you what can be resolved reliably and what likely needs to be managed before we start.

Our flagship product is our board and train program. But our virtual dog training and coaching services have become quite popular over the last couple of years. Our setup enables us to deliver online dog training services from our indoor and outdoor training areas. This allows us to help clients worldwide.

Other Resources

Also, check out our Free Dog Training tips on Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Potty Training aka Housebreaking, and Leash Handling for expert solutions to common challenges.

Additional Services: Presentations and Q&As on Dogs | Professional Service Dog Training

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About Ralf and Sarah

Happy Dog Training is the pet dog training business of Ralf Weber and Sarah Gill. We are certified professional dog trainers in Southern California. We are specialized in advanced obedience training, all forms or behavioral challenges and service dog training. For behavioral training, we are known for our work with aggressive and fearful dogs. Our service dogs, through Total K9 Focus, have a nationwide reputation for their reliability, longevity and performance.

Ralf Weber, MS, TWC CPDT, IACP CDT, CDTA

Certified Professional Dog Trainer Ralf Weber is lead pet dog trainer of Happy Dog Training. Ralf is a long-time dog owner of German Shepherds. During his career, Ralf has worked with over a 1500 dogs of many different breeds. Moreover, Ralf has a thorough understanding of all aspects of canine training. This includes evolutionary psychology, ethology, and, most importantly, learning science. Ralf is specialized in resolving dog behavior challenges—especially fear and aggression. Apart from this, Ralf trains dogs in basic and advanced obedience, service dog tasks, and GRC Dog Sports. Ralf is further certified in a broad range of other canine training areas. Last but not least, Ralf is the author of the behavioral book If Your Dog Could Talk: Understand Your Dog Like Never Before.

Ralf loves helping people have a better relationship with their dogs. He is a certified professional dog trainer in the Training without Conflict™ methodology by Ivan Balabanov (TWC CPDT). Ralf is also a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and also holds their basic and advanced dog trainer certifications (IACP CDT, CDTA). In addition, Ralf is an AKC-approved evaluator for the AKC Puppy Star, CGC, and Advanced CGC programs and is also certified in canine first aid by the Red Cross.

Sarah Gill, Certified Professional Master Trainer

Sarah Gill, is a professional service dog trainer and handler. Sarah entered the world of professional service dog training after a car accident. As a result, she had to use a wheelchair for almost two years, trying to maneuver in a house not designed for it. No one expected Sarah would walk again. This opened her eyes and became a driving force behind pushing herself to defy the odds. When she regained some stability, Sarah attended a dog training school and learned how to train service dogs. Sarah completed her Master Trainer Certification and gained further experience by training new trainers. However, the school wasn’t accommodating to those with physical difficulties and PTSD. Hence, Sarah moved home to Dallas. In 2019, Sarah teamed up with Ralf and moved to California.

Sarah started this journey because she had a trained dog to mitigate her disabilities. But Sarah needed additional tasking for a new diagnosis. The only option she could find was getting a second dog for the new diagnosis. She knew there had to be a different way to address this. Sarah's passion is changing the ways of the service dog training industry.

Dog Training Document Resources