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Posted on Wed, Sep 4, 2013 : 10:30 a.m.

'Dog Faming' features canines in the act of demonstrating good behavior

By Lorrie Shaw

johnnyjetgooddog.jpg

How have you caught your dog being good lately?

Flickr photo by johnnyjet

We expect a lot from our pets when it comes to living in our very human world — at times too much.

When that happens, we often see instances of misbehavior, especially in dogs.

In some cases, it's clear that the misbehavior stems from being asked for more than they are able to deliver because of limitations due to their age, that they've lacked the opportunity to develop good skills or that we expect the wrong things.

Mostly, it's because of us. So often we communicate in a way that's unclear with other humans; ambiguously, perhaps in a hurried manner, so it's no surprise that we behave in the same way with dogs.

I was chided about sharing my disdain for the popular trend of pet shaming — snapping photos of pets after their respective displays of unruly behavior and posting them online. Yes, I know that to some degree, it's done very tongue-in-cheek, and I'm not a complete wet blanket. There are times when you just need to sit back and laugh at the mischief.

But a new trend has emerged, and is one that I'm hoping will catch on as easily as dog shaming did.

Dog Faming features photos of pets caught in the act of being good — displaying examples of favorable behavior that interestingly enough, is the result of positive reinforcement training. The Facebook page was started by Eileen Anderson, a staunch advocate of positive reinforcement in the canine training community.

You can read more about Dog Faming by clicking here, and you can go directly to the Facebook page to see regular updates of dogs being good.

This all begs the question: How have you caught your dog being good lately? Share your story below. You'll even have an opportunity to do that, and share a photo to illustrate your furry friend's best behavior next week on our Pet Photo Friday slideshow. More details on Friday.

Lorrie Shaw leads the pets section for AnnArbor.com and is owner of Professional Pet Sitting. Shoot her an email, contact her at 734-904-7279 or follow her adventures on Twitter.

Comments

Sarah Rigg

Thu, Sep 5, 2013 : 1:45 p.m.

Aw, love the pics on the FAcebook page! Doesn't everybody respond better to praise than shaming?

RunsWithScissors

Thu, Sep 5, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.

We brag on our dogs all the time! We're so proud when they respond to the recall command when they'd rather chase a squirrel. I gave Fozzie the down command once and then caught him scooching along the floor, still technically in the down position . Smart dog.