Simon Prins - Blog
Dear friends and colleagues,
I praise myself as lucky that we, as animal trainers, can connect with that other world. The world of our canine friends. I learned so much from the dogs around me. They brought me in contact with many great people all over the world. And maybe the best lesson they have taught me is that they live in and enjoy them now! They are not grumpy about yesterday; they don’t fear the future. They live their lives now, today! This website, my blogs, my workshops, and the products in my online store will help to energize your training. Keep dreaming about what is beyond the horizon because we still need to learn more about the dog world. They learn so fast, bond with us humans, and give us joy, help, and hope. I hope to meet you during one of my workshops. Please do share your dog-related stories with me. And remember the words of my dearest friend and teacher Bob Bailey; “Animal training is simple, but not easy” Enjoy training, be happy!
If you want to be updated, join and participate in our Simon Prins ACT! community! Here you will find the latest developments in training, science, and products, and you can ask for the help of an enthusiastic, open-minded K9 community that will share knowledge. A community that is familiar with feed-forward principles and is open to everybody, and uses inclusion to grow more.
The amazing story behind K9 innovations
The amazing story behind the invention of the Kong toy begins with a devoted dog owner named Joe Markham. Over 40 years ago, Joe faced …
Dogs will not be replaced by robots
Many years ago, I started to bring specially trained dogs and sensors together in special operations. By using the best of two worlds, the intelligence, …
Expert coaching in the K9 world
It’s amazing to witness the growth and confidence that trainers experience as they overcome challenges and see their hard work pay off. Just like solving …
Empowerment, Perseverance, Science, and Heart in Dog Training
The dog training world is a labyrinth of deep bonds, profound growth, and transformative lessons. It is a journey that is as challenging as it …
The Unacknowledged Pioneers: A Tale of Integrity, Innovation, and Hope in the Dog Training World
In the expansive world of dog training, a practice as ancient as our bond with these dogs, I’ve observed an unsettling trend over the years: …
Dog training is more then just following a protocol
When training a dog, there is much more to it than just following a protocol or a spreadsheet. Training a dog properly takes more than …
The Keep Going Signal (KGS) part 2
One of the key components of successful animal training is the use of keep-going signals. Keep-going signals are cues that you give your dog to …
Dunning Kruger Effect in detection training
We often discuss the Dunning Kruger effect when I meet detection dog trainers during my workshops. Because watching an experienced detection dog combination work seems …
Create a safe learning environment
The ACT! Masterclass is a unique and intense workshop about animal training focusing on you as a person in the role of a handler, trainer, …
What is teaching?
What is teaching? What can we expect? How do we recognize good and bad teaching? What equipment does a teacher use? A teacher is needed …
Use a scentwheel to boost your detection work
I started to work with scent wheels in 1996 and experienced the benefits with hundreds of dogs. Working with a scent wheel is an excellent …
Why are criteria so important?
When training animals, establishing criteria is one of the essential steps in the process. It is the foundation for successful animal training, setting the parameters …
Publications
Improving the training of your detection dog
For K-9 Cop I wrote this article with the title ‘improving the training of your detection dog’ In this article, you will find a lot of information about scent wheels. Read the article about Improving Your Training
Magical Kongs for K-9 Cop
Especially in Europe a lot of detection trainers use Kong as a basic start target odor. For the K-9 Cop magazine, I wrote this article with more information. Read the article about this Kong Magic
Working double-blind with detection dogs!
Trainers and handlers must understand the difference between false negative and false positive alerts, as we’re constantly influencing our dogs in multiple ways. Read the article about: K9 detection teams need to train double-blind
Animal Training Documentary
In December 2017, Bob Bailey and Simon Prins were invited to visit Houston, USA. They were interviewed about their work. Working together for 20 years means a lot of exciting stories. This documentary will give an insight into their fantastic training concepts.
Professional Animal Training
Simon’s an active contributor to K-9 Cop Magazine, a popular and highly regarded USA based magazine. Read this article K-9 Cop magazine april/may 2017
Bridge signals and Kongs
I wrote this article about Kongs and bridge signals. It’s not a magical Kong or magical whistle that’s being used as a bridge signal that will make the difference between good en bad training. It’s about the timing, skillsets, and criteria that the trainer will bring into the training. Read the article about Magical Kongs
Interview with Sophia Yin (The Bark)
To remember my good friend Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, (September 28, 2014), I will place the interview with her and Bob Bailey. Sophia was an applied animal behaviorist. A long-time The Bark contributing editor, she was also the author of two behavior books. Remembering Dr. Sophia Yin
Dutch magazine "De Jager"
Simon’s an active contributor to “De Jager,” a Dutch Magazine (apologies, this interview is written in Dutch). Wat kunnen voorjagers leren van Simon Prins
Dutch magazine "Onze hond"
Please read the articles from the Dutch magazine Our Dog, written by Simon Prins. (all in Dutch, sorry about that)
January 2017 Efficiënt trainen
February 2017 Training
April 2017 Aanpassen
June 2017 Aai honden