positive reinforcement.

Angela Lloyd and Westminster Best in Show winner Hickory. Credit: Larry Kay It's not just the Westminster Best in Show 2011 winner, who thrives under praise. Paw Nation interviewed more than two dozen Westminster Dog Show handlers, owners and officials and found that every one we spoke with uses positive reinforcement dog training, in which praise is emphasized and bad behavior is mostly ignored. The biggest name in the dog world right now, Scottish deerhound Hickory, is busy taking in the adoration and good wishes of not just the fans at the Westminster Dog Show but animal lovers all over the world. Fortunately, she's had good training for all the attention from the likes of Martha ...

Scenes from Season 3 of "It's Me or the Dog." Katja Heinemann, Animal Planet It's back! If you're a fan of Animal Planet's reality show "It's Me or the Dog," you won't be disappointed with the third season, which begins Sat., Jan. 8, at 8 p.m. EST. If you haven't already checked out the show, tune in to see renowned dog expert and trainer Victoria Stilwell "restore harmony in homes where pets are running riot and the family is in the doghouse." Stilwell tells Paw Nation that the new season is not just entertaining and educational -- it's intense and full of characters. "It's more than just dog training. There are a lot of challenges in this series," Stilwell says. "There are different ...

Getty Images You have a dog you just can't get to behave. Who would you turn to? That seems to be one of the questions raised in a recent Time Magazine article called, "Dog Training and the Myth of Alpha-Male Dominance." The article stirs up a long-running debate among experts in the dog training and behavior world about what is the best way to work with dogs. Many experts have gone on record against Millan's use of dominance techniques -- finger jabs, quick flicks to a dog's flank and forcing a dog onto its back -- to assert control over an aggressive or misbehaving canine. "He's a charming, one-man wrecking ball directed at 40 years of progress in understanding and shaping dog behavior ...

Courtesy Animal Planet What animal lover hasn't daydreamed about applying for a job at the zoo? Or at a doggy daycare? Or tracking gorillas in Africa? We sure have, but since most of us may never actually get to work with the animals we love, we thought we'd introduce you to a few people who do. Name: Victoria Stilwell Age: 40 Job: Dog Trainer and Host of Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog." You started out as an actor, walking and training dogs on the side. Why did you move away from acting? I would go to an audition and come out feeling terrible and I would go to a dog training and come out feeling amazing. I remember thinking, "Someone's trying to tell me something." That was in ...