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Dogs don’t do deadlines!
All dog trainers can relate to these types of questions/statements: When will the training be done? How long will the training take? I have ___ event happening in __ amount of time, I need my [...]
BEFORE You Get Your Puppy by Ian Dunbar
To paraphrase the publishers, they believe very strongly that preventing the development of extremely common and utterly predictable puppy problems is the only way to prevent the unnecessary euthanasia of millions of unwanted shelter [...]
Exposure to new things, Halloween version
Puppies go through a critical development phase during which exposure (safely and positively!) to new things is critical for their development. The more exposure they get in safe, fun, positive ways the better for their [...]
“Wait” for permission to greet/investigate
My dogs are not allowed to greet without permission, regardless of whether it’s dogs or people. But I also want my dogs to wait before chasing something or checking out something interesting. That can be [...]
Is your dog wearing ID?
People are often advised to keep a collar with ID tags on their dogs at all times. But often lost dogs are wearing no ID at all. Were the dogs not wearing collars/ID when they [...]
Ever lost your dog?
If your dog has ever run away or gotten lost, you know how stressful it can be when you don’t know where they are or if they are OK. Imagine how stressful it might be [...]
The moving wait dog training tip
If you’ve done any training with your dog, you are most likely familiar with the “Wait” cue. Wait means “do not proceed forward until you have permission.” In my group classes, I teach this in [...]
Trimming dog nails
Many people are amazed when I tell them that nail trims for my dogs are drama-free, quick and require no restraint. Is that possible, you ask? Why yes, it is! I have worked hard to [...]
Guarding bones
When I get a call from a client concerned about a dog who is growling, snapping or even biting over bones or other valuables, people often seem to be skeptical that the behavior can be [...]
If your dog digs holes
Dogs love to dig holes! There are a variety of reasons why a dog digs holes. Some examples include: *To burn off energy *To get at something (buried treasure, rodents underground, etc.) *To escape or [...]
What are your dog’s motivators or rewards?
Do you know what your dog’s motivators are? If you train using positive reinforcement or reward-based methods, you need to know! So what does reward-based or positive reinforcement training mean? In a nutshell, it means [...]
When walking your dog is no fun
Some people don’t enjoy walking their dogs because the dogs are so over-the-top excited, they leap around and make it difficult to get leashed up; they knock people over trying to rush out the door; [...]
Can dogs be trained not to chase wildlife?
I often hear things stated as facts that really aren’t. I’m sure you do as well. In this case, the statements are about things like prey drive in dogs. Things like: “You can’t teach [...]
Close encounters of the snake variety with our dog
Zuzu had her first close encounter of the snake variety today. We generally see bull snakes on our property quite a bit during the spring and summer. This year so far, we have not seen [...]
When your dog “only does it when I have a treat”
I’ve heard it many many times. My dog will do everything I want. . . as long as he knows I have a treat in my pocket (or hand, or bait bag, etc.) I could [...]