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Our book was nominated for an award! (2013)
In 2013, our book Juvenile Delinquent Dogs book was nominated for a Maxwell Medallion by the Dog Writers Association of America! It was one of four finalists in the category of Books-Care, Health, Training, Behavior. Unfortunately we did not win, but [...]
How soon can you start training your puppy?
I often receive calls from people who’ve just brought home a new puppy. One of the questions they often ask is: “When can I start training?” The answer is, the sooner the better! Once upon [...]
Think your dog will never bite someone?
Think your dog would never bite someone? Think again. ANY dog will bite if pushed too far. Many people believe their dogs would never bite a person. Others know it could happen but hope that it doesn't. [...]
Helping a child overcome his fear of dogs
We drove to Minnesota to spend the week of Thanksgiving (2012) with my family. Romeo is accustomed to a quiet household, so a house full of adults and my nephews ranging from 4 years to [...]
Should you feed your dog before going to training class?
According to a new blog post on The Bark, we should consider feeding our dogs before going to training so they perform better. The November 8, 2012, post “The Importance of Eating Breakfast” by JoAnna Lou refers [...]
Does your dry dog food contain corn?
We could argue whether corn is good for your dog or not in the first place, but that’s not the point I want to get at today. The condition of the corn in your dog [...]
Is your dog’s diet really complete and balanced?
While at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Annual Conference, I attended a session byDoug Knueven, DVM, CAC, CVA, CVCH titled Evolution-Based Canine Diets. He discussed some of the evidence from a variety of sources (three pages [...]
Are dog parks good or bad for your dog?
For those who follow us on Facebook, you know I promised to share some of what I heard at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Annual Conference that I attended in mid-October. Here is my [...]
My dog is too distracted in class!
Group training classes can be fun and a great learning experience. In fact, ideally, they should be fun for everyone. However, they can also be a great source of frustration for others. Group classes are [...]
Does our dog have a time limit on his patience or easy-going attitude?
Some dogs get along with pretty much everyone. We all wish our dogs were those “happy-go-lucky” dogs who rarely seemed to be bothered or upset by anything. I’ve met a few people like that too. [...]
What does it mean to give your dog “a job”?
Dog trainers, myself included, often tell clients that their dogs need a job to do. I recommend this often, especially with highly energetic and/or smart dogs. These dogs were mostly bred for specific jobs – [...]
I’m glad my dog disobeyed me!
If you’re thinking there’s a typo in the subject of my post, you did read it correctly. And yes, that is what I intended to say! We tend to be very quick to get upset [...]
What message are you really conveying to your dog?
For those who have taken my Basic Training Course, you should already know the answer to this. Let’s see who else does. When we are communicating with someone else, we convey information through the actual [...]
Do your emotions impact your dog training?
How sensitive is your dog to your emotions? Can your dog tell when you’re happy, sad, anxious or angry? Certainly some dogs are more sensitive than others. I have several clients right now whose dogs [...]
Do we expect too much from our adolescent dogs?
While most of the books I read are about dogs, I also do a lot of reading about human behavior. Why? Because while I am a dog trainer and behavior consultant, much of my work [...]
Romeo earned his Advanced Trick Dog Title (August 2012)
For any of you living with smart, high energy dogs, you know it can be a challenge to keep their seemingly limitless brain power and physical energy directed toward constructive activities. If you’ve seen my [...]
Is your dog a model citizen?
My Canine Good Citizen Class just wrapped up this past Sunday. Most of the dogs will be taking the CGC Test this coming Sunday. More than likely, some will pass and some will not. Does [...]
Are your dog training goals setting you up for failure?
Most of us do have goals in mind when we start training our dogs. Perhaps it’s the desire to have a dog who displays the best skills of Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Benji, and The [...]
Real life tests of off-leash reliability
Does your dog’s reaction toward bunnies or other animals appears so over-the-top that getting it under control seems about as possible as your one day walking on Mars? When I tell clients that it truly [...]
Building trust with your dog
In my post, Does your dog trust you?, I discussed the importance of developing trust to most effectively train your dog. If you want your dog to do as you ask, no matter what, your best [...]
Does your dog trust you?
One of the biggest points I try to get across to people is that training dogs effectively is really about creating a partnership, learning to work together, and learning to communicate effectively with each other. [...]