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Dealing with difficult distractions – wildlife version
When I ask clients about their biggest difficulties in training their dogs, one of the most common answers I get is “distractions.” Their dogs might be doing great at home or in places with very [...]
What percentage of the time is your dog well-behaved?
During my recent Sunday evening Polite Pooches in Public Class, we met at Clement Park in Littleton and walked around the lake trail. This gave us plenty of opportunities for our dogs to practice dealing [...]
How my Juvenile Delinquent Dogs book came to be
Prior to my Vizlsa, Romeo, all of our dogs have been adult dogs adopted through breed rescue groups. I’m a big believer in helping homeless dogs find their forever homes, and helping dogs remain in [...]
Happy birthday Romeo! Our Vizsla turns 3 (June 2012)
Hard to believe our Vizlsa, Romeo, turns 3 years old on June 8 (2012)! We brought him home on August 1, 2009, just two days shy of 8 weeks old. I had been visiting his [...]
Changing our dogs’ bad habits – and ours
If you’ve ever tried to change or stop a bad habit, you know it’s not easy. Well-ingrained habits are difficult to change because we do them without thinking. Habits are the most effective way for [...]
I have an article published in the APDT Chronicle of the Dog
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers is a professional organization with over 6,000 members worldwide and is focused on educating trainers. Their annual conference draws around 1,500 attendees along with other educational opportunities such as webinars and [...]
A letter to Cancer
Dear Cancer, I am normally not so forthright in my disdain for others, but I feel it is important for me to be honest with you. I wish you did not exist. I despise you. [...]
Saying goodbye to my beloved Greyhound, Jahzara (May 2012)
On Saturday, May 19th, 2012 we said goodbye to our Greyhound, Jahzara. She had cancer in her shoulder and mobility had become more and more difficult. Even the morphine did not seem to make her [...]
Troubleshooting: when your dog training isn’t working
Every dog trainer has heard it: “This isn’t working.” In some cases, the fact is that what is being done really is not working and will not be effective. Sometimes, we just need to move [...]
Help, my dog’s jumping is getting worse!
I work with clients every week who want their dogs to stop jumping on people. In the past week, I spoke with two clients who have been working on this but say the behavior is [...]
Preventing possessiveness or resource guarding with puppies
“I can take anything away from my dog.” I’ve heard it many times. While I’m glad that these people are able to take things away from their dogs, they are often missing one important piece [...]
Practice with your dog makes perfect – or at least more pleasant!
One of the things I miss about being in the suburbs (perhaps the only thing!) is the variety of dog-walking routes we had available. Although we had some favorites routes, I tried to make sure [...]
When a dog’s arousal is high, it’s hard to make good choices!
I have several clients whose dogs have trouble with other dogs out on walks. Some of these dogs do fine off leash with other dogs. Some do not. But for each of these dogs, when [...]
What do dogs have to do with the Academy Awards?
If you watched the Academy Awards in February, you might have seen Uggie, the Jack Russell Terrier, on stage with the rest of the cast when The Artist won for Best Picture. Normally, dogs don’t play a [...]
When your dog’s “fun tricks” come in handy
Some people don’t like teaching their dogs “tricks”. Somehow, it’s just doesn’t seem dignified or worth putting in the effort to teach these frivolous cues that have no value. Or do they? Whether something is [...]
Dog Training Choices
This article is part of our E-book, ASK THE TRAINER: Answers to common questions about dog training and behavior issues, including jumping, leash manners, aggression, fearfulness, and more. [...]
Is your dog an escape artist?
As warmer weather takes hold, it’s easy to feel a bit of spring fever and want to get outdoors more and stay inside less. The same holds true for our dogs, and spring can be [...]
Backyard hazards for your pets
Prevention magazine’s April issue has an article entitled How Safe is Your Backyard? by Molly Raisch. She mentions possible problems with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer and plants. According to the article, studies show exposure to certain pesticides [...]
What are the consequences for a dog who misbehaves? Part 2
In my earlier post on this subject, I started the discussion of what to do when a dog misbehaves. First, we need to ensure the dog understands what is expected. Then we need to make sure [...]
Does stress affect the performance of your dog?
We know that our own stress can greatly affect our performance and ability to function, but do you ever consider how your dog's stress level might affect his/her performance? Not only your dog's stress level, [...]