While I can and do teach people how to work with their shy dogs, some people just seem to be naturals at this kind of work. My nephew seems to be one of those. Perhaps it comes from learning how to best work with his two younger brothers, 8 and 5 years old. When I [...]
In my earlier article about household rules, I asked what your rules were. But how easy is it to change those rules or implement new ones? Some of my clients are hesitant to change the rules. Let’s say, for example, that dogs have been allowed to sleep on the bed but you now want to change [...]
When I meet with clients for behavior consultations and private training, I start by sitting down and asking lots of questions. One of those questions is often: “What are the rules of your household?” Sometimes I get immediate answers, but often I stump people with this question. What do you mean, they ask. Can you [...]
Ultimately, it should not matter what equipment you are using with your dog. Our goal with training is that your dog be responsive to you regardless of what he’s wearing, where he is, or what is happening in the environment. However, in the early stages of training, the right equipment can help to manage the [...]
There have been several books in the past few years about willpower, habits and the like. The one I most recently read was Making Habits, Breaking Habits: Why We Do Things, Why We Don’t, and How to Make Any Change Stick by Jeremy Dean. We really don’t realize how important habits are to our everyday life and just [...]
