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, but your own stress level can affect his performance as well. My Sunday afternoon Basic Training Class graduated yesterday (April [...]
Senior dogs often get the short end of the stick when it comes to our attention, exercise, training and bonding activities. Since they are usually easier-going and less problem-causing than our younger dogs, it's easy to pass up activities with them because they are "fine" hanging out by themselves. Dogs are generally considered "senior" starting [...]
I have pretty high expectations for my dogs. I have specific goals and expectations for what Romeo will eventually be doing. (Note: I originally wrote this blog post when Romeo was under 2 years old in March 2011.) I expect him to be extremely well-behaved and reliable wherever we are and whatever I ask of [...]
How many cues does your dog know? Have you ever counted? I did, and I'll get to that in a minute. But first. . . If you have done any training with me, you've probably heard me say at least once: "Mental stimulation is just as taxing, if not more so, than physical stimulation." OR, [...]
I often have clients contact me after their attempts to resolve a behavior problem on their own have been unsuccessful. What I often find is that people are attempting to address the symptom (which itself is a problem for them) without addressing the underlying problem. Let me explain with an example. I recently met with [...]
