Learned Irrelevance
Do you ever make the mistake of thinking your dog knows English? Maybe you ask him a question like “Do you want to go outside?” You have asked this question many times and your dog actually does seem to understand it — he runs for the back door. The understanding is more contextual than you […]
Train Your Dog Not to Jump on You
You’re bombarded at the front door every day after work by jumping dogs. You appreciate the excitement but you really wish they wouldn’t claw through your shirt. In this case, you need to train your dog not to jump on you when you come home. Read on for tips on how to begin the training […]
Don’t Let Your Dog Cause Trouble
Very early in my career, I was at a dog event with Tex, my American Bulldog. Tex was a stickler for doggy etiquette. If an easy-going dog approached him, he greeted them well. But if a dog exhibited unbalanced behavior (too excited, dominant, or submissive), he tended to take control. I knew these things about my […]
Being Your Dog’s Leader
Have you ever considered whether to walk your dog on your left or your right? My old American Bulldog, Tex, always walked on my right side. I had him do this to avoid passing bicycles, joggers, and other dogs. Any time he would try to cross over to the left side, I gently extended my […]
How to Stop Leash Pulling
The Importance of Leashed Walks A leashed walks is VERY important for our dogs. It is the equivalent of us going to the movies, reading a book, or browsing the internet. We do these things because we need to be refreshed—a mental reset, if you will. Imagine what it’s like for your dog just seeing […]
Keeping Your Pets Safe on Halloween
While Halloween can be a treat for us humans, it can be filled with lots of tricks for our fur babies! Halloween comes with spooky decorations, extravagant costumes, and tasty treats for us to enjoy. As a pet owner, it’s important to consider how all aspects of Halloween might affect your pet. Pet owners know […]
Dog Aggression (continued)
Dog-to-Dog Aggression – Solved “Problem solved! Dog-to-dog aggression no more. My aggressive dog Jack is as placid and docile as can be when another dog goes by”. It’s been three weeks and it’s time for a check in… and this is not where we are at. Not to say no progress has been made […]
Can You Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?
I am sure you have all heard the expression, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. While it is a cute little saying, it is not correct in the slightest. No matter the age of your dog or the behaviors they already posses, with patience and determination you can always teach a new trick! […]
Working with Dog-to-Dog Aggression
When you have a dog with a big problem, fixing the problem behavior can feel like the insurmountable task. Katie’s problem was Jack. Jack’s dog aggression, to be precise. When Katie’s sweet, timid, docile Italian Greyhound Jack was trotting down the sidewalk beside her, he looked like the best trained dog in the world. He ran beside the […]
Dog Training: Reinforcement vs. Punishment
Do you have a dog that has perfect behavior without ever being trained? They just automatically knew every command you threw at them, was potty trained from the get-go, and never showed any bad manners? Is the answer no? Then you are just like me and your pup is like all dogs everywhere. All dogs […]
