Managing Your Family Dog With Neighborhood Kids
Managing your family dog and neighborhood kids at playtime can be a challenge, but is important for everyone’s safety.
Using Dog Gates? Teach Your Dog A Positive Association
This is the story of one family, and how I taught them to use a success station as a management tool for creating safety between their toddler and their family dogs. In this case, their success stations was using dog gates when needed. It is one of numerous strategies we are putting into place to lower stress, increase quality of life, and strengthen relationships. In their example, I share why it is important to teach your dog a positive association with management.
Parents, YOU Are ALWAYS Teaching
Teaching happens whether we intend it or not. Our interactions cause others to learn positive AND negative associations with situations, and with us.
Walking My Dog Helped A Child Feel Safe Around A Dog
Yesterday when I was walking my dog, we had an opportunity to help a child feel safe around a dog. This is our story, an important story for parents and those who have a dog. My dog, Dawson, and I came across a mother and her maybe two-ish year old little girl. The little girl’sRead more “Walking My Dog Helped A Child Feel Safe Around A Dog”
Keeping Kids Safe Around Dogs at Halloween
HALLOWEEN IS SPOOKY! It can bring out the scary in dogs. Please consider these tips for fun and safe trick-or-treating.
Train Your Child As You Train Your Dog
I had a first appointment the other day with a family that includes two young girls (ages 6 and 10) and a new puppy. Whenever I work with families like this one, part of helping them get off to the right start is about teaching the parents how to supervise and manage their kids andRead more “Train Your Child As You Train Your Dog”
Fair Pair In Dog Training
Whenever we share our lives with another being (whether a person or non-human companion), there are going to be behaviors come up that we don’t like. It is just a fact of life.
Prevent Resource Guarding In Your Dog
The other day I made the mistake of placing my iPhone ear buds too close to the edge of my dining room table, and when Dawson was looking for something fun to play with, they looked like a pretty good option from his perspective. I did not happen to agree with him. In that splitRead more “Prevent Resource Guarding In Your Dog”
A Lesson On Dog Training For Kids
The other day my client’s granddaughter was with us during our training, and, as I enjoy doing, I included her in our lesson – sometimes as the distraction (since she is a distraction to their dog in real life, after all) and sometimes learning how to use positive reinforcement to teach Sassy how to doRead more “A Lesson On Dog Training For Kids”
Kids – No Dog Headlocks Please
Parents, a reminder that dogs – like all animals – learn positive or negative associations based on past experience. To strengthen your child’s relationship with your dog and help to prevent dog bites, please teach your child that instead of giving headlocks and big bear hugs that can make dogs uncomfortable, to be a dogRead more “Kids – No Dog Headlocks Please”