A Quiz For Kids On Dog Body Language

I see children all of the time who love having a dog a part of their family. I also see many dogs that are uncomfortable and often do not feel safe around kids. That is why I think it is so important to teach kids that part of being a good dog friend is understanding […]

A Reflection: Helping Aggressive And Fearful Dogs

A Reflection: Working With Behavioral Cases Sometimes, I feel the need to share my reflections on my career in dog training. This is one of those times. I have been getting more and more calls about fearful and aggressive dogs (or with other behavioral issues). While it can sometimes be challenging as I figure out […]

Getting Your Puppy To Sleep Through The Night

Do you have or are you getting a young puppy? Getting your puppy to sleep through the night won’t happen on your first night together. It may take time. Below I share some puppy training tips to help you (and your puppy) get your night time rest.

Stuffing a Quizl Dog Enrichment Toy

As a dog and puppy enrichment toy, the West Paws Quizl can keep your pet busy for awhile. Like stuffing a Kong dog toy, you can stuff the Quizl with soft food and then freeze it for dog enrichment. In the large size, try stuffing a carrot or other vegetable or a string cheese down […]

Stop Puppy Biting

Let’s face it. Small puncture wounds (and the pain that comes with those wounds) on your hands and all up your arms is most definitely not on the list of puppy ownership pleasures. While it is natural for puppies to use their mouths, it is also typically a puppy training priority among families to stop […]

LIMA – Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive Training

When it comes to dog and puppy training (as well as training of parrots and other species), I believe whole heartedly in using and teaching the most positive approaches for creating behavior change. LIMA is an acronym for ‘least intrusive, minimally aversive’ training and it speaks so perfectly to my commitment to helping people and […]

Reminder: Practice Using Positive Reinforcement Everyday

My reminder to you:

Good Dog Training Habits Build Good Dog Manners

In my dog training, I help such a broad range of people to have a well-mannered dog or with help for their dog’s behavioral issues like fear. Much of how I do that is coaching people on how to train their dog more effectively. Good dog training habits build good dog manners.

Teaching Your Dog To Lay Down

Here are easy steps to teach your dog to lay down on cue beginning with a food lure. I like to teach sit and lay down separately as dogs can get those two behaviors confused. They will tend to do which ever behavior you most recently have reinforced.  If you have a clicker, you can […]

How I Crate Trained My Puppy, Dawson

I’ve written before about the importance of crate training your puppy (teaching your puppy that the crate is an awesome, safe place to settle). When I brought Dawson, my maltipoo, home, teaching him that lesson was high on my list of puppy training priorities as I knew I would be wanting him to spend time […]