Dangers Of Chaining Your Dog

While I haven’t seen as much of it lately, I do still see dogs chained in yards. It is a worrisome sight. Even a dog that will wag its tail, approach people with loose body muscles, and lower its head for head scratches in other situations can…and more than likely will become reactive to stimulus […]

Have Patience With Your Adolescent Dog

here is why you should show compassion to your adolescent puppy

This so needs sharing adolescent dogs. Puppy adolescence is such a trying time for dog owners but it is also a very difficult and challenging time for your dog also. Think about teenage people and how tough it is on parents. I am remembering my brother coming home from school to go right up to […]

How To Walk your Leash Reactive Dog

tips for walking your leash reactive dog

When I ask a new client about their dog’s exercise, more often than not, the answer has to do with, ‘walking my dog in my neighborhood.’  Walking their dog on a leash – or walking their off-leash dog as I have been seeing in my neighborhood (but do not advocate for) – is just what […]

Parents, Please Teach Kids, Do Not Hug Your Family Dog

Parents: Please Teach Your Kids, Do Not Hug Your Family Dog

Often kids mean well with their interactions with your dog (or other dogs) but they can do things – like hugging – that can cause dogs to feel uncomfortable.   A lesson for parents of a kids and a dog: please teach your children this important relationship building lesson – DO NOT HUG YOUR FAMILY DOG. […]

Why It Is Better To Avoid The Aversive In Training

The pitfalls of training with aversives

Something to give you thought in your dog or bird training (or another species): If you react to your pet’s unwanted behavior in a way that is aversive to your pet whether that inflicts pain, stress or fear (or all of them), you may (or may not) change that behavior – at least in the […]

Your Dog’s Leave-Me-Alone Spot

Your Dog's Leave-Me-Alone Spot

How does your dog or puppy let you know he/she wants to be left alone or just wants to say NO? My Dawson has his Leave-Me-Alone spot where he sits just behind a living room seat.

Attaching Your Dog’s Collar And Leash

dog training problem solving: attaching the leash and collar

Even for a dog who enjoys being outside and participating in a walk once outside, that same dog may make getting ready a challenge. It could be the sight of the collar and hands coming toward it could be cause for a stressful dog. Or it could be that the sight of the collar and […]

Is Your Dog As Smart As Your Previous Dog?

Is your dog smarter than your previous dog?

“My dog isn’t as smart as my previous dog.” I have heard a version of this many times, people comparing their current dog’s intelligence to that of their previous pet. I get it. Their previous dog did more of the behaviors they like and less of the behaviors they don’t like or their previous dog […]

What Does It Mean When Your Dog Plays Keep Away?

If your dog growls during play or plays keep away, what does that mean?

I was asked by a man the other day about when his dog growls during play. Specifically, he shared how his dog loves sticks and playing keep away. He described it as his dog teases with bringing the sticks up to him, only letting go with a growl. His question was whether he should wait […]