How To Walk 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

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

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

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

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 […]

Four Things To Bring On A Walk With Your Dog

Here are four things you may want to on a walk your dog, for dog safety and your own safety, just in case of imminent danger from an off-leash dog.

Is Your Dog As Smart As 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?

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 […]

Teaching Your Dog To Come

If you want to teach your dog to come quickly when called (also called teaching your dog recall), it is important to ask yourself, “How can I make that choice the most awesome choice for my dog in that moment?” Remember, from your dog’s perspective, it’s all about consequences.  Below I share some dog training […]

How Teach Your Dog NOT To Come

People have trouble teaching their dog to come (also called teaching their dog recall) for a number of reasons. In case you are wondering how to teach your dog NOT to come when called (remember, that your dog is always learning based on what will get him the highest value consequence), here are some pointers.