Whew! That last post about dogs getting loose and getting hit by a car brought to mind another important safety strategy. Dogs need to be under our control at all times, but especially when getting in and out of a vehicle. I teach In and Out. “In” goes like this: Leashed Dog and owner approach vehicle and dog sits and waits (make sure they are out of the way of the door swing). Take your time, open the door slowly, praising the wait. Do not let the dog decide when to hop

No matter how careful we are, inevitably our dogs figure out a way to break free and cruise the neighborhood. Guys, I can’t think of many worse sounds than a dog getting hit by a car. It is super important they know (and love) the command “Come.” Unfortunately, this command often develops an association with something negative or having to do something stressful like taking a bath, going in the car, going to the groomer or vet. It can even be a source of embarrassment - he

Sometimes being a dog trainer doubles as a marriage counselor! Scenario: Wife calls wanting training for their dog. Dog and wife start making progress, and sure as shootin’ I start hearing about how hubby won’t get with the program and is hindering training. Calm down and don’t lawyer up! You can have a successful training experience regardless of whether everyone else in the dog’s life is on the same page. Case in point: I have SHARED my current dog for six years with one

I often get asked to help with reactive dogs. Some dogs are more high strung than others, some breeds are more prone to reactivity, some dogs are sort of copying their owner! We have a yappy dog in our neighborhood, and honest to Pete sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the dog and the owner’s tone! We are all so busy with work, school, kids, shopping, laundry, homework, meal prep and then trying to catch some R and R. Today’s modern dog sometimes spends a lot of

What is Adaptive Dog Training? As most of us know, the benefits of having a dog are immeasurable - companionship, social connections, something to nurture and take care of, security, and even lowering blood pressure just to name a few. Did you know that there are thousands of Emergency Room visits every year related to dog injuries? And it is not just dog bites, but dislocations, lacerations, rope burns, broken bones, concussions, traumatic brain injuries and the list goes

R-E-S-P-E-C-T . . . you go girl, Aretha! Love that song . . . Does your dog treat you more like a littermate than their pack leader? Maybe Aretha was on to something! When it comes to gaining respect from our dogs we have to understand how their brain works in that department. You see having a pack leader is CRUCIAL for a dog’s security, happiness and well-being. Without a strong leader we see little out-of-control train wreck dogs who are literally BEGGING for leadership

So many gizmos and gadgets out there! I like to train with a flat collar and a two handled leash - also called a city walker. The collar should be one that does not loosen if the dog forges. Leather or webbing are usually good choices. When fitting the collar for training, it should fit high on the neck just behind the ears. Collars that hang low around the neck will cause the dog to make that choking sound as it pulls against the trachea. Snug it up so that you can fit

Do you sometimes feel like your dog thinks you sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher? Does your dog know certain skills but only does them when he or she feels like it? When we learn how to think like a dog, we can gain their respect and all of those annoying things fall into place. There is one phrase I hear over and over – why does my dog do things for you but not me? Here are my three “F’s” in training: fun, fair, and firm. When I make learning a new skill fun and happy like

Here is a dog training thought: Some folks don’t want to use treats in training with concerns that the dog may become treat dependent. When training Support Dogs, knowing that many clients are unable to navigate giving treats, here is my approach. Look at giving a treat as a way to trigger a salivary response in the brain (the dog’s, not yours!). With that in mind use a high value treat (your dog’s most favorite thing that he or she never gets outside of training) and use it