1. Exercise – Because a dog’s naughty behavior is often the result of pent up frustration It is important to remember that dogs have descended from wolves, predators that were on the move for many miles each day. Today’s companion dog no longer needs to hunt to survive, but they still need movement. Unfortunately, far too many dogs are lucky if they get even a short walk around the block each day. Lack of exercise is one of the mostRead more “The three building blocks for a well behaved dog.”
I’ve been helping people train their dogs for many years. When someone is new to training there is a lot to learn, which means I’ve heard some questions pretty routinely. One of the common ones is, “What should I say?” This question comes up when people want to stop the dog from displaying an undesirable behavior, but they aren’t certain what to say. If the dog spots a squirrel and tries to chase it. or darts for the edge ofRead more “The Only Seven Words Your Dog Needs to Know.”
Pet dog trainer, field dog trainer, working k9 handler, service dog trainer, competitive bite sports decoy, competition obedience master. The list of areas of expertise is long. Many areas overlap and intersect – but sometimes important nuances don’t.
I’d like you to answer the following question with the FIRST response that comes to mind. Do you have a stubborn dog? Over the years, it has been my experience that many people respond with an affirmative, yes. Many times, the yes is accompanied by either a sigh of frustration or a defeated sense of acceptance. I celebrated my birthday recently and it got me contemplating the mindset we have about personalities that are “stubborn”. A friend of mine wishedRead more “Are the Stars aligned for you and your dog?”
Dog Camp 2016 If you love spending time playing with and training your dog, then this Dog Camp is for you. For some time, I have wanted to create a diversified training event geared solely toward the needs of pet dog owners. The goal was to come up with a curriculum that addressed multiple aspects of dog ownership. That intention gave birth to the Dog Camp concept. This camp does not just focus on training but takes a look at theRead more “Dog Camp 2016”
Dog Behavior Problems and Solutions. Will You Choose Reasons or Results? I recently wrote about 5 ways to mess up your dog. The list included obvious mistakes in dog ownership like not providing enough exercise or structure, but it also mentioned, “letting sympathy rein” regarding how we often view shelter dogs or dogs with anxiety issues. To make my point about how useless sympathy is in helping rehabilitate dogs that have behavioral issues, allow me to share with you a bit of myRead more “Reasons or Results – Which Will You Choose?”
5 Ways to Mess Up Your Dog Most of the time, dog trainers invest effort trying to teach dog owners what to do to have a well- mannered, well-adjusted companion. But sometimes it is helpful to look at things from another angle so let me share a few thoughts on how you can wreak havoc with your dog’s mental health and have a negative impact on their behavior. These are some of the top ways that you can mess upRead more “5 Ways to Mess Up Your Dog”
The next professional dog trainer course is going to be held October 12th – 22nd. The 10 day E-cademy program is geared specifically toward those dog training professional who want to learn more about incorporating e-collar training into their training business. Since 2002 this immersion program has helped individuals to hone their training skills and greatly enhance their coaching capabilities. The curriculum weighs heavily on practical application, rather than just theory. Participants gain significant hands on experience working with aRead more “Professional Dog Trainer Course”
Possessive behavior in dogs is dangerous but it can be prevented. Big issues can arise when a dog becomes confident at defending bones, toys or other items. Some dogs even become possessive of people and won’t let others approach or sit next to “their human”. This is scary in a number of ways. If a dog with resource guarding issues gets a hold of anything potentially dangerous it can be very challenging to try and take it away. It isRead more “Possessive behavior in dogs can be prevented.”
My dog is stubborn is a sentiment I hear fairly often. Believing dogs to be willfully disobedient seems to be an easy leap for many of us to make. After all, why wouldn’t our dog listen? Perhaps they just like to be difficult and cause us frustration? I’m certain that from time to time dogs do make an actual judgment to ignore our directives. But I don’t think it is as often as we want to assume. All these yearsRead more “My dog is stubborn! He just won’t listen!”