Does your hound constantly have her nose to the ground? Is your retriever pup a bit too mouthy? Is your Pyrenees, Chow or Catahoula mix acting a bit growly with strangers? Does your terrier like to grab and shake toys? How about your adorable herder? Ever nipped at anyones heels?
Is It Just the Dogs Breed? Read More »
There are many ways to get behavior from an animal, for example you can hold your dog down when he jumps up on you, this may work for you, but the negative is that your dog may start barking more when guest arrive. Some dogs will become really wiggly and jumpy with strangers as a way of showing appeasement to the guest to ward off that scary punishment of being held down. This can also make your recall much more
3 Tips for Changing Your Dogs Behavior Read More »
Dog training is a process of shaping behaviors that are wanted by the human. With that in mind, why do so many of us reward unwanted behaviors? I have met many dogs who are still offering bad behaviors even at 2 or 3 years of age.
My Dog Barks and Jumps on Me! Read More »
We have 3 different conversations going on in this photo. Note the open or closed mouths. Where are their eyes looking? How are the tails held? Are there any paw lifts? Do you note soft or
Are you sending the wrong message? Read More »
Many dogs get a reputation for being dog aggressive, when they are IMG_1590simply responding to adolescent dogs with rude behavior. My foster beagle was one of those very rude adolescent greeters who invades other dogs space without an invitation.
You are NOT invited Read More »
Many people contact me to help them with recall or getting their dog to come when they call them.
A good recall begins with a strong relationship between the human and the dog. The dog who happily comes when called shares a bond with them and trust them completely. They go to them repeatedly because they associate their owner with good things.
If you call your dog and they look at you as if to say why? “Why should I?” It would be nice if relationships were that easy, but we know any relationship has a balance of trust and respect. Anyone parenting children can see similarities as we are able to say “because I said so!” Many of us have learned to give a specific reason, expressing our intentions clearly we will have better success and maintain a healthy relationship with our children in the process.
Does Your Dog Come When You Call? Read More »
I am house training an adult 3 yr old dog that has been allowed to use pee pads all his life. This handsome mix is a very shy boy and did take a day for me to be able to body handle him without him screaming. He is vetted and in good health, just has no idea where the toilet is.
Does Age Matter?
House training a new puppy or an adult rescue dog, uses the same technique, as you are assuming the dog has no idea where to eliminate. While you are conditioning a puppy a new behavior and your are counter conditioning an adult dog a different behavior needs to be considered in your time line for sure. Counter conditioning behaviors will most often take longer.
Effective Potty Training A Puppy Read More »
As a Professional Dog Trainer, it is my job to teach you how to teach your puppy or rescue dog to have a soft mouth. This goes for your puppy mouthing a human, child or another dog.
If you have adopted a rescue dog, can you be assured this dog knows not to bite?
I discuss a soft mouth in all my classes because it is so important and many of you have rescued a dog. If I approach your tethered dog holding a scarf, glove or toy, will your dog lunge and grab the item along with my hand? Have you tried yelling, “no!” Did yelling teach your dog an appropriate behavior? Instead of yelling, you can simply walk away the second the feet come off the floor. Approach the dog again, if his behavior is not appropriate, walk away, repeat until he sits or does not jump, then reward with play! Rewarding your dog for the appropriate behavior is much faster than telling the dog “no”.
Stop Puppy Biting, the Best Way! Read More »
Clients often say their dog bit without warning, however if you understood dogs body language, you would have seen signs that your dog was worried prior to the bite. Signs of Stress: Head lowered Tail tucked Lip licking Panting and Pacing barking Excessive salivation Ears pulled to the side or way back Hiding behind the
Bite Prevention – Warning signs Read More »
Socializing puppies can be confusing. However, science tells us that puppies who are exposed to many different environments in a positive way, grow up to be social, relaxed adult dogs. Puppies who grow up in an outside pen, and do not experience indoor environments until 8 or 9 weeks of age, will be more fearful and skittish as they mature in a home. While these puppies can often overcome their fears, it takes time and patience.
Social Play Behaviors in Puppies and Adult Dogs Read More »
