There is Help for Separation Anxiety Now As a professional dog trainer, who works with a veterinary behaviorist, we encounter many desperate cases. Some of the toughest cases we deal with are separation anxiety issues in dogs; it’s such an emotional situation. If your dog is reactive to dogs or humans, you can manage the situation by keeping your dog away from her … [Read more...]
Dog Pawing Behavior: What It Means and How to Stop It
How to Stop a Dog From Pawing and Scratching People As a professional dog trainer, I’ve witnessed dogs pawing people, which leave long scratches on arms and legs behind. Many years ago, during a private dog training lesson, a Great Dane welcomed me at the front door with a massive swat across my back. Wow, that scratch burned, bled and bruised over the next couple of days. … [Read more...]
Dog Shock Collars: Which Side Are You On?
Friendly Shock Collar Debate Recently, we had a huge reaction to this shock collar blog post, which explains how shock collars are inhumane and painful. Responses varied from support of the article to passionate debates over shock collar use. Unfortunately, many responses were anecdotal, lacking research references to support their case. We must focus on facts if we … [Read more...]
Dogs Find Choices Very Rewarding
Choice Dog Training As with everything in life, trends appear, stick around or rapidly disappear. Lately, a new dog training trend focuses on giving dogs choices during the training process. This “trend” puzzles me a bit because choices should be a part of all dog training. Dogs deserve choices, and sometimes dogs find choices more rewarding than food. Below, we show you … [Read more...]
Confessions of a Dog Owner: I’m Not Getting the Most Out of Class
How to Get the Most Out of Your Dog Training Class Committing to weekly group class sessions can be challenging, but it's worth it. Make each class session count. It's all about time management sprinkled with preparation and a dash of understanding your environment. Arrive Early Plan on arriving early, meaning you're parking at the dog training center 10 minutes before … [Read more...]
Does Ignoring Bad Dog Behavior Work?
Ignoring Your Dog Can Extinguish Bad Behavior Ignoring a dog is a good thing; it provides choices for the dog. When a person ignores a dog, it provides the perfect situation for the dog to choose if she would like to engage in a greeting. Even more important is ignoring bad dog behavior prevents reinforcement of a behavior. With that said, are you really ignoring your … [Read more...]
Solutions to Common Dog Training Mistakes
Don't Make These Dog Training Mistakes Again Everyone makes dog training mistakes; it’s part of the learning process. When mistakes happen, it’s important to recognize and learn from them and leave frustration at the door. If you're making these common mistakes in dog training, give these simple solutions a try! Mistake #1: Ego Getting in the Way Solution: Record Your … [Read more...]
Dog Nail Trimming Tips: Teach Dog to Use Scratchboard
How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Scratchboard You’ve built a size-appropriate nail scratchboard, and now it’s time to teach your dog how to drag her front nails across it. You’ll need a clicker, lots of yummy treats (about the size of a pea), scratchboard and a room with a door. Room With a Door During the beginning stages, choose a small room with a door for dog training … [Read more...]