6 Safety Tips for Children and Puppies It’s that time of year where families are bringing new puppies home. One major concern most new pet owners have is introducing their new puppy to their children. Before your new puppy arrives, hold a family meeting and discuss each puppy safety tip in detail with your children. It’s vital to teach young children polite behaviors … [Read more...]
What is the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test?
AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification There are 60.2 million households in the U.S. that own a dog, according to American Pet Products Association. As the human population continues to grow, it's only natural more and more dogs will become pets as well. With that said, we have a few responsibilities as pet owners. One of them is ensuring we have a sturdy and protective … [Read more...]
Does Permission-Based Dog Training Work?
A Look Into Permission-Based Dog Training While researching scientific data to support another article, somehow I bumped into a dog trainer claiming that permission-based dog training works. As a professional dog trainer, I base my dog training methods on scientific research, which promotes force-free training methods. Do know, I’ve been around the dog training block … [Read more...]
How to Keep Felines off Counters
No one likes to find cat hair in their food. One of the more common complaints I hear from owners is how their cats won't stay off the countertops. I get it, I really do. It's an annoying habit for those of us who enjoy cooking or using the countertop as a dining area. Fortunately, there are simple ways to keep your cats off of the counters. Let’s start with the most … [Read more...]
4 Dog Training Cues Every Dog Should Know
Teach Your Dog These Basic Dog Training Cues All dogs should learn a series of basic dog training cues to keep them safe while having fun. Most puppy group classes teach these important behaviors, but dogs are never too old to learn these training cues either. Grab your clicker, super yummy treats and your dog. Practice daily for 1-2 minutes to ensure your dog’s … [Read more...]
Does Positive Reinforcement Really Work?
Yes, Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Does Work Every single day, I’m asked whether or not positive reinforcement dog training works. While many pet owners purposely pursue a positive dog trainer, there are still doubts written across their face. This is very evident when working with reactive dogs; many pet owners just don’t trust the dog training technique. As with … [Read more...]
Training Your Dog to Give Kisses
Get Your Dog to Give Kisses on Cue Who doesn’t love a big wet kiss from their dog? Okay, maybe there are a lot of you out there who would rather not receive a wet one, but maybe you know someone who loves receiving kisses from her dog. Well good news! You can train your dog to give kisses on cue, allowing you to clearly communicate to your dog when he is welcome to give … [Read more...]
Feline Chewing Problems
Taking a few effective measures can help keep your cats safe and sound. There are a variety of reasons cats might chew on and/or eat nonfood items. Felines might chew if they are bored or have too much excess energy. Highly stressed or anxious cats often chew as a self-soothing technique. Chewing on or ingesting nonfood items can not only be destructive, it can be very … [Read more...]