Pet Training Tips & More

Dogs are pack animals and establish leadership and a pack hierarchy. As the owner, you should be the leader of the pack. Many dogs will gladly take on the role if you do not. And who wants to have the dog in charge? Establishing the role of leader can be done gently and humanely. I want to have a dog that feels safe with me and trusts me, therefore I do not do "Alpha Rolls". With a puppy or smaller dog, I start out by holding the dog in my lap on it's back like a baby, while

I like to make things simple but easy to maintain the dog's success. That is why are start training using food lures to encourage the pup into the correct position without physically guiding him. As soon as the pup hits the correct position following the food lure, I mark the good behavior with a "Yes!" and immediately giving the treat from that hand. Once my dog reliably will come and sit, then I will ask for a couple or more behaviors before giving him the treat. Still, I

Naturally when we get that new puppy we are anxious to take him out and about and show him off, but also to socialize him. The key is how to do that safely. If you purchased a puppy from a reputable breeder (perhaps a breeder awarded "Breeder of Merit" status by the AKC) the puppy will have received some good experiences already. Socialization is more about gentle exposure to different sights, sounds, smells, floor textures than meeting a bunch of people and dogs. I do not re

I have had several people ask me about dealing with their dogs that tend to fight at meal time. While I know trainers and others who can successfully train their dogs to only eat from their own bowl, I find it easier to avoid the hassle in the first place. You don't want to have to try to separate dogs fighting over the food. Over the decades I have usually kept around 6 to 7 dogs. This group may include up to three different breeds, various ages, and dietary needs. I am not

Has your dog ever counter surfed or grabbed your sandwich off your plate? Leave it can be used for a variety of situations, such as medicine dropped on the floor, a food wrapped in the McDonald's parking, or your child's shoe or toy. I teach my dogs to leave it unless I direct them otherwise to take it as this might save their life or an emergency vet visit. First, you dog should know the "watch me" command where you have rewarded eye contact from your dog. I start with some

I like to set my dogs up for success. I pay close attention to not rush them into situations that I know will lead to undesirable behaviors. I set strong foundations and build slowly before asking for more than my dog can manage. One tool I often use in the house is a leash. If I get an adult dog that is not housebroken or that counter surfs, I do not trust him to be loose in the house. I let him drag a long line that is light weight, so I can grab it at a moments notice to p

For many years through much of the 1900s and even early 2000s, the tradition dog training required some level of force. Some examples are pushing on the dog's butt to get him to sit, pulling down on his leash while pushing down on his shoulders to get him to lie down, hard jerks on the leash to reduce pulling, etc. Personally, I feel this is in direct opposition to the relationship I want with my dogs: loving companions with a deep bond and willingness to do what I ask. In fa

Unfortunately, the shelters have many small dogs surrendered due to behavior problems. These problems include biting, jumping up, incessant barking, and hyper behavior. Some of this stems from three main reasons: 1. an owner who does not want to correct bad behavior, 2. owner thinks that is was cute as a puppy and will outgrow it, and 3. believes you can't really train a small dog without hurting them. First, it is important to set the boundaries and expectations as soon as p

Let me start by saying that dogs are great at understanding body language much more so than the spoken command. I will discuss the three primary forms of getting the dog to know it is doing the correct behavior: luring; capturing; and shaping. Luring: I generally start out a new dog or pup with luring. Luring is when I use a favorite toy or treat to encourage my dog to do something like sit or put paws up on a low bench. I show the dog the treat close to his nose and then mov

You may have heard of positive reinforcement. It may also be called classical conditioning. When used with people, we call it behavior modification. Under classical conditioning/behavior mod, there are four types of reinforcement: positive reward, negative reward, positive punishment, and negative punishment. In this sense positive means adding and negative means taking away. So negative reward simply means taking away something undesirable. Positive punishment means giving s

On a regular basis I run into people who are frustrated with their dog's bad behavior. They tell me the problems they are having and I give them a business card and tell them to call me when they are ready to set up private training or enroll in a class. The key is that an owner MUST be willing and ready to step up and commit to changing what they are doing. The typical problems are jumping up, not coming when called, nipping, pulling on the leash, and barking. Shaping behavi

E collars is a softer way of saying shock collars. Most trainers that offer board and train use these tool. Some will have you buy the "training collar" from them for use in a class. There are two primary dog trainer certifications: APDT (Association for Professional Dog Trainers), and CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers). These organizations offer a strict code of ethics, training and testing certification program for dog trainers. Both REQUIRE the tra

Does your dog lunge and bark at people or other dogs when you are out for a walk? Perhaps he pulls frantically trying to chase a child passing on a bicycle. This behavior is embarrassing at best, and dangerous at worst. Usually this behavior is a result of lack of socialization and the dog is over stimulated. Punishment (shock collar, yelling, hitting, or jerking your dog) only makes matters worse. Dogs can sense your fear, frustration, or lack of confidence. Gather up your s

With the internet, there is a lot of information out there available for prospective and current dog owners. Being informed will help you avoid getting taken advantage of by unscrupulous breeders. The American Kennel Club has a great breed information and comparison tool to help you pick the best breed for your lifestyle. This will help you know if the breeder is telling the truth or just selling you a lie to get your money. For example, Golden Retrievers only come in three c

Proofing is the training we do to make sure our dog understands the command and will do it 99% of the time. Generalizing is when our training and the dog's performance will remain the same in various situations and locations. For example, your dog may do the recall perfectly every time while on leash, but not when off leash, so proofing is needed to fix that. Another example is that your dog will recall off leash at home, but not in the park. First, figure out what triggers y

A dog that lunges wildly at the end of his leash, barking at every person he sees is displaying reactive behavior. Reactive behavior is...

Both male and female dogs may engage in this embarrassing habit. If you had your dog spayed or neutered, it can take a few months for...

Dogs are social animals and that is one reason why humans enjoy them as companions. There are various reasons why dogs get separation...

Many people tell me that their dog is stubborn, or will not listen, or just plain loses focus. By changing owner behavior we can see a...

We might think that dogs will automatically love going for a ride in the car, but the opposite may be true for your pup. A stressed dog...