Dog Training

Incremental success equals stacking! This is a key component in dog training that gets overlooked. Of course everyone wants results quickly. Who wouldn’t want that? The problem is even though you can make a big difference quickly, the true long-term consistent success comes from stacking! The key is to start with small expectations, build the muscle memory of completing a new routine, and then add more tasks once you’re consistent. Want to know something interesting? The above sentence was...

Common questions from dog owners before training: Will my dog still be able to sleep with me? Does my dog HAVE to be crated? Why can’t my dog just have some free time in the yard? Why can’t my dog get affection and belly rubs from me? Why can’t I designate an area of the couch for him/her? The thing is, your dog CAN have all of those things...possibly. We treat each dog individually, but have everyone start off by heavily restricting privileges for a while when going back home or starting...

The vast majority of dogs we see from rescues, evaluate in shelters and get in for training that have fear aggression, aggression or reactivity issues have two main problems...certain genetic factors and lots of kindness shared with them. This is a tough one to communicate properly, though the concept is simple. Dogs that are not taught a solid “no”, but get lots of love, pets, play and treats end up in shelters, passed to another family or worse. Dogs, just like people, need to learn...

Meet Happy…the very suppressed dog… Let me explain! There is a new trend for balanced trainers and other trainers that “correct” bad behavior. The trend is to say we only suppress behavior, we create ticking time bombs that way and we don’t do any actual training. WHEW! That’s a little hard for me to even type out because of the craziness behind it. If correcting dogs is ALL it took I would be out of business. Me just telling people how to correct dogs would diminish my industry and...

Does your dog suffer from anxiety? It’s something I see constantly. The root of MANY unwanted behaviors starts with an anxious dog. What do I mean by anxiety? Well, there are many ways to spot anxiety, but for the sake of this article, I’m going to hit on some key specific points and what you can do about it to see a potentially quick change if you are committed (and everyone in the home is committed!). Some ways to spot anxiety: -whining when you leave the room -excessive drooling in...

If you want to gain a better understanding of your dog's behavior and learn how to not only tell your dog what to do, but teach them to learn and become more self reliant in their decision making, this seminar is for you! The target focus two day weekend seminars are leash handling skills and how different types of leashes and tools are beneficial for different reasons. It’s also important to know how and when to use them. With the leash we’ll be going over when and how to be gentle, when...

Do dogs like hugs and getting in their face for kisses? This is something we come across a lot and I hear debated by so many people. I might watch a video or read an article with another trainer talking about how dogs hate hugs and it doesn’t come natural to who they are and causes stress. Then many people will be angry at that swearing that their dog loves hugs. So here is the skinny! They are both right. For me, in my experience it comes down to trust and easiness of nature. Now this...

I have always been fascinated by a mammal’s senses from an orca whale to an elephant and a dog’s nose is an amazing thing worth examining. Unlike our noses, a dog really knows how to tap into their abilities and utilize them. We’ve been able to really hone in on that natural ability to accomplish some incredible things with dogs! This should also give you a great amount of insight to why certain things might be surprisingly difficult when training your dog.

How to matter to your dog...be relevant...find that deep connection with dogs we see and hear about in movies and in books. So many owners feel that their dog, even if they behave well, don’t ever listen!!! Let me try NOT to get into the weeds by talking about initial genetics of a dog, certain behavioral limitations and just give some awesome foundational generalizations you can use with your pooch at home.

You can’t hide it...from your dog. You think you are hiding it from your friends, colleagues, even family, but you aren’t from your dog. You aren’t first challenged by your work, family or obligations. Your first challenge is how you treat yourself and how you talk to yourself and then handle yourself in those work, family and other obligations. In a world with big obligations, big goals, big expectations and a fast paced lifestyle, many of us feel we are falling short or drowning in this...