News & Articles

A dog should be allowed to bark. After all, that is one reason we have dogs, to alert us. We would just like to control the “on and off switch.” It’s the rare human who hasn’t yelled at their dog, “Quiet" or "Shut Up!” when the dog is barking at the doorbell, a noise, or at you to get your attention. We think that if we raise the volume of our voice, this ...

Behavioral Terminology: What are they talking about?

You hear dog trainers tossing around training terms that don’t make sense to you? Here’s a look into decoding the lingo.

The definitions are generally accepted among behaviorists (which is where this terminology is standardized): Whether a given act is reinforcement or punishment is defined by what the dog does in the future. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of it, it's the dog ...

Scientists have discovered that dogs can smell the presence of autism in children.

'Seizure Alert' dogs can alert their owners up to an hour before the onset of an epileptic seizure. There are dogs that can detect cancer before medical tests can. With these incredible capabilities, it is hard to deny the effect that our own energy can have on our dogs. The idea of sharing "good energy" is not just a “woo-woo” concept reserved ...

Rowdy little children and naughty little puppies have so much in common!

Let's learn from the human example, so we can quickly and gently redirect puppies away from naughtiness, toward great and fun behaviors.

I sat trapped on the airplane, hurtling toward Orlando, strapped into my seat, some 30,000 feet above ground. I say “trapped” because my seat, my entire row even, was constantly shaken, bumped and tossed by a pair of blond ...

Rain, rain…go away. All our dogs want to play!

Bad weather shouldn’t stop you from exercising your dog’s body and brain. Here are a few great ways to keep your dog from going stir crazy when you’re house-bound.

Days of rain or bitter cold, even unbearable heat usually mean we coop up the dogs with nothing to do. And that got me to thinking: What do we do with our dogs ...

Pack work, or using a group of dogs to influence the behavior of an individual dog, is an amazing tool which can create permanent change in a dog and help create a healthy balanced attitude and behavior.

There are a variety of ways in which trainers use this concept to assist in the training of a client dog from simply using a senior steady, trained dog to calm a nervous nelly, to having a young ...

(Addictive behavior in dogs which can sever the bond with their family)

You may already be in trouble if you did not study the history and purpose of your purebred dog before you brought him home. Your failure to diligently manage your dog to prevent his characteristics from growing into dangerous obsessions could seal your dog's fate.

You may think you did everything you could to successfully raise your dog. Following well-meaning veterinary advice ...

We started teaching our dog to ’Spin’ and now it’s time to introduce the ‘Step-up!’

What is Step-up? This trick is the first part of teaching a dog to place its front feet on a low solid item and remain there until released. As training progresses the dog will eventually be able to sit on top of a low object and balance perfectly! Dogs’ love this one so much that when a ‘practice object ...

Dog training (reliable dog training) is my passion. It's a long story, going back to 1966.

I've been a professional dog trainer since 1970. I have always worked hard to make my dogs trustworthy off lead, but it takes time and consistency. I am rather old fashioned in my dog training techniques. My dogs have a lot more 'freedom' because we trust each other. They all know that there are consequences for their ...

Teaching a dog to touch his nose to your hand on command is a simple, highly effective training protocol that has many practical uses:

• It can teach a touch sensitive or hand shy dog to welcome physical contact instead of avoiding it.
• It can help a reactive dog to direct his attention to the handler, thereby interrupting fixation.
• It can establish a bond between an anti-social dog to a human handler because it is a ...

How we behave with a dog influences behavior not only now but often for the rest of her life.

Playing with a dog is fun and when learning is fun, a dog will learn quickly. Therefore look for opportunities to show your dog what are good habits and behavior in a fun way and prepare your dog for the expectation of living in today's society.

The moment you meet your pup you begin teaching ...

Our old dog, Casey (Traveling Salesman X Pet Store Cocker) was acquired from the SPCA at age 8 weeks. We lived in the city in a town house with no yard. All of Casey's exercise happened on leash on concrete. Doing toenails was never a problem. She wore them down walking. She was 2 when we moved to the suburbs and bought the dog a respectable fenced yard. She was in heaven, running and ...

Dogs are capable of learning words and phrases. Consistency is the key to teaching anything new, whether it be a word, obedience command, or trick. Below are some commonly used words for different situations. Use any word you prefer, just make sure that everyone in the household uses the same vocabulary.

The easiest way for a dog to learn a word or phrase is to attach it to the action. For instance, say SIT when ...

Who can resist the adorable little balls of fluff, round tummies and breath that endears us to them? Somewhat like a combination of a 2 year old and a newborn, they are a tremendous investment of time and money, but when raised right, the dividends are wonderful. There is a lot more than you might think to these little wonders. I can’t encourage you enough to think of owning one as importantly as you ...