So here it is. The holiday season is upon us, and while the holidays can be full of joy and wonder, they can also be full of stress and anxiety. This is as true for your dog as it is for you.A lot of things are different in the month of December. Furniture …
Living with an aggressive dog
It's incredibly difficult to live with dog aggression. What if you can’t keep your dog because of this aggression? Every year, almost 4 million dogs end up in shelters in the U.S. Some of these are the result of poor decision making and irresponsible dog …
Debunking common dog training myths
Dogs were domesticated at least 15,000 years ago. Today Americans keep about 78 million dogs as pets. 78 MILLION! In all of that time, and with all of those dogs, lots of dog knowledge has been accumulated. As in any field of study, we are constantly …
Dog Training vs. Behavior Modification
You know about dog training and you may have also heard the term behavior modification. Do you know the difference between the two? And how does that difference matter for you and your dog? What is training? When we talk about training we are usually …
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Considerations in choosing your new dog
You're ready to get a new dog! There are several avenues you can use. Dogs are available through breeders, rescue groups and animal shelters. All of these options have good dogs available. But before you choose where to get a dog, you will need to have an idea …
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Preventing dog bites
There it was again. Another story about a dog attacking a child. This time it was in Texas. A Border Collie. A five year old. In the face. But location, breed and age don’t matter. It happens everywhere, with all breeds of dogs, and all ages of people.What I …
How to help the shy or reserved dog
This week, I found myself talking to a lot of people with shy and reserved dogs. I was repeating the same advice over and over again so I thought I would share it here.Shy and reserved dogs will exhibit similar behaviors. They may back away, duck out from …
Trick Dog Titles
Teaching tricks is great for dogs. It provides them with both mental and physical stimulation and helps create a stronger working relationship between the dog and the handler. One of the best ways to help your dog perform basic obedience skills better is to …
Walking with a dog-reactive dog
Some dogs react to the presence of specific stimuli with aggressive barking and lunging. When a dog does this specifically in the presence of other dogs, we call it dog reactivity. Why might a dog be reactive? Possible reasons can include: Some dogs …
When a dog bites “out of the blue”
When it comes to aggression, trainers often hear the same thing. “Rover bit me out of the blue,” or “Fluffy growled at my son and never gave any other indications he was uncomfortable.” Both of these situations are highly unlikely since dogs very rarely …
Surviving your dog’s adolescence
Much like happens for all of us, your dog will go through an adolescent phase and this period can be fraught with difficulty. Dogs will enter their adolescent period at around 6 months old, and exit between 18 months and 2 years of age. Smaller dogs tend to …
The REAL first priorities to teach your puppy
Congratulations, you've got a new puppy (or a maybe even new adult dog)! Your first training priority will be to teach is "the basics", right? Sit, come, lie down, stay in front of the food bowl? Not so fast! Yes, these are all valuable skills for your new …
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