Originally Published on ARLNow.com A reactive dog is a dog that reacts to specific things in their environment by becoming highly aroused and in most cases, barking and lunging. These dogs can appear to be aggressive, dangerous and “out of control.” It is a scary situation for both passers-by and owners. Some reactive dogs are… Read more »
Veterinary visit etiquette and training
Originally Published on ARLNow.com A few weeks ago, Clarendon Animal Care wrote a great article with tips for a great vet visit. You can read it here. Having been to the vet several times in the past weeks, their article got me thinking about the training and behavioral aspects of a successful vet visit. There… Read more »
Canine Scent Work
Originally published on ARLNow.com How much do you rely on your sense of smell? For humans smell is an important part of taste. It can also bring back memories from childhood or special events. It can even warn us of danger when we smell smoke or food that has gone bad. But our sense of… Read more »
Happy Train Your Dog Month!
Originally published by ArlNow.com January is National Train Your Dog Month. So if you have any room left on your resolutions list, perhaps you can add one more: train your dog for five minutes a day. Believe it or not, give minutes a day can actually make a difference. How is this possible? Well the… Read more »
Obligatory holiday article
Originally published by ArlNow.com 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… Read more »
Go for a better walk
Originally published by ArlNow.com Walking the dog is an integral part of the dog owners day, especially for those of us who don’t have a yard. And for many of us it has become a rote behavior, but walking your dog is an opportunity. It is quality one-on-one time that should not be wasted. Here… Read more »
Living with an aggressive dog
Originally published on ArlNow.com What if you can’t keep your dog because of 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 ownership. But that’s not what I want to talk about today. What if you… Read more »
(The right kind of) ‘practice makes perfect’
Originally published on ArlNow.com Do you “practice at your performance?” I’ve been talking to a lot of clients about practice lately. People hate practice. Do you remember being forced to practice the piano? What about sports drills? It seems to be in our nature to want to get better at something but to hate the… Read more »
Debunking common dog training myths
Originally published on ArlNow.com 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 learning new things and replacing… Read more »
Dog Training vs. Behavior Modification
Originally published on ArlNow.com I get a lot of inquiries asking how many lessons it will take to solve a certain problem. My answer is always the same: it depends. It depends on: what the problem is how severe the problem is how compliant the owners are, and whether it is a training issue or a… Read more »
Want ‘puppy love’ or to run with the big dogs?
Originally published on ArlNow.com There are several avenues you can use to get a dog. Dogs are available through breeders, rescue groups and animal shelters. All of these options have good dogs available. But before you go to get a dog, you will need to have an idea of what you are looking for. The first… Read more »
Preventing dog bites
Originally published on ArlNow.com There is 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 found amazing… Read more »