Humans seem to love the word NO when it comes to interacting with their dogs. And they're surprised and a little confused when I tell clients "No isn't a behavior." "But I want him to stop doing {fill in the blank} so I tell him no." Here's a newsflash - dogs...
Humans who live with dogs tend to spend a lot of time trying to stop behavior their dog is doing. Stop chasing squirrels. Don't chew on the table leg. Don't shred that paper. Don't steal the food. Stop jumping on people. Don't be mouthy. Stop tugging on my...
Housetraining issues can be super frustrating and really zap the joy out of having a new puppy or dog in your home. Nobody likes to clean up constant messes or live with pee and poop. Luckily, there are a few key things you can do to get your pup on the right...
Remote training isn't new in dog training. In fact, decades ago, separation anxiety trainers would drop camcorders off at their clients' homes so they could record their training. Thankfully we don't need to do that anymore thanks to technology improvements...
Enrichment is one thing I chat with clients about often. Dogs come pre-wired with many skills like sniffing, chewing, dissecting and scavenging that many domesticated dogs don't have a good outlet for. Family dogs often find themselves with endless hours of lounging...
I currently share my life with two senior dogs. Mr. Barbo, turned 13 last week and BooBoo will be 13 in October. And I'm here to say, it can be heartbreaking going through this aging process. Barbo has been with us since he was about a year and half old and...
One of the most common myths I encounter, from clients, other "trainers" and even some vets, is that separation anxiety is not treatable or that dogs can't recover from it. This is completely untrue. Myself and other qualified, certified separation anxiety...
If your dog could talk, he'd have a lot of requests. And I bet you'd be a little surprised at how simple some of those things are. So I'm here, begging you on his behalf. And I hope you'll listen. 9 Requests, From Me, On Behalf Of Your Dog: Please don't use...
I commonly have clients write on their intake form or tell me during our initial consult that they think their dog is "protecting them." Maybe their dog barks or growls at strangers so people jump to the conclusion their dog is guarding them. Maybe that's an...
TV trainers have done a lot of damage over the last couple of decades, and one of those things is pushing the idea that a "calm" dog is the ideal state we want to achieve for our dogs all the time. I like calm dogs when they're seniors and like to snooze. Or...
Often clients will tell me all about their dog's issues and then say something like "But, he's fine at the vet. He doesn't try to bite or growl or do anything. He just stands there." Thinking the dog is "fine" in those super scary situations because the dog is...
It can be exhausting and emotional living with a fearful dog. Whether your dog is struggling with stranger danger, separation anxiety, resource guarding or any other fear based behavioral issue, as much as you love your dog, on some days I'm sure you've wished...
I have a request and it may seem weird, but please stop having people try to hand feed your fearful dog. Nearly every client that comes to me with a dog who is afraid of strangers tells me at one point they've tried to get people to hand feed their dog. And I...
There's a lot of euphemisms in dog training, mostly trying to smooth over things that don't sit well with us. Aversive trainers and electric fence companies will tell you the shock collar is "just a vibration like your cell phone." People who have dogs who are...
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how important the words we use to describe our dogs and their behavior are in this post. As a follow up to that, today I'm talking about the words we using during training. Sometimes it can be confusing for owners because...
When I have my initial consult with separation anxiety clients, most, if not all of them, have some misguided understanding or belief about separation anxiety. And with all the widely found information online and given from friends, it's easy to see why people...
Last night I did a free Facebook and YouTube Q&A on Resource Guarding as a supplement to my Resource Guarding Series. Here is the video in case you missed it. There's also lots of great resources referenced and linked in the comments of the Facebook post....
Behavior suppression is NOT the same as behavior modification. What do I mean? Well, here's a good analogy I use with clients. If you break your arm and are crying, I might be able to slap you around enough to get you to stop crying. Just stopping the...