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...
As someone who specializes in fear and aggression cases, I get a lot of people trying to communicate their dog's issue and use very colorful language. Over time I've learned to temper their interpretations and try to get them to focus on observations, not...
You’re expecting a baby and this is an exciting time. But maybe you’re also a little worried about your first baby, your dog, and how he might react to your new human baby. As a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator and a certified behavior consultant and trainer whose...
When I have my initial consult with separation anxiety clients, without fail, people ask some variation of "how severe is my dog?" or "is the worst case you've seen?" By this point in the consult, we've already discussed how training pace is always set by the...
Spring is here, at least where I live, and with more things opening up and people starting to venture out a bit more, I thought I'd cover some dog car safety, including management and training! If you're traveling, short or long distances, with your dog in...
Today I'm releasing a little infographic to help explain distance manipulations in resource guarding. If you've missing previous posts, you can see them all here: Resource Guarding Series. Today's post shows the process of how we overcome if a dog is a...
This is the last installment of my Resource Guarding Series.(click the link if you've missed any of the previous posts) but tomorrow right here I'll be releasing a special infographic about resource guarding so be sure to check back here. Today's post is...
In my continuing Resource Guarding Series, I've already covered prevention, what not to do and some myths. Today I'm talking about some of the training options available. It's important to note here that all this training here was done by a certified and...
Recently I've written about resource guarding prevention, especially in puppies, and what not to do to teach your dog not to guard. Today's post is for those of you who already have a guarder and some things we can do to keep everyone safe and still keep your...
There is no substitute for quality training and behavior modification but there are a lot of management strategies to manage or overcome unexpected situations when they occur so your dog isn't practicing doing the wrong thing. Sometimes having the right gear...