Let me first start this post with my standard disclaimer: I AM NOT A VET. But as a trainer who specializes in fear, aggression, reactivity and separation anxiety, I have a lot of clients who benefit greatly from anti-anxiety medication to help them live...
Getting your dog to come when called (recall) is a potentially life saving behavior. In a worst case scenario, you drop the leash or your dog slips out of a harness and takes off. You want to know that when you call him, he will come back. So why is...
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 -...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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. ...