Is Your Dog Ahead Of You, On Or Off Leash?
If a dog is pulling ahead of you whether on leash or off leash, does that mean you are not your dog’s “leader”, that you aren’t the “alpha”, that you are doing something wrong? Ok, riddle me this, Batman… If a Bloodhound is pulling ahead on a leash searching a track, does that mean the […]
Dominance And Being Your Dog’s Leader
There is ongoing confusion regarding the idea of being a dog’s “leader”, being the “alpha”, and controlling a dog’s dominance. Thus… the “Dog Whisperer” phenomenon, or all those new social media trainers who are telling you that the beginning of fixing your dog’s dominance problems is to sign up for their e-collar program. Let me […]
High Drive Service Breed Dog Ownership vs Pet Ownership
There is a fundamental difference between training pet service dog breeds (Malinois, German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, Airedale, Dutch Shepherd, etc.) versus those which have been selectively bred for competition or professional work. The top dogs look spectacular when they do the higher-level work. However, if you have a pet version of these dogs, don’t despair. […]
Wisely Choosing A Dog Breed
Dog breeds are, and were, created to specialize in doing certain tasks. By selecting and emphasizing various traits, it makes a specific breed easier to do those tasks. For example, it is easier to herd sheep with a Border Collie than with a Greyhound. So, when you are choosing a breed, if you are being […]
Dogs And Super Bowl Sunday!
Superbowl Sunday Is here… do you have a plan to keep your dogs safe? Here is a simple checklist:
Bad Training Methods Can Be Masked With High Drive Working Dogs
Working dogs, and I’m referring to the police service breeds, have very high prey drive. They will do just about anything for a toy, and don’t even perceive danger when in prey drive for a toy. Thus, harsh methods can be used on these dogs in ways that you could never do to a pet […]
When A Dog Makes A Mistake
If a dog makes a mistake, or doesn’t do what you wanted them to do, should they show signs of worry? Twenty plus years ago, I heard about a Doberman that was taught to track using force. If the dog got off the track, the dog was punished. Thus, when the dog made a mistake, […]
My Dog Doesn’t Like My Husband
Why is it that many dogs, especially new dogs introduced into the home, actively avoid or are hostile to the man of the home but tend to accept the wife? From insects, all the way up to humans, there is a general pattern that there are fewer males within social groups than females. Especially with […]
5 Best Dog Breeds For Families
There are innumerable articles and videos regarding what breeds are best for this or that. There is no such list that makes any sense. These articles are click bait, so they aren’t for your benefit at all. These people don’t know you! Instead, you get the right dog for you. That’s the right “breed”. Maybe […]
Don’t Be Rough On Your Dog
Why do I feel the need to tell people to not be rough on their dogs? Because many people think that being rough on their dogs is the way to deal with a dog. That backfires, sometimes with disastrous results. So, let’s back up a bit. Good dog training doesn’t equal being rough on a […]