An Example Of Teaching A Dog Skills
I was hired a few years ago to train a young female pointer. She was about a year old when the husband took her out with his friends and their dogs to go bird hunting. The outcome was less than ideal. She ran all over the place, never found and pointed a bird, she wouldn’t […]
Dog Board And Train Failure
There was a dog that was very aggressive towards humans. The owners enrolled the dog in a board and train program, but it didn’t work out as hoped for. This medium-sized dog (about the size of a Labrador Retriever) was a rescue. Evaluation: suspicious of strangers; would violently bite strangers if given the chance in […]
Happy Dog Discovery
A happy dog is easier in every way. That is why I make happiness a priority in all my dog training programs. When a dog is afraid, they basically have 3 options: freeze, run away, or make the threatening thing go away. When afraid, dogs have a hard time recalling past training or learning new […]
Dogs And Night Terrors
I have encountered and worked with dogs which exhibit abnormal behaviors at night. Here are some examples. 1.) Midsized dog, otherwise normal in every way. I had them get a veterinary exam on their dog, everything checked out as normal. But, when the sun went down, the dog became aggressive. 2.) Chihuahua, otherwise normal in […]
Dog Training And Unexpected Emergencies
Many people don’t understand why we train dogs. For some, they just think it is a bunch of tricks, and just want a dog that will Sit and Come. To me, and my students, there is a lot more to it than that. I have been working through Obedience work with a young male Border […]
Tough Love Dog Training Advice
There are times I must tell students that what they are doing is causing more harm than good. Sometimes that is taken in good spirit, and other times… well that is what this article is about. I remember a student that had a puppy she adored. She had done a very good job socializing him, […]
Dogs That Shut Down
I’m currently working with a dog that has been shutting down during lessons. This was one of the issues I was hired to address. Imagine a situation where you are using a treat to lure a dog into a Sit. For most dogs, they will look up at the treat, their bottom will sit on […]
Both Can’t Be True
A dog owner’s mindset can be a roadblock for making gains in training. I have heard many new students tell me that their dog “knows” this or that. Or they say that their dog doesn’t need to learn this or that. And then, right after that, they are describing situations where the dog doesn’t know […]
Lifetime Dog Training Fundamentals Series
As I write this article, it is now the peak heat part of summer in Arizona. Every year, at this time, I encourage all my students to learn and practice my Lifetime Fundamentals Series (back to basics). These are the crucial skills and habits for both the dogs and owners that are taught and practiced […]
Dogs And Collars
Hello, Sam I just had a question about your opinion on certain dog collars and methods to prevent dogs from pulling while on a leash. I have 3 dogs. My terrier rarely pulls on the leash; he was a stray and I don’t know his background. My chocolate lab pulls very hard – we have […]