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in our rovereactive class a few years ago, one of our students, who was also one of toby’s buddies, got upset by another dog(s) being too close to him (over the little guy’s threshold).   this was my “trainer”...

it's never a good idea to adopt a dog to solve your resident dog's training challenges.    i often get calls from dog parents lamenting on the fact that they adopted a dog in order to help their out...

bully breeds* have an image problem, thanks to negative media attention and ignorance about the “breed.”*  they are judged and treated unfairly just because of their looks and dna. it’s certainly not fair, but it’s the way it is. ...

as a positive reinforcement trainer, you often hear me harp on the importance of using force-free types of equipment such as the freedom harness or martingale collar.  and to NEVER use prong, choke, shock or citronella spray collars, as...

aversive trainers often say that you cannot train a good recall (come when called) using positive reinforcement training. they say you must have treats on you at all times, and that positively trained dogs won’t come when distracted. those...

before i start this article, i must preface it by stating very clearly that i absolutely love puppies. i adore cuddling with them, playing with them, socializing with them, teaching them, raising them.  my puppy playschool is one of...

socializing our puppies with mature, well adjusted adult dogs is a very important part of raising a puppy. mature dogs can teach our puppies how to be polite, and let them know when they are being annoying in their...

whether we are a dog trainer or a dog parent (or both), when our life agenda for our dog is more important than our dogs’ emotional state of mind, we have lost our empathy and should rethink what we...

i love teaching “touch.”  it is not only fun, but can be a helpful tool for handling several different behaviors ~ 1) helps a teething puppy learn to “touch” your hand, rather than nip it.  replacing a “negative” behavior...

big dog means big place ~ nope, not necessarily. most large dogs (all sizes, for that matter) just want to be with you. i have yet to meet a dog, large or small, that prefers the yard to being...