So you just got a dog! You have already decided that you love him and want him to live with you forever. From your point of view, it may make sense to slather him with affection, coo sweet nothings to him, ask him if he’s hungry/thirsty or wants to go play outside, give him treats…
Oh such a lovable fuzzy puppy… so adorable… “Coochie-coo! Whoozagooddog?! You are!” It’s all too easy to get goo-goo eyed over a sweet, furry doggy. We get it. You want to give all of the great things in life to your beloved dog, but we also see the devastating results of overindulgence. That innocent little…
Most dogs are living in a constant state of over-excitement, which stresses them out! When dogs are stressed they get into trouble doing things people don’t like. Many people confuse a dog’s stress for signs of happiness (e.g. frantic excitement, running around, panting, jumping). A dog with a calm state of mind is not busy…
The Place command teaches dogs how to relax in a specific spot.”Place” can be a dog cot, a bed, a rug, a chair – you decide – and you can change where & what the “place” is that you want your dog to relax. It is helpful initially to choose a location with distinct edges.…
When dog trainers say that dogs need “structure” what we mean is **consistent rules**, dependable leadership & guidance. Structure means that the dog can rely on you to create a dependable routine in your household and out in the world. Structure brings down their stress level (excitement/fear), which is the root cause of all problem…
Before deciding to train dogs and teach dog owners, I spent a dozen years training horses and coaching riders – as well as competing, and a bit of judging at equestrian competitions. Not being millionaires, my family gathered an interesting collection of horses and ponies and trained them ourselves. Our little evolving herd was the…
Separation anxiety is one of the most common problems people experience with their dogs. We have simple and straightforward methods to fix it! First we’ll clearly define what the symptoms are, then briefly describe why it happens, and then show you the steps to the solution. At the end there’s a summary to stick on…
