Sociability Is A Spectrum
Sociability is a spectrum containing degrees of social behavior. A small percentage of dogs lie on one end of the spectrum. In general, they are reactive, aggressive, shy etc. to other dogs or people. If this is your dog, you are not alone. This can be improved...
Jumping Struggles
Today we are talking about jumping struggles. Do you have a dog that jumps on people? Between 80% & 90% of all dogs that come to training classes jump on people. Most people think teaching a dog not to jump is the solution. That makes sense, but people don't...
New games, activities, and tricks challenge your dog’s brain
New games, activities, and tricks challenge your dog's brain keeping its brain flexible allowing it to learn new things late in life. When you were a child, you were flexible, and your muscles could do things that they no longer can do. The brain is the same way. A...
CGC certification has many benefits
Having a dog that has passed its CGC test has many benefits. If you enjoy doing things with your dog and showing off its skills, you may want to consider taking our Canine Good Citizen class. At the end of class, you have the option of taking the AKC's Canine Good...
Play, increases learning
During the week, a student asked why we call the training we do games and say "play this game". Why isn't it training exercises or drills or something else? Why do we call them games? The reason is play is the brain's favorite way of learning. It enhances the learning...
Holiday Games
Watch this video where we talk about how to have some fun with your dog during the holidays. You don't want to miss out on this. This class is perfect for dogs and people that need: • Some fun a levity during the Holiday season • Confidence, Novelty and...
Three Categories of Calmness Training
When people seek out dog training, they have specific goals in mind. They might tell me they want their dog to stop jumping on people, not nipping the kids, come when called, not pull on the leash, be more friendly to other dogs or people or be less reactive. Or It...
Calmness, a key to resolving misbehavior
Calmness training is a foundation skill most people misunderstand and under-appreciated. They come into training thinking I need to teach my dog to sit, lay down, come when called, not pull on the leash, not jump on people, and be friendly. But what I know through...
Listening to YOU in a new and distracting and environments – How do you teach it
Is getting your dog to listen to you in new and distracting environments a battle? Listening skills are a learned behavior. What about if there is: Other dogs Other people Children playing Wildlife Every week, new potential clients tell me "my dog won’t listen to me...
Management vs Training
Some people say they don't want to manage misbehavior; they want to train to eliminate the misbehavior. So what is the difference between management and training? Management = Controlling your dog's environment to stop behaviors you dislike from happening. Management...