Category Archive

If you want to learn how on-leash greetings between dogs contribute to nervousness and even aggression, you’ve come across the right dog training blog. I was training a Goldendoodle at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. This park offers fabulous distractions and challenges. Perfect for a dog or puppy in rehabilitation training. My client’s dog has a bitten a dog in the past. The dog pulled his owner so hard; it got out of his prong collar and went to bite another dog walking with its owner across the street. We sat calmly, practicing the down command. Then another dog owner allows his out of control and pulling dog right towards my client’s dog’s face. I had my student dog close to me. The owner did not heed my plea not to allow his dog to confront my dog. Thank … Read More

“You will never pet your dog again.” I think that’s all people hear when I explain how emotional dependency affects their dogs with unwanted behaviors. Some of us are using our dogs as our therapists. You might be thinking you’re “soothing” your dog while he cries at that vet visit. Logically, we do that with humans. When you pet your anxious dog, you’re communicating that you like the barking or whining behavior. You get what you pet. Some dogs can handle affection overload without consequences. The average family pet dog cannot handle the dependency without behavioral training. Notice I did not mention obedience training. A sit or place command won’t fix the mindset issue until you fix the mindset and relationship deficit. The human default is petting and touching dogs consistently. Unintentionally, teaching the dog to be addicted to touching, … Read More

Boom! Your dog just exploded. Reactivity Much?Reactivity is that nasty “stuff” you see from your dog under specific situations. Your dog seems to be okay with people, and even with dogs at daycare. Your dog may be lunging, barking at humans, dogs, or at fast-moving things while on a leash or confined by a kennel or fence. Those reactions can seem very “aggressive.” In dog training, we call that reactivity. Where Does Barking on Leash Come From? The confinement, insecurity, frustration or arousal will show up in the explosion and in your dog’s everyday life. It is common to see insecure dogs or highly aroused dogs with reactivity. Your dog’s reactivity is influenced immensely by your overall lifestyle with it. How you stop reactivity has a lifestyle and a correction piece that you may be missing. I hope that by … Read More

1. Dog aggression is serious The ultimate price paid with owning a biting dog is death to a loved one. Dogs bites can cause severe injury with increased risk to get worse. Firstly, there are myths about aggression. One common myth is the behavior happens suddenly. Secondly, that aggression is breed specific. These shared beliefs often end up with the demise of the dog. Lastly, humans are often left with the same information and therefore, placing themselves in the same predicament with future pet dogs. 2. Safety If you’re one of the lucky ones, who have caught on to the early warning signs of aggression, please consider being safe and utilizing a muzzle. If your dog has never been trained to wear a muzzle like any other tool, teach the dog to wear the muzzle comfortably. The dog will enjoy … Read More

A client recently gave me some sad news. Their dog died via a rope that blocked and cut through their dog’s intestine. This year alone, I know of three dog death events via “chewing” just in my social media circle. Let’s get down to it. Crating your dog doesn’t only maintain the rehabilitation or obedience training it received, it keeps your dog safe Crates are illegal Crating your dog should be common practice. Education about crates is the goal, however. There are places in the world where crates are banned. Those places don’t have an abundance of behavioral issues. The people that live in those locations have a different dog culture. As a result, they don’t experience all the behavior issues we see. We humanize dogs so much that we forget their needs as a distinct species. I train dogs in Central Florida. The issues … Read More

“My dog bit my child in the face out of nowhere.” “My dog has never had an issue with us before.” “They were playing together, just fine.” “We went to pick up the baby when it happened.” “My dogs should be protecting my children.” This article is meant to be helpful with the intention to save lives. I do, however, want you to be concerned once you read it. If it causes one person to analyze their relationship with their dog, that’s one more person with the power to save themselves or a child. Share it with someone who has children and a dog in their life. The Aggressive Dog recipe Dog aggression followed by bites to humans and dogs is frequently reported as “all of sudden” or “out of nowhere.” Sure, maybe the incident was unexpected, but, a lot … Read More

I do offer private puppy training sessions but, they are the age-appropriate basics. Sending a young puppy to training (my advanced training is for dogs 6 months & up) is like sending a baby to College. They will only learn so much at 9-20 weeks of age. For puppies in that age range, I offer socialization, exposure to the human environment, crate, and potty training. A puppy will need continued work at home. The puppy will need frequent breaks until about 4-5 months of age. You will need someone to let them out to use the bathroom and help them burn some energy. They sleep 20 hours but, require that potty break. If you are aware of that, then this would be an excellent puppy training program for your family pet dog. Puppy Care Basics:Crate training and potty training is the same … Read More

When you sign up for dog obedience training, your pup isn’t the only one who’ll be putting in the work. Take a look at what you can expect during training. Sit! Down! Come! Heel! Place! With a side of manners. Does your dog need training? Have you been looking into some dog obedience training classes, but aren’t sure what to expect on your pup’s first day of school? Well, we’ve put together this handy little guide to help you and your dog get ready for class! Read on to find out what to expect! When Should I Start Dog Obedience Training? Start before you have problems! Most people wait until their puppies already have bad behavior to start training, but you should begin to train them before that. Usually, between 8-12 weeks is old enough to start classes, but early … Read More

How do you know if your dog could use obedience training? What types of behavioral or emotional problems could it help? Here’s what you need to know. They’re called man’s best friend for a reason. They’re loyal, dependable, and love us no matter what.  But, when they’ve chewed up your shoes for the 5th time this month, it’s time to consider some obedience training. So how do you t know if your dog could use obedience training? Here is a comprehensive list of behavioral and emotional problems training could help. Take a look to see if any of these issues describe your furry friend. 1. Excessive Barking Yes, dogs are made to bark. After all, that’s how they communicate. But, too much barking is a bad thing.  Excessive barking is usually a sign of a behavioral problem. Whether they are … Read More

Top 10 Dog Training Tips Are you hoping to have a well-behaved pooch? If so, read on to learn the top ten dog training tips. So you brought your new dog home and everything is great. You know by now that a few accidents are to be expected in the beginning. After all, both you and your new companion are getting used to a new, exciting life. But before long, you should start thinking about dog training. It’s a good idea to start your pup on a training routine as soon as possible because they learn so much easier when they’re young. However, that’s not to say that the new pal you just brought home from the rescue won’t take to training too. It might take a little more work. If you’re new to dog training, keep reading. We’ll give … Read More