In this episode Sometimes we get dogs that are "good" most of the time but can exhibit some untoward behavior in certain contexts. We never want people relying solely on management, but keeping everyone safe around your dog and keeping your dog safe is entirely up to you. Sometimes we get dogs that are “good” most of the time but can exhibit some untoward behavior in certain contexts. For instance, the message that prompted this topic was from someone whose

In this episode Sometimes they are even referred to as spike collars and there are misleading and false photos out there showing grotesque wounds on dogs' necks, but they aren't designed to work by poking, pricking, or God forbid, injuring your dog. We always describe it as putting a little microphone on your leash to improve your leash communication. Prong collars get an undeserved bad rap—mainly because they look scary. Sometimes they are even referred to as spike collars and

In this episode All the clicker does is link your dog's behavior to a reward. Now admittedly, I'm just pulling that number out of a hat, but that is almost certainly accurate in some cases because folks don't understand how their dog ties things together. This isn't only true for rewarding good behavior or correct obedience behaviors, it is also true for corrections when punishing unwanted or bad behavior. A lot of people will talk like the clicker is magic.

In this episode So we meet a lot of folks that did e-collar training elsewhere and received ZERO instructions on what they should do at home. A lot of folks don't think it's important to limit their dog's freedom or challenge them, especially in the house, because their dog is "really good". We spend 2-3 weeks with most dogs. We spend 2-3 hours with you. It isn’t fair to think you will be confident after just a few hours with

In this episode But when something like this happens and your dog actively growls at or snaps at your baby it could literally be a matter of life and death. There is hope to live a normal life with your baby and your dog, even if your dog is not having it right now. This is such a grave topic. I never like getting calls like this, but I’m so, so glad when I get the chance to have a

Teaching a reliable stay is important for safety, but it also helps a dog become calmer, more focused, and more accepting of direction. At Diamond K9, every dog learns to stay in position, but we rarely use the word “stay.” Instead, we teach an implied stay: when you tell your dog to sit, down, or place, that command remains in effect until you give another command or release the dog. This creates a much clearer system. Your dog does not

In this episode Some folks seem to think that all dogs should be like stuffed animals with zero ability to bite or react in any and all situations and that is a wildly unrealistic expectation that would result in nobody being able to keep their dog. We train the dog to be respectful, we train the dog to be very reliable and obedient, we build a relationship of standards and accountability, we address and punish bad behaviors directly, AND we

In this episode The narrative on the internet, and pretty much everywhere, is that you should never make your dog uncomfortable. Pain, fear, discomfort are all bad and trainers that incorporate any of that into their training are also bad. So by definition even offering food or petting could be a punishment if the dog tried to avoid it by modifying their behavior. The narrative on the internet, and pretty much everywhere, is that you should never make your dog

In this episode Do you have an excitable dog that hangs up the phone? All the information out there seems to say that during the training process you should keep your dog under threshold. In this episode I talk about that process of overcoming your dog's thresholds and how the process is really determined by the dog. Do you have an excitable dog that hangs up the phone? Or a nervous dog? All the information out there seems to say

In this episode I'm a firm believer that heeling your dog can heal your dog. No, it won't "fix" all the behavioral issues, but we definitely use it as leverage to help with reactivity, anxiety, nervousness, and anything else you can think of. It can be quite meditative and help dogs really relax in a way that they never can when they are helpless to control arousal and impulses. I’m a firm believer that heeling your dog can heal your