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Touching, Talking, and even simple eye contact can be encouraging to a dog. So why do we do all of the above when our dog is doing something we don't like? Human nature! That's why. And it's getting in your way.  Do you always follow through with things you supposedly "expect" from your dog? Or are there times when you think it's okay to kind of let it slide "this time"? Do you think that affects your overall results as

If your dog is a little nutty, chances are good that you've noticed there is room for improvement. But usually the things we notice are the things that are really problematic for us, not the things that actually indicate the dog is really unbalanced.  We notice things that inconvenience us…like the dog won't listen or chews your shoes or  the dog is "afraid" of people, etc. But the true nature of your dog's state of mind is visible when none

Customers consistently tell me they are blown away by the changes in their dog and how much better their behavior is at the end of a board and train. I'm going to tell you exactly why that is so you can have the opportunity to do those things at home! Specifically, today, we are talking about… Puppies! We love puppies!! But seldom do we make good choices with those warm and fuzzy feelings. We risk making all kinds of common

This ties nicely into all the off leash talk lately. There's a local issue here where I live surrounding off leash etiquette for a specific individual. My thoughts on the issue aren't hazy. At all. And neither should anybody else's be.  I cannot believe it has come to this. We live in a world where dogs are treated as teddy bears and we have no respect for our fellow humans Normalize responsible dog ownership and mutual respect. 

Off leash is something most people want to be able to do with their dogs. However, this often results in people taking unnecessary chances with their dogs when they don't have the proper training.  Not only is this a safety risk, but it potentially creates a lot of conflict with other people and dogs in the vicinity. So what is the etiquette??

Stop feeling guilty about crating your dog!! The crate is sooooo much more than just a "cage". The benefits are probably so much more than you imagine. You think the crate is just where you put your dog to keep him or her safe, but you are giving your dog a gift you're not even aware of!!Or maybe you're not…If you can't bring yourself to crate your dog, you need to listen to this one.

If you've ever wondered why some trainers seem to be able to modify behavior so quickly and teach the dog to do things differently so easily, you need to hear this. So many people bark commands at their dog constantly. I know I used to. Most of the time they can't even do them because they are over excited,  and the state of mind just stays chaos. Addressing your dog's state of mind does not have to be a mystery.

One of the most awful things you can do as a human being is simply thinking you are worthy of judging everybody else. You are not in a position to do that. But you run into these people often if you take your dog out in public with a prong collar, ecollar, or muzzle on. Maybe you even have these people in your family.. I often get asked how to deal with people that tell you you shouldn't be training

I'm not talking about those big cones they give you at the vet's office for your dog after they have a procedure done. I'm talking about remote collars or shock collars.  This tool will change your life. Even if you aren't sold on the idea, this episode might help you understand what the hell it's all about and how versatile the tool really is.  My clients have had TREMENDOUS  success with various behaviors across the board using this tool, and

Does it bring you joy to see your dog bounding around with the slobber just a flying, and their eyes wide with wonder? Sniffing, playing, chasing, wagging.. Of course it does. But if you overemphasize this state as what happiness really looks like, you might actually be detracting from your dog's quality of life for your own warm fuzzy feeling..  It's also worth mentioning that a lot of anxious/stressed dogs are interpreted as happy simply because they are *excited* (not