The “Off” switch – How to bring “calmness” to your dog
I often walk into customers homes to be greeted by their dog’s high energy, often resembling that of a NASCAR racetrack. The living room couches and love chairs are actually being used as a race track! I typically get jumped on and greeted by a choir of glorious barking. A dog’s high energy is great, […]
“Prey vs. Play” How to control your dogs natural prey drive
Recently, I’ve had many cases involving dogs that have extremely high prey drives. “Mark, my dog won’t stop chasing the cat!” Or, “Mark, I found another present at my back door that my dog brought me” (i.e..deceased rabbit or bird.) Dogs have a natural hunting instinct for hunting prey. Smell and motion of other animals […]
Off-leash obedience; How to keep your dog close
Oh…the dream of taking your dog to the park, taking him OFF the leash, and playing fetch without him running away! For some dogs this can be a reality. Unfortunately, for others, the instinctual desires to smell and track will make it difficult to trust their “off-leash” freedom. I tell customers that off-leash obedience is […]
Dog on the couch? Or on the floor? How to overcome the tough dog training dilemmas
In any new relationship, there are often disagreements on HOW to train and control each others’ dogs. After training over 400 dogs and their owners, I have encountered many couples who are still at odds with certain rules and limitations for their dogs. Some times it takes some “fine tuning” to acclimate an existing dog […]
Come-Recall command
Have you ever seen the movie “Funny Farm” with Chevy Chase? He has an Irish Setter named “Yellow Dog” and as soon as he brings him home, the dog runs away! Throughout the film, the dog reappears but will never come to anyone who calls him. Don’t let this happen to you! The come/recall command […]
Chewing is NOT Man’s Best Friend
Upon finishing a lesson with a recent customer, she showed me a completely chewed up iPod. After hearing the story of how “Kona”, a loving and most energetic dog, had destroyed it, I had to laugh. I’m a rather compassionate man, but seeing an iPod chewed in over 40 pieces was truly amazing. Dogs chew […]
Good Dog = No Jumping
Do you dread going to your sisters house in fear knowing that her 95 pound lab will jump all over your new dress slacks? A dog should NOT prohibit you from going to friends and families homes. Jumping is one of the single most challenging actions for a dog to control. Dogs love all people […]