Dog Training

Are you looking for a fun and exciting new trick to teach your dog? Do you want something flashy that doesn’t take a lot of technical training knowledge or expert timing skills? Even the most novice of trainers can easily teach their dog to spin in a circle on command. And once you know how …

Have you ever described your dog as strong-willed, independent or let’s face it… just plain stubborn? Or maybe this is how your friends and neighbors characterize your pet? I can tell you that as a dog trainer, I hear this description of “stubborn” on a weekly basis, but I can honestly say that I have …

More than 26 million Americans are living with some form of disability, and 1 in 4 Americans struggle with mental health challenges. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of Americans living with disabilities, including the right to have a Service Dog or Emotional Support Animal. There are more than 500,000 Service Dogs …

In dog training, there are many different types of tools that can be used to help make your goals more attainable, but in over 25 years of professionally training animals, I can think of no better tool in my toolbox than platform training. By using this simple idea of elevation, you can help not just …

Imagine you’re out walking your dog and suddenly a cat on the other side of a busy road catches their attention. Your dog begins to leap and bark, and in their excitement, they slip their collar and take off toward the street. How does this story end? For some, a quick “come!” is enough to …

Are you an owner of two dogs? Have you ever questioned how you can possibly walk them at the same time? No worries! I am here to discuss everything you need to know to overcome the exhaustion and challenges of walking two dogs at the same time. Like many owners, I have two dogs that …

Everyone loves puppies. They’re cute, cuddly, and fun to wrestle with. That is, until those tiny puppy teeth come out. As much as most people don’t want to deal with a bitey puppy, the reality is that all puppies use their jaws during play. Like house training, bite training just one of those things you …

If you are just starting out with trick training and want to teach your dog something quick and easy that will help improve your training technique at the same time, shake is a great option. Not only can shake be taught in a few simple steps, but most dogs pick up on this behavior very …

When we first brought our Alaskan shepherd, Eira, home last November, I jumped into training her right away. She was sweet, cuddly, and extremely loud — a problem for my son with sensory processing special needs — so I figured I could train her early. It was essential to get her well trained before she …

Have you ever wished your dog had a mute button? Or that there was some simple way to silence them, even in the middle of an obnoxious barking spree? Never was this more true for me than after my daughter was born. It turns out barking dogs and sleeping babies don’t mix. And if you …

Are you looking to bulk up your dog’s trick repertoire? Training your dog to wave “goodbye” with one paw and “hello” with the other is a simple way to add two new tricks to their catalog for the price of one. Of course, anytime you teach your dog two similar tricks, you must spend some …

It’s an endearing trick that is both fun for you to train and for your dog to learn. And, it’s so easy, even the greenest of trainers can do it! Of course, I’m talking about “sit pretty,” or what’s sometimes called “beg.” During this adorable trick, your dog sits back on their hind end and …

Excessive jumping. No dog is immune to it. Whether you have a big dog or a small dog, it is one of the most common bad habits us trainers get asked to “fix”, one of the hardest habits to keep from being reinforced and in the end, the most important fact to remember about jumping …

Have you ever experienced this: You’re out and about with your dog and you ask them to do something simple, like sit or stay and suddenly it’s as if they have no idea what you’re talking about. You actually wonder to yourself if your dog has gone deaf. After repeating the command a few dozen …

As a professional dog trainer, this behavior is usually the first one I help clients fully teach a new puppy. This is typically because they have either worked on, or accidentally stumbled into, a “sit” behavior by the time I get there! While it’s all fine and dandy for your dog to guess that you …

Roll over is a classic doggy trick that serves little function but to entertain adoring owners. But don’t let the cuteness of this command trick you into thinking its an easy one to train. Roll over is a complex command, meaning it takes multiple steps for your dog to understand what the full behavior looks …

We’ve all seen those dogs (or even owned those dogs). The ones that bark and screech on leash while passing another dog on the trail because they just want to say hi so bad. Or the ones that jump, scratch, and nip at you as you walk through the door at the end of the …

In dog training, there are many ways to teach a new behavior. Luring, capturing, molding, mimicry and yes of course, shaping. So what is shaping? How does it benefit us in training and how do we apply it? Hopefully, I can answer some of those questions for you today so you can start teaching your …

If you have a dog that is plagued with stress due to fears and anxieties, you might feel like the process of training him or her in the beginning, seems like a daunting task. Their fears, just like us, hold them back from doing things that your neighbor’s or friend’s dogs seem to do without …

It’s one of the most important commands you can teach your dog. And can literally be the difference between life and death. So how is it that so many dogs and their owners struggle to grasp the leave it behavior? If you’ve ever dropped food on the floor and shouted at your dog to leave …

It’s the very first thing you teach your new puppy to do. In fact, many puppies start to learn it on their own! The all-important “sit” command. However, some dog owners actually teach their puppy how to sit incorrectly. Even worse, some dogs never actually learn what “sit” means, they just sort of guess what …

It’s one of the most fundamental commands in dog training. But also one of the most poorly executed behaviors. Sure, with the right direction, you can teach your dog to stay in the training center or in your living room. But what good is a stay if your dog can’t perform it where you need …

Training and socializing your dog is an important part of being a responsible dog owner. Dog training not only helps your dog learn to be better behaved, but it is also a fundamental tool used to keep your dog safe and happy. There are a number of training techniques experts use to help dogs become …

When we brought home my Jack Russell Terrier, Jake, he got into everything. He chewed through every toy we bought him and went dumpster diving in our trash can when we weren’t home. Once, he even ate a whole tube of Neosporin and left the chewed-up container for us to find. We didn’t want to …

In the world of trick training, there are hundreds of tricks you can teach your dog and a wide variety of skills needed to perform those tricks. Some are flashy, like a performing animal in a circus, and others might require the development of a particular skill such as nosework, coordination or precision-based training, to …

The Whistle Tracker is a small device that uses GPS signal to track your dog’s location and its activity. It easily attaches to your dog’s collar and is built extremely tough and waterproof. When the device is fully charged and attached to your dog’s collar, you can use the associated app and all of its …

When you think of positive reinforcement training, what comes to mind? If you’re like most people, you probably said treats. Lots of yummy, high-value treats. While it’s true that rewards (whether they are treats, toys, or praise) are a huge piece of training, they aren’t the only “tools” you’ll need. Your dog looks to you …

While you can train your dog to an extent, there will come times when even the best training won’t keep your dog from barking, jumping, or even nipping at another dog or person. Take my German shepherd, Bella, for example: she knew how to heel, sit, come, stay, and more at a young age. She …

A new puppy in the home can be a wonderful, yet challenging time. If you have begun this adventure, you have probably done your research to see not only the most compatible puppy for your home, but also have looked into the joys and challenges that lie ahead of you. Yes, having a new puppy …

Back when I taught obedience classes, the heel command was one of my favorite behaviors to teach. If there are communication problems between dog and owner, training this command will make them obvious. Teaching your dog to heel without a leash is key to creating a reliable behavior that can be used in very distracting …

Have you ever watched family or friends tell their dog to go lay down? Did you get a little sad watching the formerly joyful and optimistic pup hang his head and slink away? Go lay down was a common command in my house growing up. It meant “stop begging,” “stop pestering our guests,” and “we …

I still remember teaching my chocolate labrador the stay command for the first time back in 4-H as a kid. It was an important concept for her to master. In the show ring, she would be expected to sit for a full minute without getting up or lying down. And then there was the dreaded …

The dog training world can be a passionate and widely divisive one.   Broadly speaking, there are two main types of training. Those that rely on using force-free, positive reinforcement techniques, and those that rely on aversives techniques and punishment (sometimes used alongside some positive training too admittedly). In this article, we hope to help you …

Target training, sometimes also referred to as a ‘hand touch’, or ‘hand target’, or just as a “touch”, is something that might initially seem like an odd thing to teach your dog, but it can actually have a lot of really useful practical applications.  Generally, most trainers recommend starting by teaching your dog to touch …

Are you looking for an amazing activity that you can do with your favorite canine? Agility training is a great way to build a stronger dog between you and your dog, plus it’s fabulous exercise, great for solving behavioral problems, and a whole lot of fun. You don’t need to be an expert dog handler …

Crate training can be a contentious issue in the world of dog behaviour and training.  Some people will be aghast if they see a crate in your home, exclaiming that it is cruel to imprison your dog in one! Crate training is NOT cruel – when done properly! If crate training is introduced carefully and …

We all know dogs are smart, but I recently learned that their intelligence goes beyond their ability to quickly learn different commands. Ones like “sit” and “come” and “stay”. My Alaskan shepherd, Eira, learned those within her first week home. But I wondered if there was something more I could teach her. Something that required …

Looking for the best dog training books? Sometimes it can be really useful to have a handy point of reference from a respected source that you can use to help build up your dog training and behaviour knowledge, or it could be that you have a specific skill that you want to work on or …

When we brought our Alaskan shepherd —the name for a mix of the Alaskan malamute and German shepherd breeds—puppy home at eight weeks old, I thought it would be easy to potty train her. The breeder had told me she already went to the door when she needed to go out. I figured she would …

There are a ton of articles that give you some extraordinary Siberian Husky training tips when it comes to Huskies or dogs in general. A lot of these articles are geared towards a certain aspect of what it means to train your husky. As a long-time Siberian husky owner and lover, myself, I have scoured …

Toilet training or house training a puppy is something that a lot of new dog owners can get frustrated with.  It is not pleasant to come into a room and discover that your new puppy or rescue dog has had an accident on your brand new rug.  Apart from the obvious of not giving your …

Want to learn how to train your dog to come when called and have a rock solid recall? If you are a dog lover, you will likely have seen the viral video of Fenton the dog chasing the deer in a park, completely ignoring his owner.  Whilst this may have seemed comical, it was lucky …

In this ultimate clicker training guide we will teach you how to use a clicker to train your dog. This simple but powerful training tool is very effective. What is a Clicker? A clicker is a small hand-held tool, commonly used for training dogs.  It allows you to clearly mark a desired behaviour offered by …

Excessive barking can be a serious problem, especially if you live in the city or suburbs. It can drive you crazy, irritate neighbors, and result in violations of noise ordinances and fines. All dogs bark, it’s their basic mode of communication. Some barking is okay, but what do you do when excessive barking becomes a …

According to the United States Human Society, about forty percent of the population owns at least one dog and almost thirty percent have two or more dogs as well as other animals in the home.  So, clearly everyone has dealt with the issue of integrating a new dog or other animals at some point to …

Training your dog to behave and follow commands isn’t always an easy task. No one is a perfect trainer, and you will certainly make some mistakes along the way. Here are seven common dog training mistakes you’re probably making and how to fix them. The Importance of Proper Dog Training The difference between a dog …