The Benefits Of Dog Training

One of my past students has a 2 year old male Goldendoodle. A couple of months ago, he blew out his rear knee, tearing the ligaments, while playing. So, today he went in for surgery. Feedback from the veterinarian and the techs was that he was so easy to handle and manage. Because he had completed both Basic and Intermediate Obedience, he operates on, what I call, "power steering". A dog with that much training is so cooperative, easy to manage, listens to what you ask, and copes well with stresses. Even as the owners were driving him home, as he investigated the stitches near the wound, all they had to do is tell him to leave it alone, and he did.

Obedience training has more benefits than just having a dog come when called if it runs out the front door. It plays out in a million little ways to make life easier for the dog and the owners. Most people never train their dog sufficiently, so they have ongoing hassles the life of the dog... or they just abandon the dog to a back yard, or drop them off at a shelter to be killed.

Obedience training is both humane and necessary to have a great experience owning a dog.

Crazy Barking At The Front Door

Do your dogs bark like crazy at the front door? Do you have to hold your dogs back from guests when they enter the home? Do your dogs break into fights sometimes when someone is at the door? You have more than a barking problem on your hands... this is a serious issue.

How Many Lessons Does It Take To Train A Dog?

Many people wonder how many lessons it takes to train a dog. Some trainers say they can do it in 5 lessons. Some promise they can do it in 2 weeks in a board and train program. So, what is the right answer?

More Dogs = More Fighting?

There are many reasons why dogs fight other dogs. One contributing factor is the number of dogs living in a given home. As a general rule, the more dogs you have, the greater the chance that your dogs will fight, regardless of the breed. As a general rule, I believe that most homes would be better off having more than one dog...

If you get too many dogs, or dogs of the wrong type, or don't manage them correctly, then you can provoke dog fights in the home... 

What Is Humane Dog Training?

What does it mean to be “humane” in your dog training methods? This is an important question. Anyone who has been around dog training for as long as I have has seen abusive or incompetent dog trainers. The ultimate question is whether the training is humane: compassionate, understanding, sympathetic to both the dog and the owner. 

Rich Man, Poor Dog

I've trained dogs for some very wealthy people over the years. In some cases, it works out well, and in others, it doesn't. What's the best way to hire a good dog trainer if you are rich and famous?

Healing Wounds To The Heart: You And Your Dog

Dogs and people can go through rough, traumatic times, never to be forgotten, and oftentimes difficult to overcome. This can result in dogs that are continually stressed and doing behaviors that are undesirable, destructive, or even dangerous. People can also go through tough times, which can seriously affect their dogs. Not only are the people involved having challenges as a result of tragedies, but then those events then affect how their dogs behave and react to the stresses in the home

Shelter Dogs That Go From Friendly To Aggressive

I get calls relatively frequently from people who decided to bring home a very friendly rescue dog, only to see that dog turn into a snarling, fearful dog in a couple of months. Then, I’m hired to turn the situation around.

How do you prevent this from happening?

I Support The No Kill Movement

Too many adoptable shelter dogs are put to death every year. This has to change. We have legalized animal abuse by exempting shelters and their personnel from accountability, and that has to stop. Shelter abuse is a common practice across the US.

I am therefore available for consultations, and to assist your community, to convert your local government run shelters into privately held No Kill Shelters. I have numerous ideas of funding, operations, training of staff, behavioral modification and management of the dogs, shelter design, and so forth

Should I Protection Train My Dog?

How do you protection train your dog? What should you be considering? What breed, size, temperament and so forth? What about local laws?

Dog Fights

What do you do if your dogs are fighting? Dog fights are a terrible thing to experience. In some cases, a dog can be killed. And the people can be severely injured, as well.

Reasonable Safety Precautions For Owning A Potentially Dangerous or Vicious Dog

Let’s say your dog has been determined by a judge to be “potentially dangerous” or “vicious”. If the dog is allowed to live, then the court will sometimes impose safety restrictions on the dog and owner, oftentimes with the penalty of violation of those restrictions being the death of the dog. So, what do I believe to be reasonable precautions that should satisfy the public good, the needs of the court and law, the rights of the dog owner, the rights of any victims, and the needs of the dog? Here are my suggestions

My Dog Is Extremely Afraid At The Veterinarian’s Office

Many dogs are afraid when going to the veterinarian’s office. What can be done about that? Not all dogs are happy when going to the vet clinic. That isn’t abnormal, it is normal... but undesirable, too. There are a number of reasons this is happening, and there are solutions for most dogs.

What Are The Best Breeds Off Leash?

I'm sometimes asked, "what are the best breeds off leash?" That's a good question when deciding what is the right breed for you. But, it isn't the only consideration. Just because a dog is more obedient as some other breed doesn't mean that is the right dog for your home...

My Dog Has Food Aggression

What do you do about a dog that has food aggression? Some dogs will attack you if you come near them when they are eating or chewing on a toy. There are stories in the news every year about children that are mauled, and even killed, by dogs that guard food.

This kind of thing can be created by stupid dog owners. This can also usually, but not always, be fixed by a good dog behaviorist.

My Dog Doesn’t Like His New Home

What do you do with a dog that doesn't like his new home? What do you do when your dog gets so ill, so sick, that you have to rush to the doctor to save their life?

Not all dogs make the transition to a new home. And if you don't see it as an emergency, then your dog can be forever changed, or even die.

My Wife Has Problems Handling And Training Our Dog

Do dogs obey men differently than women? What should you do if your wife has problems handling and training your dog?

My Dog Gets Aggressive With My Other Dog When He Sees A Strange Dog

What should you do if your dog attacks your other dog when it sees a strange dog? Should you punish your dog? Should you yell at or scold your dog? Should you do a dog whisperer thing and pin your dog on the side, or "shh" your dog, or maybe poke your dog with your fingers?

No. You shouldn't do any of these things. You or your dog could be seriously injured if a dog fight breaks out, with you in the middle. You need to hire a professional.

My Dog Can’t Express Normal Body Language Due To A Medical Condition

Dogs with medical conditions oftentimes behave abnormally, not expressing normal body language. As a dog owner, you need additional professional support to make this kind of situation work out. There will be changes in how you, and other humans, interact with this dog. That can work out well, or result in a dangerous situation. There will be changes in how your dog behaves around other dogs, and how other dogs react to your dog. That can be a setup for a dog fight. And lastly, medical conditions can change over time, but if they worsen, then you may need to consider euthanasia.

My Dog’s Head Jerks When My Hand Gets Near

What should you do if your dog flinches or jerks when you try to pet or touch your dog? I have encountered a number of dogs this way, especially rescue dogs that have been abused.