Sometimes when working with our dogs I think we should just go with our gut. Forget what you’re “supposed” to do and do what feels right. There have been numerous studies, books and articles written in the past few years on dog’s emotions. As a “science-based” trainer I am certainly one of the last people …
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“Ouch! My puppy bit me!” 0
No matter how you phrase it, puppy nipping, biting or mouthing hurts! Mouthing is a normal behavior for a pup and they often nip to greet people or as an initiation to play. In fact, I actually like it when I see a puppy nipping because it is by nipping that a pup learns bite inhibition, or …
Read MoreLeash Walking 101 0
This blog was first published 12/13/11 on the King 5 “Pet Dish” blog. http://www.king5.com/community/blogs/the-pet-dish/7-steps-to-better-leash-walking–135382893.html One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is “my dog is terrible walking on a leash!” This is a BIG problem. It often makes walking your dog such a miserable experience that eventually the dog …
Read More$25 off any obedience class! 0
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! In honor of my new dog Rufus adopted from PAWS this past weekend… If you adopt a dog from Seattle Animal Shelter, Seattle Humane Society or PAWS during the month of December we will give you $25 off any obedience class on our WINTER 2012 class schedule. Feel free to share! …
Read MoreRecall or “how do I get my dog to come?” 0
This blog was first published on KING 5 “Pet Dish”… The two most common complaints I hear from my clients are “How do I get my dog to come to me?” and “How do I get him to walk nicely on the leash”. Let’s start with the first one first… For starters, getting a …
Read MoreAlpha Schmalpha! 0
Alpha shmalpha. I have to admit, it makes me a little uncomfortable when I hear new clients come in and tell me how they have been trying to be “Alpha” to their dog. What exactly does that mean I wonder… like the old “alpha roll” where people hold their dog down on the dogs back …
Read MoreMy First Dog 0
My First Dog A video by the artist NEeMA for a song called “Elsa’s Lullaby” (google it, get a tissue!) made the rounds on Facebook and found me yesterday. It is a very sweet song and video about the singer’s relationship with her dog. I watched it with tears pouring down my face. It reminded …
Read MoreWhat in the world is he thinking? 0
I hear people tell me they love their dog all the time and there is no doubt they do. In a way. To me, to really LOVE an animal is to let them be what they are. If you love your dog, love them because they ARE a dog. Of course we all (myself included) …
Read MoreJumping Up (and other irritating behaviors)! 0
Some of the most common complaints from I get from dog owners are certain dog behaviors we classify as “attention seeking behaviors”. These behaviors include jumping up on people, barking (at humans), pawing and nose-butting. These behaviors generally start in puppyhood (when people think it’s cute for the puppy to be jumping all over them) …
Read MoreSocialize? 0
I hear the term “socialization” thrown around a lot and it often makes me nervous because it seems that some folks think that socializing your dog means simply taking them everywhere and throwing them into many different situations, not taking the dog’s feelings about it into consideration. Well, to me Socializing does not mean just throwing …
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