New Year’s Resolutions
An estimated 40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions this time of year. By far, the top 3 new year’s resolutions are: – weight loss, – exercise program, – stop smoking. Other popular resolutions deal with debt reduction and better money management in the year to come. But what about including […]
Hurry, My Dog Needs Training!
November and December are the months of the year when the Cold Nose College phone rings with urgent training needs for a family dog. Example requests: “Help! My son’s family will be visiting over the holidays. They’re bringing their dog and my dog doesn’t get along with other dogs. I need you to help her […]
The Magic of Teaching Your Dog to Go to Mat
Teaching your dog to park himself on a mat might be one of the most useful skills you could ever train. Once your dog has learned the skill, there are countless ways to use it. For example: When your dog is a little too excited and needs to settle, the mat becomes a place to […]
The Art of Possible
I wrote this article some years ago and it popped into my mind again today. I’ve been thinking about all the things I want to teach Cailie, our now 7 month old Australian Shepherd. We’ve focused mostly on tricks (fun for her, fun for me!) and family manners – the myriad of things a dog […]
Take Training Off Your To-Do List
You may be shocked to hear a trainer giving you this advice, but I promise you there’s a good reason. I used to ask my clients to schedule five to 10 minutes up to three times each day to train their dogs. But when I would arrive for the next session, most hadn’t found the […]
Dog Training is Dog Teaching
If you’re reading this, you can thank a teacher. Someone taught you how to read when you were younger. They provided you with an important skill that’s expected in our society. In fact, another person taught us most of what we know and do. The same applies to dog teaching. So, it’s surprising that so […]
A Barking Interruptor – The Quiet Cue
I received a call this week from a couple whose only complaint about their dog was her incessant barking. I could tell they were frustrated. They used the phrase “driving us insane”. They also shared how much they love her and what a wonderful companion she is. This is a call I receive multiple times […]
Catch This! How to get more of what you want from your dog.
What do a phone, a remote control, a clicker and a jar of treats have in common? They’re all within easy reach! What does your dog do? Here’s question for you: does your dog ever do something you like, on her own, without being asked? For example: Does your dog sit politely when you’re working in […]
Moving with a Dog Tips: How to Help Your Dog Adjust
Moving with a Dog: Shouldn’t a dog just “go with the flow” and adjust to a move? Ideally, yes. But moving with a dog (or any pet) can be a very confusing and potentially scary. Most dogs are comfortable with a predictable daily routine and a move suddenly changes almost everything in their world. While we […]
Why Do We Train Our Dogs?| What to Consider
Here we are at the start of a new year. How did we get here so quickly? In this past year, I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing people and their dogs. Sometimes, however, even with amazing people and amazing dogs, things don’t go as planned. Oftentimes a dog comes into the home […]
