Bust Your Dog Out of Jail

Incarceration is defined as “the state of being confined in prison; imprisonment.”  All your choices are made by others when you’re incarcerated. Someone other than you decides what you wear, when you sleep, when you get up, when and what you eat and how much you get to eat. Activities you would normally do without […]

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 […]

Brain Games for the Dog Days of Summer

Here we are in what’s known as The Dog Days of Summer. In Western North Carolina where we live, August is typically the hottest and muggiest month of the summer.   Honestly it’s hard to believe it could be any hotter than it was just a few short weeks ago when the temperatures hit the low […]

The Key to Adolescent Dogs – Patience, Management and Training

Adolescent dog with head tilt

There are multiple developmental stages in dogs and for most dog guardians, the adolescent phase can be the most trying. Never fear! You can get through this phase with a smile on your face. Dogs move through puppyhood, into adolescence and on into adulthood. Each stage brings about typical species behaviors. The developmental phases consist […]

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 […]

Is Your Dog a Door Dasher? Teach Your Dog Door Manners.

Training your dog is sometimes an activity that slips naturally into the flow of your interactions with your dog throughout the day and sometimes it’s an intentional activity which is purposefully planned. And sometimes we teach our things just for fun. At the present, I’m teaching one of my young dogs how to weave between […]

Teach Your Dog to Counter Surf. Perils of a Dog Trainer

I’m here to report that I’ve been doing a stellar job of teaching Cailie (our 7 month old Australian Shepherd) to counter surf. Ok, I can hear you right now saying “What! Why would you ever want to teach a dog to counter surf?” I definitely understand why you ask. After all, counter surfing is […]

The Cost of a “Quick Fix”

Many pet stores and dog training websites offer plenty of suggestions on how to stop your dog from _____________. Just  fill in the blank. Many of these suggestions involve what’s billed as a “quick fix.” These so-called “quick-fixes” involve shocking, spraying or other aversive stimulation intended to startle the dog or cause pain to the […]