Teaching Your Dog to Give Up a Prized Possession
Teaching your dog to give up a prized possession willingly in return for something superior is an important skill. We teach dogs in our classes and in our in-home training sessions at CNC. Teaching your dog to “trade” helps your dog stay happy and comfortable. This is especially true when you approach her while she’s […]
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 […]
If I Could Only Teach ONE Thing to My Dog – Targeting, Part Two
In my first article on targeting you learned that targeting teaches your pet to touch an object with a part of his body. Dogs are most commonly taught to target an object with a nose or paw; but using shoulder, chin, or EYES are very useful (Oh wow! Could ‘focus’ be considered a type of […]
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 […]
The Box Step – Prelude to Loose Leash Walking
Have you ever considered how terribly hard it must be for your dog to walk slowly, on leash, in a straight line beside you? We get lots of requests about to get a dog to stop pulling when on leash. The answer is the box step. Think about it. When have you EVER seen a […]
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 […]
It’s Shocking I Didn’t Know | Shock Collar
It’s one of those things you don’t know, what you don’t know, until you know. As a force-free trainer my focus is on solving training and behavior issues through the use of Positive Reinforcement. I hope my former personal experience with using electronic shock with underground fence/shock collar systems may help others. Pet owners should […]
If I Could Teach Only ONE Thing to my Dog | National Train Your Dog Month
National Train Your Dog Month exists to promote training for the family dog, and the good news is that training can be FUN and BENEFICIAL for both you and your dog! Training doesn’t need to be long or complicated. In fact, studies have shown that your student’s learning actually benefits from shorter sessions, consistently sprinkled […]
Be Your Dog’s Advocate | What to Consider
Be an advocate for your dog. Have you ever stopped to think about what it means to “be an advocate for your dog”? Merriam-Webster defines advocate as “one that supports or promotes the interests of another.” As a professional dog trainer, I’m always encouraging my clients to be advocates for their dogs. To me, this […]
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 […]
