Making a call about what to do with an aggressive dog is not easy. I created a checklist for aggressive dogs that you can use to try to sort out your thoughts – but as I say in that article, the calculus is always different for different people. For example, I’m a professional trainer with … Read more
In this episode, we are joined by the amazing Emily Strong of First Train Home and From Beaks To Barks! Emily is a great dog and people trainer! In this episode, we discuss why mechanics matter and the top 4 training exercises Emily uses in her private with clients and when training new animal shelter … Read more
When you bring home a new puppy, you’re probably excited to introduce them to your child. But what happens if your puppy jumps and bites, which scares your son or daughter? This is a two-fold problem: teaching the baby puppy to be a bit more polite, and teaching your child how to interact with the … Read more
In this episode, we interview Dr. Jennifer Summerfield, veterinarian, and professional dog trainer. Dr. Summerfield focuses on treating behavior problems including aggression, separation anxiety, and compulsive behavior issues. She meets with clients through a private veterinary practice where she has the opportunity to blend her two passions, medicine and behavior. She also writes a blog … Read more
Dogs are social creatures – that’s why many of them really don’t like being left alone when we’re gone. But what about when a dog goes from just being a bit lonely (pretty normal) to a full-blown panic attack? In today’s Ask a Behavior Consultant question, we’re looking at the case of a dog who … Read more
Dogs aren’t really good at sharing. So what do you do if one of your dogs has a bad habit of stealing food from your other dogs? The situation gets even trickier if your dog will growl when you try to take food away. So how do you stop this behavior – safely? We’ve already … Read more
I take my dog everywhere with me – he’s been to 8 countries and 21 states. We go to bars, coffee shops, running races, beaches, and more. But it took a lot of training to get him ready for that (much of which is actually covered in my Polite Greetings 101 book). Many dogs are … Read more
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the last year of my life (April 2018-March 2019) driving from Denver to Memphis to Wisconsin to Vancouver to Los Angeles to…. Panama. My dog Barley has joined us for that whole trip – 7 countries, an estimated 13,000 miles, and over 200 hours in the … Read more
Barking. What a headache! So-called demand barking used to be one of my least favorite behaviors to work on with my clients. After getting a lot more experience, though, stopping dogs from barking when they want playtime is one of my most common success stories! I’ll walk you through how I do it as we … Read more
Crate training is a common first step for new puppy owners in the United States. But what if your puppy truly hates the crate and doesn’t seem to get into trouble outside the crate? Is it worth the hassle of crate training? In today’s Ask a Behavior Consultant, we tackle the case of the well-behaved … Read more