Playing dog training games is one of the best ways to teach your dog useful skills (like impulse control) and bond with your dog. You might remember our popular post on impulse control games, but it’s time for a bit of an update. We’ll include some of the old favorites in this post on dog … Read more
I had an interesting (and heated) conversation with my boyfriend last night about management in dog training. We were discussing our dog Barley’s counter surfing escapades — yep, he’s back at it! (You can read all about my struggles with Barley’s counter-surfing here). For the purpose of this article, management means preventing a problem before … Read more
It probably isn’t easy to train a velociraptor, but I was excited to see that many of Owen’s interactions with Blue in Jurassic World were almost identical to my interactions with litters of puppies and panicking dogs. I love dinosaurs and am absolutely thrilled that Jurassic Park taking over screens everywhere. But as a trainer, I’d … Read more
When I was just starting out as a dog trainer, I felt like I was constantly jotting down dog training tips. The trainers at Canis Major Dog Training in Denver and All Breed Rescue and Training in Colorado Springs just had so much wisdom to share. Now that I’m a professional animal trainer and dog … Read more
Dog trainers love drawing lines in the sand: positive reinforcement, force-free, balanced, old-school. As much as we hate labeling dogs, many dog trainers seem to love to label other dog trainers. I’m not immune to this trend. As I created my website, write my blogs, and interact with the world, I use various shorthand descriptions … Read more
Managing dog-dog resource guarding in the home is always a bit of a challenge. When you’re a foster family for a rescue or shelter, you’re constantly dealing with dogs that come in and out of your home. While some dogs share well, others are uncomfortable allowing other dogs near their food and toys. Having problems … Read more
Many behavior problems in modern dogs come down to dogs being bored, underexercised, and confined. They spend much of their days indoors. When they’re outside, they’re rarely allowed to sniff, dig, run, and jump to their heart’s delight. Introducing your dog to nosework can make your dog’s life better. The best part? You don’t even … Read more
When it comes to dog training and leadership style, are you a hot tamale or a cool cucumber? Thinking about what your leadership style is can help you grow as a dog trainer. No, I don’t mean whether or not you’re “alpha.” I’m actually referring to the leadership styles delineated by the National Outdoors Leadership … Read more
