How should your dog interact with children?
There have been many videos shared recently of children and dogs interacting. In most of these videos, the original poster thinks the interaction is cute/funny, but professionals who work with dogs have been bringing attention to the fact that the body language of the dogs in the videos show they are clearly uncomfortable and the […]
You might need more practise than your dog
I’ll let you in on a secret: When dog trainers watch videos of other professionals, we’re almost always watching the handler rather than the dog. Someone recently commented on a video of mine criticising me for not showing the before and after progress of the dog learning a new behaviour. This tells me they were […]
Your dog doesn’t need dog friends
I talk to a lot of owners who are sad that their dog doesn’t have dog friends. This may be because their dog is nervous, aggressive, or even just neutral with other dogs. Just like we don’t need to say hello to strangers all day long, our dogs likewise do not need to meet every […]
Your dog isn’t being “stubborn”
I hear people all the time describing their dog as “stubborn” for not listening to them. But “stubborn” isn’t applicable to dogs. They don’t have the capacity to act out of spite or try to upset us on purpose – they have no concept of the impact of their actions on our emotions. A dog […]
The Disney problem
I talk to owners a lot about “the Disney problem”. What does that mean? If you were to ask a young child while they are sitting calmly at home working on their homework, “What is two plus two?”, they would almost certainly give you a correct answer right away. But walk through the gates of […]
Are you rewarding or bribing?
Using food as a reward is a great way to teach new behaviours and build reliable obedience. Using food as a bribe is a great way to ensure your dog doesn’t listen unless you have a treat in your hand. I see many owners with reactive dogs wave food in the dog’s face to prevent […]
Why teaching your puppy or new rescue tricks isn’t a good idea
Before anyone jumps on me in the comments, I am not saying that basic obedience is not useful or important – it absolutely is! However, I see a lot of people focus mostly on getting their dog to sit and down and give a paw when really there are far more important things to focus […]
Are you the problem?
If you’ve been around dog training, you’ll have heard the saying, “Most of the time, it’s the owners who are the problem”. I actually do not agree with this statement. I think when it is used, most people mean, “Most of the time, it’s the owners who are the SOLUTION.” So what’s the difference? Most […]
You can train your dog for free
We’ve all had tough times. When things are tight or there are big, unexpected financial stresses, we have to prioritise and cut the non-essentials from the budget. We can all agree that paying for rent or mortgage, bills, food, etc. should always be priority over dog training. But, if you find yourself unable to pay […]
Why you should stop on-lead greetings
When dogs greet each other on lead, there are several things happening: 1️⃣ – The lead limits options. A dog who is a little bit unsure or nervous will easily feel trapped and out of options on a lead, which can make them go on the defensive. 2️⃣ – Leads create body tension. When dogs […]
