What does your puppy need to learn?
This handsome pup is my newest Puppy Package client. How cute is he?! 😍😍 He’s only 16 weeks old but his mum is determined to get training with him right from the beginning knowing how big he’ll get quickly as he matures! 👏 The Puppy Package includes 6 hours of 1-2-1 lessons for teaching everything […]
Your dog does not understand words
Your dog doesn’t speak English (or any language). I often get asked by owners what word they should be using for a command. My answer is always the same – you can use any word you like! The word you use does not matter because to your dog it isn’t even a word – it’s […]
Are aversives bad?
On a recent reel about e-collars, I got a lot of comments from people that assume that for the e-collar to be effective, it must be painful when used as an aversive (and it doesn’t inherently have to be used that way, but that’s a whole other conversation). Aversive simply means something the dog finds […]
What is actually required for a large or high-energy dog?
The size of your house and your garden matter very little to your dog. What matters to your dog is if you are doing plenty of walks, adventures, play, and training with them. None of those things require lots of space in your house or garden – all of these things can be done outside […]
Food drive
“My dog has no food drive” is something I hear a lot. But this isn’t true. Food drive is necessary for survival.As long as your dog isn’t dying of starvation, then they do have food drive. Usually, when people say their dog has no food drive, they mean they have low motivation to work for […]
Muzzle training should be fun for your dog!
The whole point of muzzle conditioning is to make the dog form a positive association and enjoy the process of learning to wear the muzzle. As long as you properly motivate your dog with food/play/praise and go slowly enough, muzzle training never needs to cause stress. If your dog is showing signs of stress during […]
Be proactive, not reactive
Is your young dog jumping up on guests, barking at the mailman, mouthing, chewing your furniture, pulling on lead, ignoring recall, etc.? Maybe these things are cute or tolerable while they’re small, but they certainly won’t be cute when they’re a full-grown dog still practicing these bad habits. Stop waiting for them to grow out […]
Why repeating commands is hurting your training progress
“Sit. Sit. Siiiiit. SIT!” We’ve all been there. Repeating commands is one of the most common mistakes dog owners make. By repeating words over and over, the dog is only learning that listening the first or second or even third time isn’t necessary. So if your habit is to always say “sit” 3 times, don’t […]
What tool is right for your dog?
If you buy a hammer and bring it home, it won’t hang pictures in your house by itself. It is merely a tool to help you get that job done. Teaching our dogs is the same – the tools help us, but they’ll never do the job for you. Most people struggle with their dog […]
A simple solution to mad manners indoors
If your dog has a bad habit in the house such as chewing items, raiding the bin, jumping all over guests or counter surfing, the best solution can be the simplest: Don’t give them the opportunity to do those things. Crate training or place training are also essential if your dog struggles with switching off […]
