Does Your Dog or Puppy Pull on Walks? Start with the Basics. Capture & Teach Attention!

Dogs and puppies pull during walks because, from their points of view, it works. They get to move forward when they feel the pressure of the collar or harness against their bodies. Every time your dog pulls while walking on lead, he or she is learning to pull. The behavior is being fertilized! It will grow and become strong. Yikes! There are many methods and tools one might use to teach a dog or puppy...

November 16th, 2009 by AT 

Signs your Dog is Not Getting Enough Exercise

All dogs need exercise. The amount and type of exercise needed varies with each individual. The perfect amount of exercise is just enough for your dog to be tired enough to be a relaxed calm member of your household. If your dog has lots of unused energy, it will emerge as annoyances. Tired pups and dogs don’t jump up excessively, bark and whine excessively, destroy everything, run away, dig for...

October 21st, 2009 by AT 
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Help! My Dog Races Through Open Doors!

Why wouldn’t a dog bolt through an open door? Because you teach him not to, that’s why! Does your dog race through open doors and gates? Most people either pick up their dogs or hold the dog’s collar to prevent door bolting behaviors. Both of these actions “pay” the dog for trying to run through the door. The ultimate pay is the chase and adventure of escape. Every time your dog...

September 30th, 2009 by AT 
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Puppy or Dog Obedience Training First Steps – Condition a Marker, Capture Sit, Teach “Look”

Want to start an obedience program for your puppy or dog? You can start as soon as you bring your dog into your family. The first two commands all dogs should learn are “Look”, and “Sit”. Before you begin teaching, it’s helpful to learn a bit about rewards and reward systems. Please visit the START HERE category of posts before you begin. Conditioning a Reward Marker The...

September 20th, 2009 by AT 

Barking Dog? Resolutions ** Danger! ** Do Not Use an Anti Bark Collar on Your Dog or Puppy, without reading this first!

Okay, so your dog is barking and you have the perfect, initial solution; buy one of those anti bark dog collars, right? WRONG! Please do not misunderstand, I agree there are situations when an anti bark collar is a good choice, but spraying a dog with citronella, sounding a tone, (or using an e-collar ) are never at the top of my list of tools and solutions for barking. Anti bark collars address the...

May 30th, 2009 by AT 

Video ** Puppy Clicker Training Demo – Harry in Class: 4 Commands, attention, here, sit, down

Click the You Tube link below this text to see Harry, the AKC registered Norwich Terrier puppy, perform 4 obedience commands. The commands are Attention on Cue (Look), Here, Sit (verbal command and “folded arms” cue) and Down (with hand signal). Harry is less than 4 months old in this video; The client chose to use a clicker as the reward marker. The client’s excellent timing of the...

May 4th, 2009 by AT 

AA-4 Dog & Puppy Training Plan-Obedience Commands

How’s Bentley Training Plan for All Dogs Before you can begin to teach your dog or puppy, it’s best to have a training plan. The plan begins with a list of coping skills and behaviors that your dog will need during his or her lifetime. Think about helpful, real-life skills and their applications. Prioritize each skill and write your definition of success. Identify all the components that...

May 2nd, 2009 by AT