“Don’t normalize aggressive behavior”
I saw a post in a Facebook group the other day; it's a well respected group with lots of dog professionals and hobbyists who’ve been...
Loving a Reactive Dog
Loving a reactive dog can test your patience and push your buttons. It forces you to take the long way round because you know that the...
"But I Never Had to Give My Other Dog Treats!"
This is sometimes my client's response when I explain that we'll be using food as the primary motivator during our training. They're...
Your Dog is Not an Oven
My oven broke this past weekend. My husband Phil made dinner Saturday night, used the broiler, and turned everything off properly after...
Dog Training: Is it Only a Luxury?
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what to write for this week’s blog, and this topic is always on my mind. Dog training has...
Be a Consequence Machine
A common misconception about dog training is that it’s all about the “commands”; you have to teach the commands, or else your dog won’t...
Mary and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Neighbor AKA, why I Don’t Use Fear in My Training
I’m going to start this blog post with a story; it’s going to seem like a longwinded, irrelevant story, but I promise I have a point!...
"When can I stop giving my dog treats?"
This is probably one of the top 3 questions I get asked as a dog trainer, and I totally get it! Having to remember to bring treats and...
Puppy Socialization in a Pandemic World
As puppy classes begin to close we will need to be more creative in our socialization efforts to make sure our puppies are not missing out!
My Mean Dog
A few weeks ago I was working with Regis (my recovering reactive beagle mix) when we were bum-rushed by an off leash doodle. I know this...
