Problem Behaviors In Dogs Are Like a Hydraulic System
Originally Posted 12/2010… Every hydraulic system has a set pressure it can withstand. Go over that allowed pressure (or exceed “critical mass,” and…well BOOM)! You can look at Fido’s behavior the same way…each behavior has its own tank; barking, digging, jumping, play biting and yes…
Jumping up Part 2…..Ignore the Bad, Reward the Good – 15 Minute Ignore!
Now let’s look at the fourth way to deal with the jumping up problem, the one that most folks don’t remember or enforce, the only one that will address the issue of a dog that jumps up…IGNORE THE BAD BEHAVIOR! I don’t care how hard…
The Jumping Dog and the Usual Ways We Handle It – Reinforcing the Problem Behavior!
Let me paint you a picture! You walk through your door at the same time every day and WHAM! Fido puts both paws right in the middle of your chest and you end up on your butt on the floor! Before you know it, you…
Why do dogs bark & what can be done about it? Part 2
So, now we have arrived at the other big reason dogs bark…exercise (or lack thereof). Let’s be honest, most of us do not give our dogs enough exercise, let alone mental stimulation (boredom anyone?) If you are not walking your dog at least an hour…
Petting Parties for Puppies vs Adult Dogs: What Changes and Why
Petting Parties for Puppies vs Adult Dogs: What Changes and Why The Petting Party Series — Part 3 By now, you understand why dogs lose their minds when guests arrive and how structured repetition can change that behavior. What often gets missed, however, is that…
How to Run a Petting Party at Home (Without Making Things Worse)
How to Run a Petting Party at Home (Without Making Things Worse) The Petting Party Series — Part 2 In Part 1 of the Petting Party series, we talked about *why* dogs lose their minds when guests arrive. Now it’s time to talk about the…
Covid-19 Corona Virus…Possible Puppy/Dog Issues As We Return to Normal
There are a lot of new puppy owners or even older dog owners out there and many are finding it really hard to socialize their pups in this world of social distancing and in-home confinement during this Covid-19 scenario… I have talked to several trainers…
Why Dogs Lose Their Minds When Guests Come Over
The Petting Party Series — Part 1 Picture this. You’re sitting on the couch, ready to enjoy the game. The doorbell rings. Instantly, your dog explodes—barking, growling, jumping, losing their mind like an alarm just went off inside their head. Your guests hesitate. Someone laughs…
Muscle Memory, In regard to Reactivity/Aggression….
OK while I guess you could say this blog is about generalizing an idea, which I really try not to do… I think this is one is really important to the idea of reactivity/aggression in dogs on leash… I need folks to really grasp how…
Leave it… The Next Step (the car)
OK if you have not heard me talk about how to work with reactivity in dogs I always preach 3 things: High Frequency (Every Day Practice) Short Duration (No more than about 15 minutes per practice session) Under Threshold (the dog must not be reacting,…
