A Wagging Tail Doesn’t Mean a Happy Dog — What Most Owners Get Wrong
🐾 A Wagging Tail Doesn’t Always Mean a Happy Dog A Wagging Tail Doesn’t Mean a Happy Dog — What Most Owners Get Wrong Most people see a wagging tail and immediately think,“Oh, that dog is friendly.” Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s very, very…
Does Your Dog Need to “Respect” You to Listen?
🐾 Dominance vs. Positive Reinforcement: Looking at the Facts Does Your Dog Need to “Respect” You to Listen? There has been a long-standing discussion in the dog training world about dominance, “alpha” roles, and leadership within the household. Over time, that conversation has evolved…
Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Why Biology Matters — And How You Still Fix It
Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Why Biology Matters — And How You Still Fix It With my background in psychology and a long-standing interest in neuro-psychology, I’ve always believed that most behavior problems — in any species — have at least some neurological or genetic component….
Alpha Dominance Theory in Dog Training: What Are Your Options?
Alpha Dominance Theory in Dog Training: What Are Your Options? 🐾 A Quick Thought Before We Start Before we get into this, let me be clear about something. Science is what we know now — and what we knew yesterday.It has nothing to do with…
How to Potty Train a Dog the Right Way (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)
How to Potty Train a Dog the Right Way (And Why Most People Get It Wrong) Potty training isn’t about getting your dog to “quit having accidents.” It’s about teaching your dog that your entire house is also their home. Most people approach potty training…
What kind of Dog Trainer am I ?
What kind of Dog Trainer am I? OK, so this is a presentation I did way back when, 2011 to be exact (way less grey and a lot slimmer), but the question of “What Kind of Dog Trainer Am I came up, and you know…
🐾 How to Crate Train Your Dog Without Anxiety
🐾 How to Crate Train Your Dog Without Anxiety Let’s get right down to it… If the only time you use the crate is when you leave the house or go to bed, the crate becomes associated with one thing: Losing the family. That’s not…
Leave It vs Drop It: The Most Misunderstood Commands in Dog Training
Leave It vs Drop It: The Most Misunderstood Commands in Dog Training A few years ago, I got a panicked phone call from a very small owner with a very large Rottweiler named Jake. Jake had just proudly brought a dead squirrel through the dog…
How COVID Puppies Are Struggling Now — And How to Fix Behavior Issues
How COVID Puppies Are Struggling Now — And How to Fix Socialization, Anxiety, and Potty Training Issues Dogs raised during COVID didn’t get the same start as most puppies—and we’re still seeing the effects today. During lockdowns, routines changed. Socialization opportunities disappeared. Dogs got used…
Is Leash Reactivity Hard to Fix? How Long It REALLY Takes (And What Most Owners Get Wrong)
🐾 Updated for Kansas City Dog Owners If you’re walking your dog in neighborhoods around Kansas City, Shawnee, or Overland Park, leash reactivity can feel overwhelming fast. Tight sidewalks, unexpected dog encounters, and busy environments make it easy to push dogs too far, too quickly….
