Halloween can indeed be a frightening experience for dogs, especially for puppies who have never experienced this event, and for shy dogs who are easily frightened. Think about it: Strange people in weird shapes keep ringing the doorbell, and they smell so sweet! And are you thinking that Fido would look really great dressed up in […]
Whether you attach a leash to your dog’s collar or to a harness is pretty much a personal decision, but you should be aware that using a collar with a dog who has not learned to walk on a slack leash (at a human’s pace) could be at risk to some damage from the pressure […]
Dangers and Safety Considerations Change in Routines With new activities and maybe new people in your house, don’t make assumptions about how your dog will behave. One of my students told me that her Golden Retriever pup, who’d never “counter surfed” before, stole an item off the counter while she was doing extra cooking. The item […]
So you have this adorable but very active puppy, and a house full of things that you don’t want the pup to destroy. How do you reconcile the two? Here’s the simple recipe: Give the puppy ample opportunity to get it right, and reward him if he does. Limit the opportunity to get it wrong, […]
Housetraining is the process of teaching a puppy where to go to the bathroom. Puppies have a natural instinct to not soil their bed or den, and one of the things you will be teaching your pup is to consider your entire house to be a “den”. At the same time, puppies are developing their […]
Look around Look around your house and yard – if you’re not sure if your dog got out of your property, double-check – they might just be hiding some place, like under a bed, behind a couch, etc. This might be especially true if they’re hiding from something that scared them, like fireworks, thunder, smoke […]
I recently read that clicker trainers tell people not to say “No” to their dogs, and I wondered where that idea came from. We certainly advocate concentrating on what the dog is doing right, and rewarding that. If you’re teaching heeling, for example, you would click-and-treat when the dog was in the correct position rather […]
“But I don’t have TIME to train” Yes you do. Training doesn’t have to involve a long commitment of time. Here’s when: During commercial breaks of your TV show – turn the sound down. While your bagel is toasting. While your coffee is brewing or tea is steeping, or the microwave or stove is working […]
Foods Have a plan to keep unusual foods away from your dog. Chocolates are poisonous for dogs if eaten. Keep them out of reach (ideally by giving them to your dog trainer!). Coffee, espresso, macadamia nuts, walnuts, raw potatoes, and alcohol are also dangerous. Dogs should not get large amounts of fat or gravy, and […]