The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us.  Somewhere between Halloween and New Year’s you will find your beloved dog hoping you will find time for a romp in the yard or a long walk in the park.  The holidays are incredibly stressful for your dog because, let’s face it, between work and celebrating the holidays; you are unable to spend as much time as you usually do with your best friend.  Just because you are busy, doesn’t mean your dog doesn’t require the same amount of exercise and mental stimulation that he is used to the rest of the year.  Obedience:  Get back to obedience class. …

Did you know that the risk of dog bites increases on Halloween night, as compared to other nights by 25%?  That equals to 1 in 4 dogs biting someone on or around the Halloween holiday.  In my opinion, that is too high and the reason for this increase is the fault of the owners, not the dogs.  In any situation an owner must first consider what may happen, anticipate what their dog’s reaction is going to be, be prepared to control the situation.  In training class, things are done in a controlled environment and we can recreate the situation many times to desensitize a dog’s reaction.  In the real world,…

The “Blame Game” runs ramped through our society with dogs and children.  When dogs misbehave, owners blame everyone under the sun: the previous owner, the breeder, the rescue group, the breed, and, of course, the trainer.  The truth of the matter is owners and handlers must make sure to relate to their dogs in the present and not justify behavior based on their dog’s previous misfortune in life.   I’m not saying that dogs do not feel or do not have souls. I’m saying that if we immediately react to negative behavior, the message that we are conveying is that this behavior is not acceptable.  Dogs follow strong and dominant leaders who…

In many cases, motion sickness begins as a true response to motion but then turns into a psychosomatic response to a previous bad experience.  To cure motion sickness, it is very important that you go extremely slow and do not push the dog.  I am going to outline steps to cure motion sickness, if you have not successfully completed all the steps and you need to take your dog to your Veterinarian or training class, purchase Bonine, a human non-drowsy motion sickness treatment so the physiological factors of motion sickness will be eradicated. Treat him with one adult dosage.  It is very important that you take as much time as necessary…

Instantaneous Obedience  Our world is a world of Instants:  Instant Coffee, Instant Messages, Instant Relationships, Minute Meals, 10 minute Oil Changes, etc.  One thing I can guarantee, there are no instant training tips for the training of dogs.  So often, new clients will see my own dogs and state, “I want my dog to listen like that!”  Well, training my dogs to the level they are at took years, not weeks or months.  If you put in the time, you will have the results you desire.    Not Just Basic:  So many people sign their dogs up for Basic Obedience and/or Puppy Kindergarten and figure, that’s it, I’m done.  Basic obedience is…

Last month I wrote about training so as not to confuse your dog. This occurs when the handler or owner is inconsistent in the use commands or corrections.  Repetition goes hand in hand with preventing confusion.  The only way a dog is not going to be confused is if the handler, trainer or owner repeats the exercise enough times, using the same words and/or commands, so the dog understands what his expected response should be.  For example, if I am teaching a dog an automatic sit from the heel position, I take about five to ten steps forward, slow down, stop bringing my left foot to my right and command…

On a recent trip to Saddle River Park in Saddle Brook, New Jersey there was a sign at the entrance to the path.  The sign stated that (1) you must clean up after your dog (a ‘no brainer’ in my opinion) and (2) all dogs must be on a six-foot leash, flexi leashes and long leashes are not allowed.  Upon reading that sign, a huge smile broke out on my face!  This is what I have been preaching for years; finally I have been legitimized by Saddle Brook, New Jersey!  Long Leash Use  A long leash or flexi leash is to be used only as a training tool.  A long leash…

I’ve heard many horror stories lately from clients leaving their dogs with relatives when they went on vacation.  Though at first, it may seem your dog would be more relaxed at your brother’s home, especially since you visit often, without you; your dog is under a stress level that you may not see.  A Pet Sitter:  Keeping your dog at home and having a dog walker come in to take care of your dog may not be a great idea either.  If your dog walker comes four times per day for a total of ½ hour per session, then your dog is only getting interaction and exercise for 2 hours…

I received an email from a client this week asking a couple questions about training.  She had two questions that I felt were relevant to all of my clients.   Question #1:  Should I keep her training leash attached to her training collar while she is in the house or is it okay to attach her leash to her buckle collar?  At my first session with this client I advised her to keep her training collar and leash on her dog at all times, when she is there to supervise. If she needs to correct, she is in a position to do so.  This is extremely important!  Without a collar and…

Recently, I had the pleasure of training with a special white Boxer and her “Aunt” (I’ll leave their names out just in case they would rather stay anonymous).   This Boxer is a recent rescue and her owner is undergoing cancer treatment so this special dog was sent to New Jersey to live temporarily with her Aunt.  This Boxer is older and has obviously lived a life in fear of humans.  She does not trust easily but once she warms up to you she is the typical, licking you in your face, Boxer.  Luckily, her Aunt realized that a trained dog is a happy dog so she sent this Boxer off…