The “recall,” the command that brings your dog to you, is extremely important for your sanity and your dog’s safety! Whether you need your dog to come in from the yard when you are running late for work or want to be able to hike off-leash—a good, reliable recall is vital.      With a good recall, you can bring your dog to you quickly when time or safety are a factor. Without a good recall, you are at the mercy of your dog’s impulses. What is a reliable recall?  A good reliable recall is when your dog responds to your recall command by returning to you immediately and without…

When training dogs, I employ a wide variety of tools to reinforce good behavior and correct undesirable behaviors. Leashes, crates, collars, treats—each of these has its place and purpose and can help me and my clients achieve our training goals. However, these tools are only effective and productive if they are used appropriately. No tool is a “magic wand” that solves all problems. Unfortunately, many of my new clients believe that an e-collar is a magic wand that can be used to undo months of overlooking undesirable behavior. They come to me after 6 months to a year of inconsistent or nonexistent training and want to put an e-collar on…

For some dogs, especially puppies or dogs that are anxious or aggressive, down stay is a difficult exercise and I often find dogs owners work on it the least. Whether you are at dinner, a soccer game or on vacation, a strong down-stay affords you the opportunity to manage your dog without the need for tethering, crating or leaving it at home alone. When taught and proofed properly amidst strong distractions, this command affords you the opportunity to have your dog with you but he is not underfoot, in harm’s way or in trouble. A Calming Position. A long – duration down stay is the best relaxation protocol you can…

I am sometimes asked if I think invisible fences are “good.”  I can’t answer that question because it is incomplete. The real question must be, “Is an invisible fence a good solution for my dog and my situation? “ An invisible fence is neither good nor bad in itself. It is a piece of equipment that may or may not be appropriate for your needs. Like any piece of equipment, an invisible fence only works well if it is used properly under the right circumstances for the appropriate purpose.  Questions to Consider First, think about the purpose of the fence. Will the fenced area be used for supervised playtime? Do…

… that was addressed by a recent study that is the topic of this month’s newsletter. You’ve probably noticed an upsurge during the last several years in the use of harnesses as an alternative to collars. At the same time, there has been a concern that harnesses might affect dogs’ gait. Researchers in the UK investigated exactly that question by comparing the effect of restrictive and non-restrictive harnesses on shoulder extension in dogs when walking and trotting. There are two main categories of harnesses: those that are considered non-restrictive to front limb movement, which have a Y-shaped chest strap and those considered restrictive, which have a strap that lies across the…

On one of my visits to my chiropractor, he suggested I pick up the book The Well Adjusted Dog by Dr. Daniel Kamen. The book is written by a chiropractor who also does adjustments on animals, although he doesn’t advertise this. Apparently, chiropractors are not allowed to practice on animals in many states, which I didn’t realize, since I live in Canada and this doesn’t seem to be a problem here in my province. However, what is good to know is that veterinarians in the U.S. are allowed to do adjustments on animals… that is if you can find one that’s studied chiropractic medicine. Not an easy task. In any…

Most people, when they think of dog training, picture a knowledgeable professional skillfully eliminating a dog’s undesirable behaviors and instilling obedience and good manners.  It’s a nice picture—but it is incomplete.  It leaves out the heart of the training—repetition, practice, and follow through with the dog’s family. While it is true that dog training is about teaching commands and replacing bad behavior with good behavior, it is not a “one and done” proposition. It’s not like having someone come in and set up your computer or your entertainment system. Even a bad dog trainer can teach a dog commands, but it takes a good dog trainer to be able to…

Using a remote training collar is not difficult. However, it is not entirely easy either. Too often people have the misguided notion that once your dog learns how to respond to the stimulation, there is no need to access each situation and adjust the “Number” so that your dog will respond to your command. The challenge people struggle with is learning how to adjust the dial to use a level of stimulation appropriate for the dog’s sensitivity at that given moment. It involves learning to watch the dog rather than the dial. The dial provides a reference point, but the level you use will not be the same for every…

It is human nature to separate the ideas of work and play. Work imposes a schedule and deadlines. It might involve the hassles of getting to and from a specific place and interacting with others whose company we might not choose in social circumstances. For many people, “work” time is distinct from “fun” time. So unsurprisingly, many people extend that distinction to training or working their dogs. They view “training” time as something distinct from “play” time.It doesn’t have to be that way. Do What You LoveThere’s an old saying “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” While that may not feel true during…

Because I Can’t Be Everywhere Twice in one week I was called for private lessons with clients whose dogs were in my group classes. Both dogs had passed my basic classes. One of the dogs worked in my intermediate group; the other had progressed to my advanced class. So I was surprised in both instances to hear that I was being called because the dogs were “acting crazy” and “not listening.” In both cases, I arrived for the lesson to find no evidence of the manic and out-of-control behavior that had been described to me. Each dog was calm and, as we worked through the respective lessons, each dog responded…