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Tag: dog training

It’s Not “All In How You Raise Them”: The Role Of Genetics In Behavior

It’s Not “All In How You Raise Them”: The Role Of Genetics In Behavior

If you’re a dog owner, I’m sure you’ve heard this refrain. Conventional wisdom says that young puppies come to us as blank slates.  Full of promise and limitless potential, ready to be molded into your ideal companion as long as you do your part – provide lots of love, the right amount of discipline, and appropriate training along the way.  If you’re a caring, responsible pet owner, there’s no reason that your puppy should not grow up to be a…

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Living With “Jaws”: A Survival Guide For Puppy Mouthing

Living With “Jaws”: A Survival Guide For Puppy Mouthing

If you have a new puppy, or are expecting one this holiday season – congratulations!  You’re embarking on a life-changing adventure full of ups and downs, especially during those fragile first few months. If you’ve had a puppy before, or spent much time around one, you know exactly what I mean.  Snuggles on the couch, the first day home.  Soft puppy kisses, a tiny wagging tail. Hopping clumsily after a ball in her very first game of fetch.  Barking and…

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When “Avoiding The Problem” Is Okay: The Role Of Management In Dog Training

When “Avoiding The Problem” Is Okay: The Role Of Management In Dog Training

As a jumping off point for today’s discussion, I want to use a question I received in the comments section of a previous post.  The post was about changing our perspective in dog training to reflect the fact that dogs are dogs, and they do what comes naturally to them unless we give them a meaningful reason not to – you can read it here if you like. As an example of this, I mentioned that my 8-year-old competition dog…

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From Crazy To Calm: A Training Plan For Leash Reactivity

From Crazy To Calm: A Training Plan For Leash Reactivity

Welcome back for today’s follow-up discussion on treating leash reactivity!  If you didn’t get a chance to read last week’s post on this topic, you can find it here. Today, I will be breaking down in detail how we approach this problem from a training perspective.  I’m excited to write this post because this issue is so common, and so incredibly frustrating for owners!  As I said last time, leash reactivity is one of my favorite problems to treat because…

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Why Does My Dog Act Like Cujo? Understanding Leash Reactivity

Why Does My Dog Act Like Cujo? Understanding Leash Reactivity

Picture this. It’s a beautiful summer morning.  You’re out on the sidewalk, leash and poop bags in hand, enjoying a peaceful stroll with your dog.  It’s early, still cool and gray.  Quiet.  The very best time to be out, before the world around you is awake. Your dog sniffs contentedly in the grass, finds a suitable place to pee.  Birds chirp.  A car passes, slow and lazy.  You glance up and down the street, ever watchful.  So far, so good….

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On Expectations And Disappointments: Love The One You’re With

On Expectations And Disappointments: Love The One You’re With

About two and a half years ago, in February of 2014, I brought home my very first show puppy. He was twelve weeks old, and perfect in every way.  A handsome blue merle Sheltie, the pick boy of a lovely show litter with beautiful movement and a strikingly gorgeous face.  I drove 12 hours round-trip to pick him up from his breeder in North Carolina on a cold, windy day.  He slept curled in his crate in the back seat…

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Biting The Hand That Feeds: Dealing With Owner-Directed Aggression

Biting The Hand That Feeds: Dealing With Owner-Directed Aggression

Perhaps it began with a look.  A sudden, hard stare as you sat down on the couch beside your trusted family dog, or reached for a toy in his mouth.  Nothing overt, but… a strange feeling.  Hairs standing up on the back of your neck.  Something not quite right. Or, perhaps the first sign was something much more obvious and seemingly out-of-the-blue – a snarl and growl, a snap or even a bite that drew blood as you reached for…

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White Coats and Doctors and Needles, Oh, My! Making Vet Visits Fun and Easy

White Coats and Doctors and Needles, Oh, My! Making Vet Visits Fun and Easy

It’s that time of year again… your reminder card has arrived in the mail, and Buster is due for his annual wellness exam.  Or perhaps he’s limping, or coughing, or his skin allergies are flaring up.  Whatever the reason, you know what it means – a trip to the vet. If you dread veterinary visits because your dog is so anxious, you’re not alone.  I would estimate that on any given day, at least half of the patients I see…

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Becoming A More Effective Trainer: A Necessary Shift In Perspective

Becoming A More Effective Trainer: A Necessary Shift In Perspective

Today’s post has a more philosophical bent than some of my previous entries, but I think it’s a topic well worth exploring.  It’s not always enough to talk about how to do things, what works and what doesn’t – to be truly effective trainers, we also need to think about why. First, let me start with a very general question: what is dog training about? As humans, we have a natural tendency to view our dogs’ behavior through the prism…

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