Have you ever wondered how your emotions shape the behavior and well-being of your beloved four-legged companion? From creating a nurturing environment to influencing their socialization and communication, the emotional connection between humans and dogs runs deep...

Aggressive dogs seem to be a hot topic lately. For example, a dog that has previously shown aggression in a shelter environment was adopted out and actually mauled the owner to death. It’s a grim fate, and one we seem to hear more and more often than we did 20 years ago.

Addressing a dog's digging behavior can be a common challenge for pet owners, with several creative and effective approaches available to tackle this issue....

We are often asked if we utilize positive reinforcement techniques, and the answer is emphatically yes. However, we delve much deeper than just one quadrant of learning, as true breakthroughs can occur both inside and outside the conventional framework. Let's begin with the fundamentals....

The initial step in teaching your dog to come when called is to ensure they recognize their name. It's crucial for your dog to understand that when you call their name, they should cease what they're doing and look to you for the next instruction. Here's how to teach this behavior...

Seems like we live in a day age where every problem can be solved with a pill.

Too many times I have pups coming into my care who have been on Prozac, Trazadone, or any other anti-anxiety medication for years...

There are several reasons why your dog may be struggling with housebreaking. The most common causes are submissive urination, excitement urination, and marking. Here are some helpful tips for helping your furry friend get passed these issues.

Brining a puppy home is an exciting time!

I mean who doesn’t love snuggles and puppy breath? But like with any baby, we must prepare our home to keep our new found friend safe. No different than a toddler, puppies are curious animals and can often find themselves in trouble if our house is not properly prepped. While I don’t condone leaving any baby unattended for even the shortest amount of time (go team crate training!). I know life sometimes has it’s own plan and leaving for even just a second is unavoidable.

With this day and age, more and more folks are traveling with their dog. It is a fun experience for dog and human alike, but without these basic items for your furry friend a fun trip can turn quickly into stress.

All trainers talk about effective communication and you can find many versions of such during your training. The most common one that opens a world of possibilities is using consistent marker words. Marker words is way to give your dog feedback on a task that they are performing. For example, if you ask your dog to sit and the dog sits, you then could mark the behavior with the word “yes” or “good.” Providing your dog feedback that they did something correctly. The same goes if your dog does something wrong. We’ll use sit again as an example. You ask your dog to sit and your dog does not sit then you mark with “no” to provide your dog feedback that they didn’t do it correctly.

I’m often faced with new doggy owners who are struggling with their pup inside the home, whether it’s housebreaking, destruction, or being plan obnoxious. My destressed owners are often at their wits end with their furry friend. I often find in these scenarios that it’s rarely the dog that is the problem. It’s actually the human and their unrealistic expectation of the dog’s behavior when they first bring them home.

When training our dog, we often overlook what our dog finds valuable. We assume the treats that the pet store attendant suggested are the best thing since slice bread. Only to find out when we go home and offer one to our pup, they turn their nose and walk away. Or maybe you’ve trained at home for x,y,and z behaviors with said treat and decided you wanted to move your training to the local park. Much to your dismay your dog has lost interest in this reward and would rather explore what’s behind the bush.

Teaching boundaries.

Teaching your dog to get out of the kitchen when asked or to respect a piece of furniture is a fairly easy task for your dog to understand…if you’re consistent.