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One of the best things that have happened recently is the increase in parents of young pups bringing them in for the Puppy Preschool Program. This 4 week course is specially designed for puppies up to seven months old. In it, puppies learn rules and boundaries, some commands, but most importantly they learn a healthy way of socializing with a…

When talking about reactive dogs it helps to understand that we are essentially dealing with an animal that is existing at high level of excitement in an environment where there is no trust (or respect). Correlating that to humans it would be equal to us living in a perpetual rock concert: high energy, explosive actions and hyped up adrenaline. 24…

One of the biggest concerns that clients have when we first speak is the arrival of a human baby in the household. How will their dog react? What steps should be taken in order for the dog to accept the new comer to the house? How to integrate the pack without unsettling the status quo? If the dog has a…

Recently I was speaking with an acquaintance who was telling me how much of a handful her toddler was. Mom is unable to do anything without her baby girl interrupting or causing chaos. She vented saying: “I can’t even get my nails done. She won’t stop, ever! My son was so much easier, I could take him everywhere, such a…

Birds fly, whales swim, bears hibernate, canines walk. One of the most fundamental characteristics of all canines is that they travel long distances together. With dogs, walking is almost essential to their well being. Dogs form packs through walks. Hence why mastering the walk with your dog is so crucial. A walk is where trust and respect between the two…

According to the National Library of Medicine one of the most fundamental experiences that connects all mammals is touch or, to be more precise, skin to skin contact. It goes on to say that “for most mammals, touch is the first sense to develop. They must feel vibrations on the surface of their skin to enable them to respond to…

Many people do not know this, but I am one of the only trainers that works in K9 Rehab – that means I work with dogs with a bite history. I believe the reason that most trainers do not work with dogs like that is because of the intensity that comes from dealing with dogs that bite. In my world…

It is truly a wonder how many clients come to me stating their dog has major separation anxiety. I could write an entire book about the cases where clients have come to me and said their dog’s can never, ever be left alone. One client once told me that a trainer expressed that her dog would never be able to…