Remember that article in the Post from last week?  It got me thinking about healthy play and how few videos are there promoting healthy play in the dog training world.  My two dogs don't play a lot, but they do occassionally they do.  Last night, I was lucky enough to have my i...

This is one of my favorite exercises to practice.  Have a friend hold your dog as you run away.  When you get a good distance away, call your dog.  Your dog will likely fly to find you since he will be frustrated at not being able to go with you when you ...

I just got back from a 3 mile hike with my dogs. I'm a professional dog trainer and I train my dogs regularly. They are both very reliable. My 1-year old dog still has a way to go, but my 9-year old dog has one of the best recalls I've seen.

Even though many would call my dogs "trained" a dog trainer knows training is never over. For that reason, I continue to bring treats on our hikes to reward their recalls. Every time they recall, I provide a treat, a toy, or, their...

Is there one special command that would “fix” everything?

All of us are limited on how much time that we have to train our dogs.  If you only had time to train your dog to do one thing with your dog, what should it be?

This is a tough question!

What about your dog’s name? That way if your dog started to do something you didn’t want, you could easily get his attention.  Once you have your dog’...

With the warmer weather right around the corner, I am working with many of my clients on increasing their dog's off leash reliability.  Of course, your dog has to have all of the basics first - sit, down, stay, leave it, and a basic level recall.  I also think it's really important that you are walking your dog daily, and that when you walk, you're dog's leash is loose 99% of the time.  This tells me that your dog understands the concept of walking with you and moving with you ...

Well, I have to admit, I didn't realize what a WORKOUT it is to play in the snow with your dog!  I think he felt it too because he fast asleep as I type this.  Those of you who follow my posts know how much I love going to the park when no one else is there.  So, we seized the opportunity and headed out this morning hoping to ...

I believe that what you practice ends up being the response you get in real life.  If when you are practicing “sit” you are rewarding with kibble and your dog gives you a slow, sloppy sit with minimal attention, then that is often the sit you’ll end up with in real life.  On the other hand, if I practice “sit” with a pieces of chicken as a reward and my dog gives me fast sits with 100% attention, then that is the kind of sit I am more likely to get in r...

Want to get started clicker training?  Clicker training is a simple, effective, fun way to train your dog!

Just click then give your dog a treat. Repeat this 5 to 10 times or until your dog perks up at the sound of the click. Once you've done the above and "charged" your clicker, you are ready to start using it!

Use the click to "mark" any behavior your like that your dog is doing. You want to click the exact instant your dog is doing the behavior....