Blog — dog training

We recently (and rather unexpectedly) moved out of Arizona and wanted to let you know that we are now located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  To our Arizona clients: We will miss seeing you and being in beautiful Flagstaff! You can keep in touch in any of the following ways: Subscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramJoin the Mighty Network and get continued supportIf you need further help with your dog, I can always do a virtual lesson by way of a phone or video consultation. Let me know if you have any questions, my new number is: 423-468-0840. Woof!Leah

Many natural behaviors that get "corrected" turn into real problem behaviors. When the truth is, if you just give your dog some space to be a dog, they can act naturally and be well balanced members of society. For example: I gave my dog a raw bone to chew in his kennel. I also let a client dog run up to his kennel while I moved dogs in and out of the house. My dog acted protective and even downright nasty over his bone when this dog ran up to his kennel, obviously interested in said bone. This is NATURAL...

If you came upon a wolf eating a fresh kill in the woods, do you think it would be a good idea to leave him alone while he eats? Maybe give him some extra space and make sure he doesn't feel your presence?  The same rules should apply to your dog and his bowl of kibble, but in mainstream training this doesn't seem to be the case. So why do people feel the need to take their dog's food away while he's eating? Have they been taught to "desensitize" the dog around food? Have they learned that showing dominance over...

This might be another one of my unpopular opinions, however, this is what I see happening when a dog is leash-reactive:  They see something that arouses their sympathetic nervous system. So that means they either want to chase a squirrel, they want to meet and play with another dog, OR they are actually feeling extremely nervous about potentially meeting another dog or a strange human. So your dog either wants to HUNT, chase, or play, and all of these things cause barrier frustration due to be restrained on the leash; or they are put into a state of fight/flight by...

No matter what age your dog is, it's important to use a crate or kennel when housetraining, and also to keep them on a strict feeding and potty schedule. Dogs naturally keep their "den" clean, so by restricting their movement with a crate or kennel, you are encouraging this natural behavior. Keep to this strict crating protocol for at least six months. Once going to the bathroom outdoors becomes a habit, your dog should start asking to go out. Test them by gating them in a room with solid floors like tile, so if they do have an accident it...