Blog — dogs

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...

Follow these simple tips to see BIG changes in your dog's behavior The Energy Equation:  Don't add energy to a problem behavior which already represents an energy overload.  Examples of adding energy: "Positive punishment" (this means adding stimulus/punishment) of unwanted behavior, this never works! It may seem like it's working in the short term, but in the long term you are literally adding energy to the very problem you are trying to extinguish.  Another example of adding energy: puzzles and other games and toys that add "mental stimulation" to a dog who is already over-stimmed. If your dog is truly...

What does it mean to work with your dog's drive? First, you want to find the thing that most motivates your dog. Think of something that piques your dog's interest like food or prey. Arousal is the level of excitement they show when presented with that stimulus, and persistence is the annoying way they obsess over that thing! So when you think of different things that capture your dog's attention, take note of their level of arousal and the length of time they choose to stay engaged with that stimulus, which is their persistence.  Some dogs will have more food...

  Physical compression of space = Emotional compression, which can lead to fight/flight response if your dog feels trapped Trigger points: Front door and other doorways/thresholds, car, bed, crate, fence, barrier, leash, tie-out, etc (all create physical compression of space)   Why this concept is important: Your dog’s threshold (emotional capacity) will go DOWN according to the amount of compression he feels. This can lead to “unexpected” events where your dog acts more aggressive or fearful than he does when not under compression. It’s also important to recognize when your dog is “denning” himself because he’s seeking safety. If you...