Blog — Puppy training

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 arousal as the thing that piques your dog's interest, and persistence as the annoying way they obsess over that thing!  Some dogs will have more prey drive, some have more play drive. Dogs with high prey drive will even have a preference for different types of prey, this might be a squirrel, chipmunk, or fluttering of birds. Other dogs are more closely attuned to larger prey like skunks, cats, deer, or even horses!  Many dogs are...

We've relocated! Join the community As some of you know, I have been weaning away from Facebook and looking for a new platform to host our community learning group. Well, I finally found one that I know will be great for us: Mighty Networks! Here we can build community and support each other while focusing on dog training, holistic dog care, and troubleshooting behavioral issues. The focus of Mighty Networks is connecting people who have common interests. We will have our own private "network" that will help nurture the connection we have with each other.   LINK TO JOINWoof!Leah

Calm: Gives you mental fortitude.  If you are not calm, you can’t learn, and training is as much, if not more, founded in learning about your dog as it is teaching him anything. Calmness creates space for observation. Your calmness also helps your dog feel safe.   Neutral: Unattached to outcomes. If you remain emotionally neutral, you can remain present with what’s happening right here, right now. Observe your dog and ask yourself questions. Asking questions is a great way to to train yourself to be responsive to the dog. Just think: if I want my dog to respond to me, I...

Puppies are tons of fun, and equally tons of work! They are fragile little beings, physically and emotionally. If you protect their emotional health, they can grow up to be social, friendly, and well-adjusted members of the family. Here are my top five tips for raising a happy, healthy dog: 1. Puppies need patience, not discipline. Puppies never know that they are doing something "wrong." They are only ever doing what is completely natural to them. If you get irritated with your puppy, do your very best to stay calm and self-regulate your emotions. Raising your voice or handling your puppy...