Blog — training advice

House Training Your Dog: Simple, Effective Tips for Success No matter your dog’s age, successful house training starts with structure, consistency, and management. One of the most effective tools you can use is a crate or kennel, paired with a reliable feeding and potty schedule. Use a Crate to Support Natural Instincts Dogs naturally avoid soiling their sleeping area. By using a crate or kennel, you’re working with this instinct—not against it. Limiting your dog’s space encourages them to “hold it” until they’re taken outside, helping them learn where it’s appropriate to go. Stick to a Consistent Schedule Routine is...

When people reach out for help with their dog’s behavior, they often begin by describing how intelligent their dog is. They explain how quickly their dog learns, how observant they are, and how capable they seem in many contexts. And they are usually right. Most dogs with behavioral challenges are not struggling because they lack intelligence or learning ability. In fact, many of them are extremely perceptive and highly responsive to their environment. The issue is not learning—it is emotional capacity. More specifically, the issue is how much stress their nervous system can tolerate while still remaining regulated enough to...

The Energy Equation One of the most important concepts in dog training is simple: Don’t add energy to a behavior that already represents an energy overload. Many common training mistakes come from doing exactly that—adding more stimulation to a dog who is already overstimulated. What Does “Adding Energy” Look Like? 1. Punishment-based correctionsSo-called “positive punishment” (adding a stimulus to stop behavior) may appear to work in the short term, but it often makes things worse over time. Why? Because you’re adding more intensity to an already heightened state. 2. Overstimulating activitiesPuzzle toys, excessive “mental stimulation,” or constant activity can backfire...

"Dogs are very sensitive to body language, so the least little tense movement--a change of gait, a slight hunching of the shoulders--can be observed and interpreted as something being amiss. When we're upset, our voices can go up slightly in frequency as well. Dogs get these nuances in ways most people don't.  Masking strong feelings by acting like things are OK may not always work, either: It's quite likely that dogs can smell fear, anxiety, even sadness... The flight-or-fight hormone, adrenaline, is undetectable by our noses, but dogs can apparently smell it. In addition, fear or anxiety is often accompanied...

  How Physical Compression Affects Your Dog’s Behavior Physical compression of space often leads to emotional compression—and for many dogs, that can trigger a fight-or-flight response, especially if they feel trapped. Common “compression zones” include: Front doors and narrow hallways Doorways and thresholds Crates and cars Beds, couches, and tight corners Fences, barriers, leashes, and tie-outs These are all environments where a dog’s movement is restricted, and that restriction can directly impact their emotional state. Why This Matters for Dog Behavior When a dog feels physically compressed, their emotional threshold drops. In other words, they have less capacity to handle...