Recall Training: How to Get a Dog to Come When You Call
There’s nothing scarier than watching your dog run off across the beach, down the street, or through the woods while you helplessly call for him to come back to you without any luck. It only takes seconds, for a dog to vanish before your eyes—all because your dog is excited and decided to chase a […]
How to Stop Dog Barking: Doggy Dan’s Ultimate Guide
Out of all the bad dog behaviors that exist, how to stop dog barking has to be one of the most frustrating issues to deal with. Think about it… If your dog has a barking problem, it’s unlikely that you’re able to control when he barks. This can lead to his howling keeping you up […]
Best Behaved Dog Breeds: Does Breed Determine a Dog’s Personality?
I often get asked the question, “What are the best behaved dog breeds?” And here’s my answer… The idea that a breed can determine a dog’s personality is one of the biggest dog myths in the world. There’s simply not such thing as a “best behaved dog breed.” For example, people assume that if you […]
Correcting Bad Dog Behavior: Why Your Dog Is like a Mirror
A lot of people ask me, how do I train my dog? Or even more important, how do I go about correcting bad dog behavior that already exists? And the answer is always this. When it comes to training a dog it’s important that we first start with a solid foundation. That’s where you get […]
Dog Adoption: When Is the Best Time to Adopt a Dog?
If you’ve been thinking about adding a four-legged addition to your home, you may be asking yourself the following questions… “Should I get a puppy or should I rescue a dog?” “Do I need to get a puppy so I can form a better bond with him?” “How long does it take for a dog […]
Dog Training Tips: How to Help Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Fireworks
Dogs who are scared of fireworks–as well as thunder, gun shots, or other loud noises–is a topic that I am passionate about. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing animals in fear, especially dogs. For those of you that own dogs with a true fear of loud noises, you may feel overwhelmed when challenging dog […]
A Dog’s Sixth Sense: The Unexplained Power of Dogs
I’ve always been fascinated with how amazing nature is. It seems as though every day we discover new things about animals—things that previously may have seemed like the stuff of a science fiction novel or movie. And as a dog trainer, I’ve certainly seen my fair share of interesting and sometimes even unexplainable behaviour. One […]
5 Reasons Why Dogs And Puppies Chew Things They Shouldn’t
Dogs have been known to chew almost everything from doors, windows, and car seat belts to balloons, books, mobile phones and underwear! So what is going on, and what’s the reason for all this chewing? Before you begin to put together a solution for your dog or puppy’s chewing, it’s important to understand the real […]
Learning to understand your dog’s body language
Ever found yourself completely confused by some dog behaviour, with no idea what your dogs are doing or saying to each other? Sometimes their actions can look completely random. It seems as though there’s no meaning to what’s going on. In fact the opposite is true. But before I discuss our dog’s communication abilities, I want to […]
DD: 010 Leash training – when your dog is too excited to walk
When the walk becomes dangerous…
Taking your dog for a walk is supposed to be one of those pleasant experiences; relaxing, enjoyable and memorable. However for many people it’s memorable for all the wrong reasons! Dragged down the street, pulled off your feet, arm yanked out of its socket, damaged wrists and a lot of stress.
DD 015: How to train your dog to come every time
In this FREE podcast we take a look at one of the most basic of all commands. Something that’s surely so natural for a dog… but sadly for many people it isn’t. So simple in theory, the recall, as I like to call it, is all about getting your dog to return to your side.
Understanding Dog Bites
This week I thought I would touch on a very serious topic. Dog bites. Just a few days ago I received an all too common phone call from a lady. Her dog had bitten her son. It was a nip to the foot, not a mauling, however she called me to ask if I could […]
One day we may start to understand what dogs know
What dogs know I’ve decided the time has come to look a bit closer at our friends the dogs, and ask the question what do they actually know? It’s a funny thing being a dog trainer, having worked with thousands of dogs and their owners over the years; I have seen everything from the simply […]
Dog personality and how we behave in life
This week I was reminded of how different dogs are, not just physically but also in terms of personality. The scenario As I wandered along the beach with my 3 dogs, I met a young couple on the beach who had a German Shepherd dog (GSD) on a leash. He was about 7 months old […]
6 reasons why you should neuter your dog
Moses, my 6-month old puppy, recently spent a couple of hours at the vets being de-sexed. It wasn’t a difficult decision at all, here’s why. The hormone testosterone that’s generated by the entire male (that is the word given for male dogs who are not de-sexed) is what drives the male dog to reproduce. When […]
How to respond when an aggressive dog runs up to my dog?
Something that I get asked a lot is what to do if you’re approached by a potentially aggressive dog. In this article I have covered off 3 situations where you are walking your dog on a leash and another dog off the leash comes running up to you. Being challenged by another dog when out […]
One of my best Dog Training Tips
I have so many great dog training tips – this is possibly my favourite… Before you ask your dog to do something, ask yourself this: “Do I think that my dog will succeed?” If the answer is no then why are you going to do it? Lets take a very simple example. You are training […]
Managing your dog with a new baby at home
Bringing home a new baby is a wonderful experience and you want everything to go as smoothly as possible with your dog. Here is a little list of some things that you can do which will really help make the transition simple and straight forward. 1. Be the pack leader Being the pack leader is […]
The importance of socialising puppies
Few things are more important than making sure that your puppy is well socialised with other dogs. The reason being is simple: if you socialise them with other dogs when they are young they will learn to get on well with other dogs when they’re older. However if you leave it too late this can […]
Keeping children safe around dogs
Keeping children safe around dogs is a topic that we really do need to improve our knowledge on. So many dog bites on children happen when some very basic rules are broken. With this in mind I thought I would run through some of the key ways that you can avoid running into problems with […]
Fireworks and dog anxiety
Helping dogs with fireworks Dogs who are scared of fireworks (almost identical for the fear of thunder and many other noises) is a topic that I am passionate about, as I hate to see any animals in fear, especially dogs. True fear, which is what many dogs are experiencing becomes very hard to handle when […]
What are the best dog breeds to own?
Breed all about it! The discussion about what are the best dog breeds to own brings up a wide variety of views. Almost everyone has an opinion, and of course as a dog behaviorist I always find it fascinating to hear about everyone’s different experiences with the various dog breeds. There is one point that […]
Video of Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy socialization
Nature knows best One of the things about watching dogs meet for the first time is that if you know what you are looking for there is actually an awful lot going on. You see, dogs instinctively know that there are leaders and followers. This dear dog in the video named Willow was very clearly […]
West Highland Terrier puppy socializing with larger dogs
In this video you’ll meet Horlicks, a West Highland Terrier puppy. Sh’e been introduced to my two girls, who are the first large dogs she’s ever met. Calm energy is the key to puppy socialization Inca is very calm and relaxed, and that’s the invitation for the West Highland puppy, Horlicks, to come and play. […]
Dogs socializing, learning to read dogs body langauge
Watch as my two trained dogs Inca and Peanut, keep two large male Ridgeback Cross dogs (Nitro and Diesel) away until they are ready to say hello. Fascinating little interaction As you watch the dogs socializing, you’ll see their body language is a real giveaway – the flirting and the dance…! This is all about […]