Blog — training

Let’s talk potty training!  Puppies are adorable but they’re definitely a lot of work. It can feel absolutely overwhelming so hopefully this information helps out a bit. You can use these tips with an adult dog as well.   How long can my puppy hold it?   It varies from pup to pup but on average a young puppy can hold it however many months old they are plus one. So if you have a two month old puppy they can on average hold it about three hours. This is during the day when they are awake and active. At...

Why do dogs jump on people? Dogs get excited and want to greet people face to face as they would when meeting other dogs which can be frowned upon by humans especially when a larger dog is jumping. How do we stop it? One of the most common goals my clients have in class is to stop their dogs from jumping on people during greetings. So if we don't want them jumping on people we need to teach them an alternative, appropriate behavior to replace the jumping.  Where do we start? It starts at home, if your dog is used to jumping...

People are great!   This is just one of the exercises you can do to help your dog make positive associations with people. Over the years as a dog trainer I have seen a lot of success with this simple exercise. This is of course just one piece of the puzzle but a good one to start working on if your dog isn't sure about new people or is a bit scared. The goal of this exercise is for your dog to make positive associations with people, whether it's seeing people, people approaching, people coming into your home etc. We are...

Why teach recall?  The recall command will be one of the most important things you can teach your dog. It can literally be a life saving command if your dog ever gets out. You want to be able to call them, have them come and also check in by sitting at your feet. Many commands take a couple of weeks for dogs to learn like the sit or down commands so you might expect the same with recall but this one can take a few months of work to perfect.  Work on recall every single day just like you would...

What should walks look like with your dog? Your dog should be able to get some much needed exercise while also being able to explore and sniff around. Dogs' noses are amazing and some sniffing around here and there not only helps your dog gather a ton of information about their environment but it is also good for their mental health. It shouldn't be a free for all especially if you can't get your dog's focus outside. Walks are a great opportunity to do something fun with your dog and bond with them. You want your dog to be able to explore...