Two Puppies Twice the Fun or Double the Trouble? Unfortunately, two puppies usually mean more trouble than fun. They’ll pay more attention to each other than they will to you because they’re dogs and you’re not (Nah, Nah!). A single puppy...
Here are the basics. These are the bare-bone facts your dog must understand and you must learn how to teach him. I’ll walk you through each command one step at a time. I suggest you practice each command five minutes a day....
The First 24 Hours: The first day your new dog is home with you can be a little odd. After all the anticipation and preparation, your dog is home. Some dogs jump right into the swing of things; others prefer a more...
You’ll need to designate an area for your mischievous dog to stay while you’re not home and to cool off if things get out of hand. I like to think of the area as a cubby because it should be small, quiet, and...
Ask Yourself… A Questionnaire: Now for the exciting part, picking your breed! I wish I could be there to help you in person, but since I can’t, here’s the next best thing: the questionnaire I give to clients who hire me to...
The first thing you must accept is that your dog really doesn’t know too much. She’s willing to learn, but until you follow a good training regimen, she probably won’t respect your rules. The complexity of the human household—the furnishings, the walls,...
You’ve come to a pivotal point in your dog training journey. If you don’t start out with the right equipment and make some effort to organize your home—I repeat, your home—you’ll have a hard time earning your dog’s respect. An untrained dog...
Ideally, your dog should be with you when you’re home. But perhaps that concept has some of you shaking in your shoes. With all that unsupervised running around and destruction, your house will be trashed, your dog will be wild, and...
Whoa, Nellie! That’s what the “Down” command says. Once you can get your dog to do this, you’re really on your way. “Down” is also a sign of respect. Sound dreamy? It’s easier said than taught, however, because the issue of...
Is this your dream command? You’re not alone. I’m not sure why people have so much trouble teaching this one, but it’s probably because it’s rushed. They teach it one day and expect their dog to stay while they welcome company or walk...
Everybody knows a jumper—a knock-you-over-when-you-come-in jumper, a muddypaws-on-the-couch jumper, a counter cruiser (a dog who likes to sniff along with countertops). Jumping is a sure-fire attention-getter. So what gives? The first step in solving your problem will be to understand how...
Tone: If your dog thinks of you as another dog and you start yelling, what does he hear? Yes, he hears barking. And would barking calm excitement or increase it? Right again, it would increase it. Now some of you may...
Chicken broth is an excellent method to enhance the flavor and nutritional value of your dog’s diet. Alternatively, it can be used to replace canned food or as an ingredient in dry kibble recipes. Chicken broth offers a variety of advantages,...
No one can underestimate the pleasures of a well-trained dog. In recent articles, we went over leash training techniques. Master these before you begin the exercises described in this chapter. As you work toward off-lead control, don’t get too bold. You’ll have...
Whether you’re planning a vacation and won’t be able to bring your dog along, or if you have to travel for work and need someone to look after your four-legged companion, a long-term dog boarding service may be the ideal option....
