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#1 Cause of Dog Behavior Issues: TOO MUCH FREEDOM!

December 19, 2010

When dealing with dogs, we must THINK like a dog.  It’s not what we do that matters, but how the dog PERCEIVES what we do.  When we give our dog too much freedom – the freedom to patrol the entire yard or property while we are gone, the freedom to hike off leash without voice [...]

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POWER SAPPERS: Part II – Emotional Extremes

October 10, 2010

FRUSTRATION & ANGER vs. SMOTHERING LOVE Frustration and Anger Have you ever been so frustrated with your dog that you yell at him? It’s what most people do when they are at a loss on how to control, command or even just get their dog’s attention.  When your dog fails to respond, your anger and [...]

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POWER SAPPERS: Part I – Fidgeting

September 19, 2010

Your dog is looking for a leader. A powerful figure, with quiet confidence, in whom he can put his trust and safely follow.  When you become that kind of leader in your dog’s eyes, he will listen to you, follow you and obey you. Powerful “alpha” dogs are quiet and direct.  So are powerful people.  [...]

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HEADWATERS OF THE DOG TRAINING DEBATE: The Myth of Aggression-Based Dominance

August 15, 2010

 Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last 20 years, you know that the dog training world is deeply divided on training philosophy and methodology.  I’ve been thinking a lot about this schism over the past couple of weeks, and I HAVE FOUND THE HEADWATERS! If I’m not mistaken, the entire rift can be traced [...]

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DOGS 101: A Primer

August 3, 2010

1. First and foremost, dogs are animals that just happen to live with humans. We domesticated the dog, not because we wanted a companion, but because we needed their skills of hunting, killing and defense to help us humans survive and prosper. 2. Selective breeding has changed the “wrapping”, but not the contents. Domesticated dogs [...]

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SUPER MOMS: the Job, the Kids, the Dog… Oh My!

July 4, 2010

You’re home from work, trying to get some kind of dinner on the table, the kids are running wildly around the house and suddenly you hear “Mom! The dog is jumping on me! He has by Barbie and he won’t give her back”. Before you can wash the meatloaf off your hands to get in [...]

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Women, Dogs & Cleopatra

May 2, 2010
Thumbnail image for Women, Dogs & Cleopatra

Anyone who’s owned dogs for a while, knows that dogs often relate differently to women than they do to men. I hear comments every week from women in my dog training classes like, “He doesn’t jump on my husband, but he’s all over me when I walk in”, or “My boyfriend can walk him and [...]

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POWER, HIERARCHY and DOMINANCE:
Them’s Dog-Trainer Fightin’ Words!

February 2, 2010

In 20 years of dog training, I’ve yet to find any subject more provocative that that of Power, Hierarchy and Dominance and its place in dog training. It’s a lightening rod that divides dog trainers into one camp or the other: those that train to achieve hierarchical dominance over their dog, and those that feel [...]

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