One of the most important skills a dog can learn is how to walk nicely on leash – but I notice that it’s a skill few dogs have! Leash training is probably the most difficult part of training a puppy, but it tends to be the part that many people spend the LEAST amount of time on. Here are some common leash training mistakes, and how to fix them. Moving too fast – When they get a new puppy, many people can’t wait to start taking their dog everywhere with them, going for long

Does your dog hate riding in the car? Here are some tips to help make car rides a more enjoyable activity for your pooch. Improve the positive to negative ratio: For many dogs, car rides mean one thing – VET VISIT. This means that they associate getting in the car with going to the vet, whether that is the destination you have in mind or not. You can teach your dog to enjoy the car more by simply changing this association. My rule of thumb? 10 positive experiences for e

Between working as a dog walker for years, owning two dog walking companies and teaching countless dog owners how to leash train their pups, I've learned a thing or two about how to solve leash-related problems and improve the walk experience. If your walk could use a little work, read on 'cuz this one's for you! 1. Treat walks as a training session, not a free for all. Your dog is always learning - learning how to do things you like, or learning to do things you don't lik

One of the first changes I make when working with a new client is I have them switch from bowl feeding to hand feeding. To a lot of people, it can seem like a tedious switch to make (aka a lot more work!) but there are so many advantages to adopting this routine with your dog. First of all, hand feeding reinforces a leadership dynamic and teaches your dog that all good things in life come through you. This has nothing to do with outdated ideas about the domination/submissio

If you’ve stepped into the world of dog training and taken a look around, even briefly, you’ve probably noticed that there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the various training methods. Perhaps one of the most controversial of these methods is the E-collar, also known as a shock collar or remote collar. This device would fall into the category of aversive/punishment-based training methods. Essentially, the dog learns to be obedient in an effort to avoid something

Working with reactive dogs is one of my specialties, and as much as I love helping rehabilitate dogs with this issue, I wish that it wasn't such a common problem. It is agreed upon by many dog trainers that reactivity is now the most prevalent behavioral issue, and the rates of occurrence are still on the rise. I recently wrote a blog post on techniques to help heal a dog that is already experiencing reactivity issues - but the best strategy is prevention. Here are some t

Unreliable recalls are a common complaint among dog owners. Generally speaking, there are two primary reasons for this. One - rock solid recalls require a tremendous amount of training. Most dogs will come when called inside the home, but get the dog outside in a high-distraction environment and all bets are off. It is absolutely crucial to train your recall amidst all kinds of distractions once your dog has learned the command in a low distraction setting. This is not a

Welcome to the first installment of K9 Holistics Dog Training Q&A. If you have a question about dog training or behavior, you can submit it via email or through our Facebook page (please include your email address, dog's breed and age). Today's question comes from Claire Papargiriou via Facebook. Claire writes: "5yrs. Neutered Eng. Bulldog male. Rescued at 11 months, lives now w/ fixed bossy female, Maltese. Not dog friendly. Can't go to vets without him barking & pulling t

One of the most common problems I see among dog owners is the issue of how to get their dog to pay attention to them. You can be the best trainer in the world, but if a dog won't look at you, who cares? Here are some tips on how to engage your dog and make training much simpler. 1. Be something that your dog WANTS to look at. Easier said than done? Quite possibly. But it's so important to remember that we are always competing with the environment for our dog's attention

The holidays are upon us and lots of fun is in store, but the holidays can pose some unique dangers to our canine counterparts. Here are some safety tips to ensure that your dog stays happy, healthy and safe this Halloween. 1. Keep her secure. Halloween typically involves lots of doors opening and closing, which creates the perfect opportunity for canine escape artists to flee the coup. The number of lost dogs tends to spike around holidays such as Halloween, so please ta

Are you feeling restless? Do you need more fun in your life? Do you feel like you're losing that spark that you once had? When was the last time you laughed together...REALLY laughed together? I'm talking about you and your dog, of course! Daily play time is essential for your dog, but it doesn't have to be boring for you. Hide-&-go seek is one of my all time favorite games to play with dogs...and here's why! 1. It helps cultivate a killer Sit-stay. This game involves p

I get asked a lot about the differences between dog training and behavior modification, so here is a description of the differences between these training modalities and what they are used for. Dog training is essentially obedience, manners and/or vocational training. It means we are starting from a clean slate and teaching the dog how to interact with us and the world. We are creating behaviors that were not previously present. Dog training is cumulative, meaning we start

Separation anxiety is a fairly common problem for today's modern dog. There are many factors that contribute to this specific form of anxiety, and it is an issue that typically takes a lot of persistance in fully resolving. If your dog is suffering from moderate to severe seperation anxiety, I would strongly advise you to seek the help of a professional. For mild cases, or for the sake of prevention, here are some tips to help ease the symptoms of this problem. 1. No big

Several of my clients have asked me this week what they should do about their firework-phobic dogs this holiday weekend. I thought I would share some trainer tips on how to deal with this issue without having to resort to doggy xanax (always a last resort in my book). 1. Exercise. It's always the first place to start. Make sure your dog is totally pooped by the time the sky starts lighting up. Take a super long walk or run, have a rowdy play session, and finish it off wi

Here are 10 things that you can do to help your dog achieve optimal health and improve behavior. 1. Double your exercise. Whatever the amount of exercise your dog is currently getting - double it! Exercise is one of the best ways to improve behavioral issues and keep your dog healthy and active. Go for a long hike, play a game of frisbee or take a run, just get 'em moving! 2. Improve nutrition. I highly encourage my clients to read pet food labels carefully, and choose