Dog owners often run into the same issues and I can relate to them from experience. I have fallen for the same tricks when Kensho played them on me.

Question from a desperate dog owner:

“My 7 month old pup is more than picky when it comes to her food! She just doesn’t LIKE any of it, so she won’t eat very much. I’m to the point where I think if she’s hungry enough she will eat it!

I started with Nutro Lamb & Rice, she won’t eat that anymore, then changed to Chicken Soup… it gave her the runs… then to Canidae Chicken & Rice.. she wouldn’t eat it… now I have California Natural Lamb & Rice, which she will only eat if I mix in a little canned food (and even then she will only pick around and eat the canned food). It also gave her runny poop today.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Training Older Dogs

Of course, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is a myth. Like humans, or many other species, dogs learn new things every day throughout life. My ten-year old Golden is still mentally alert and eager to ‘play’ in new ways.

But, also like humans, learning new behavior is often as much a matter of unlearning old ways. Dogs do have a strong tendency toward habits, and modifying or extending those habits after years of repetition takes extra patience and focused guidance.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Training Devices, Tools Not Substitutes

The creativity of trainers and those who supply them with additional tools is never-ending. To the new or casual trainer there appears a dizzying array of devices. Though many are useful, they shouldn’t be viewed as substitutes for training knowledge.

Before using any of the tools discussed below, be sure your dog is in good health. Even the gentlest of collars or training regimes can do harm if the dog has a skin sore or twisted dew claw.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Training the Trainer

Dog training philosophies vary as much as dogs and trainers do. Most professionals agree, however, that a large part of training dogs consists of training the trainers.

Whether those trainers are pet owners or professionals they need many of the same attributes. Most dogs are neither stupid nor intelligent in the same way humans are. But whatever their natural aptitude they require and benefit from consistency, repetition and a patient style of guidance.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our in-home dog training is the one of our fastest growing training packages simply because of the variety of affordable training choices you get to choose from without leaving your home. Our latest feature for in-home dog training packages includes a trainer coming to your home with or without the owner being present. For instance, we would evauluate your dog on the first visit and fill out necassary paperwork and find out what your expectations are form the training program. Once we decide if your dog will need basic obedience, advanced obedience, and/or behavior modification then the training begins. If you decide not to be present for the training sessions at your home then we can decide how many visits per week you would like for us to schedule your training!

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Pet Tricks Training

Teaching your pet tricks is easiest when you work with their nature, not against it. Most dogs are eager to please and respond enthusiastically to rewards. Teaching tricks is often as much a matter of simply using those rewards to direct or build on a spontaneous behavior as it is teaching an entirely foreign one.

Watch for spontaneous behavior close to the one desired. A dog will sometimes crawl on its belly for no apparent reason. It may be scratching, it may simply be having fun. If this is a desired trick, watch for the beginnings of the behavior, then be prepared to associate it with a hand gesture and voice command, then reward immediately.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Tips for Large and Small Dogs

No project, apart from raising a child, requires more patience than dog training. All breeds have different attributes that present challenges. Some are intelligent, but boisterous and easily distracted. Some are eager to please, but dim-witted. But special considerations are required for size.

Small dogs are easily transported, providing more choices for a training area around the home or away from it. But they tend to bark more readily and are often either too fearful or too bold. Extra effort directed toward bark suppression is often required.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dog Training - Tips for Selecting Game Dogs

Proper training begins even before the pup is born. While it’s not always possible to buy a pup from champions, selecting the proper breed and temperament is essential.

Choosing a pup starts with choosing the dam and sire, whenever possible. The pup’s parents should be active, alert and amenable to training and preferably gaming dogs themselves.

But even the best of parents have offspring that differ in personality. Some pups simply don’t have the interest or temperament to be working dogs. No amount of training can overcome that limitation.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dogs, like humans, show a wide range of tolerance for others. Some are immediately friendly with every new dog, cat or lizard. Others are forever hostile to even the opposite sex of their own breed. Considering dogs are by nature territorial the diversity is odd, but there it is.

Naturally, animal lovers like to have more than one dog around and often several breeds or other species. Ensuring that chairs remain upright and necks unbitten can be a real challenge. Add to the mix the neighbor’s pets or random critters who wander into your companion’s territory and your furniture, not to mention your sanity, can be at real risk.

Read the rest of this entry »

To understand dog training it is necessary to have some basic knowledge on how dogs think, learn and behave. A puppy decides whether or not he is going to repeat a behavior by the direct consequence of that behavior. If I behavior brings about a reward, either from you or the environment, the behavior is likely to be repeated. Similarly, if a behavior brings about an unpleasant consequence, chances are good that the puppy will not repeat the behavior.

Read the rest of this entry »