In my work with puppies I often find that related issues pop up in waves. We all know that dogs crave attention. In turn, we adore how they look at us lovingly when we give them attention. We love admiring how cute they are, how smart they are and we…

This morning my young dog Snorri gave me reason for pride.    Snorri has an incredible nose and is also highly food motivated. Like all smart dogs (and kids) he is also very curious and he likes to explore everything. He uses his mouth and his nose. On the sidewalks of New York…

Not long ago I was called in to help with a “completely” out of control 11 year old little dog. Interestingly the dog walker’s impression was “he is a sweet little dog” with a few quirks. The guardians had a very different description.   The dog greeted me with great enthusiasm.…

About 6-7 months ago I got an inquiry from a guy who had a puppy who was “boisterous” and he wanted “it” trained. He asked if I could I come for 2-3 days in a row and teach him basic manners and how to walk on a leash.  It was clear…

I think this story is worth retelling because I see so many people waiting for their dog to make a “ mistake” rather than manage their behavior! On a recent walk with my dog Zeldi we came across a woman standing around in the street playing with her phone. She…

So when is it good to start training your puppy? Is it ever too late? Or too soon? Those are questions we hear often. I guess the first thing to realize is that dogs at all ages are constantly looking for information from you and from the environment, and they…

A reinforcer is pretty much anything that will make a learner understand that they did well, that they understood, that communication was successful. With puppies and inexperienced dogs in particular food is a great choice because food is inherently good because it is a primary need (meaning it is necessary…

Remember the coloring books you had as a child where you needed to try and stay INSIDE the lines? A long time ago I wrote a blog post discussing “inside out training”. I discussed the idea that people tend to get a behavior by drawing a line in the sand,…

Very often dog guardians reach out to a trainer or behaviorist when something with their dog’s behavior goes awry. The neighbors complain about barking, the dog is still peeing and pooping inappropriately in the house when they should be house trained, the dog has bitten someone or has been destructive…